Denise Roper's Blog, page 22
October 25, 2010
Ron Conforting Hermione Wall Art
Apparently this picture of Ron and Hermione embracing is available as a poster from Harry Potter Wall Art: http://www.harrypotterwallart.com/new-images/ron-comforting-and-holding-hermione-poster-dirty-and-scarred
R/Hr shippers, isn't this just beautiful? 
October 24, 2010
Rupert Grint's Opinion of Ron/Hermione and Tom Felton talks about Draco in the Deathly Hallows Films
Ron and Hermione's relationship also develops, doesn't it?
Rupert: Until now, we have only had hints at the potential of their relationship, but in this film we finally get to see their relationship blossom. Voldemort's return, Ron leaving home, and all the stressful situations that they share ends up bringing them closer and then become a couple. They have always almost been a couple in the films, but in this one it feels so sudden and I felt awkward about it. Their story is different from the books, but their relationship's development in the film is just as good.
I also liked what Tom Felton had to say about Draco's best scene in Part One:
In Part 1, what scene would you say is Draco's best?
Tom: There is a brilliant scene where there is a gathering of the evilest 20 characters at the Malfoy Manor that Voldemort is using for his headquarters. Draco, the only child in the room, is the only one with an innocent heart. As an actor, just being a part of the environment during filming was amazing and I felt overwhelmed. All the other actors in the room were playing characters with dark hearts whereas I was playing the only character without one. So I really enjoyed playing that scene.
Draco's Character Poster for HP7
Will Draco be redeemed in the movies? I am really anxious to see this. I would love it if Tom were allowed to portray the "good" or "sympathetic" side of Draco's character in the Deathly Hallows films, showing movie audiences that Draco is more than just a two-dimensional schoolyard bully. He certainly did a great job with this in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
New Harry Potter Banner and Daniel Radcliffe Interview
Here's the new Harry Potter banner that appears to be a companion to the Ron and Hermione banners that I posted here earlier.
Snitch Seeker has the Harry Potter banner and new quotes from Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson posted here: http://www.snitchseeker.com/harry-potter-news/dan-radcliffe-rupert-grint-and-emma-watson-talk-filming-deathly-hallows-action-scenes-77051/ This quote from Emma reveals some of what we will see in the Deathly Hallows films: "There is a giant snake involved, we get picked up on a dragon, dropped in a lake and I nearly get my throat slit. It's real adventure." That sounds pretty intense!
There's a great Daniel Radcliffe interview here: http://www.danradcliffe.co.uk/index.php/news/1248-daniel-radcliffe-discusses-7-potters-dumbledore-ron-a-hermione-musicals-more-with-fansites?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
This quote was my favorite part of the interview:
For people who haven't read the book, do you think the fan's reaction will turn in the first half of the movie against Dumbledore because of Rita's book?
Dan: I hope so. That's the intention. That, for me, is what the first film is about. It's about faith. It's about how far can one's faith be tested before you give in entirely. Harry's a Job figure in the book in the first part. He hears so much about Dumbledore that is less than esteemable. He starts to really question why he's going on this insane, demanding mission, which is costing him his friends and potentially will cost his life – for somebody he starts to question the values of. Hopefully at the end of the first film people should be very much wondering, "Well, what was Dumbledore's real agenda?" They should question it because that is ultimately what we want them to do. I also think, while I'm on the topic of talking about faith is also about as Harry loses faith in Dumbledore and starts to fall apart, so Ron and Hermione lose faith in Harry.
I think Dan really does understand the crisis of faith that Harry goes through in Part One. It's really appropriate that his last scene in the film is Dobby's burial, which takes place during the Easter holidays. Harry makes his "choice to believe" in Dumbledore and continue the mission to destroy the Horcruxes while digging Dobby's grave, as John Granger pointed out in his fascinating book The Deathly Hallows Lectures. I wrote about Harry's choice to believe in this post: http://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/exciting-narnia-news-and-the-deeper-meaning-of-the-silver-chair-and-harry-potter/
In that blog post I wrote:
J. K. Rowling's own struggles with her faith and her "choice to believe" in Christ is mirrored by Harry's loss of faith in Albus Dumbledore after discovering many of the shocking secrets of his former mentor. Harry Potter makes the "choice to believe" in the truth of Dumbledore's wisdom and decides to complete the task of destroying the Horcruxes, a mission that ultimately leads Harry to a heroic self-sacrificial "death" that saves the Wizarding World.
John Granger has definitely influenced my thinking on this matter. I can only wonder if Daniel Radcliffe has been influenced (directly or indirectly) by Mr. Granger's work.
J. K. Rowling spoke of her struggles with religious belief in her recent interview with Oprah Winfrey. Rowling grappled with her doubts and expressed them in the form of Harry's crisis of faith in book seven. Harry, like the writer who created him, experienced a "dark night of the soul" and made the choice to believe. As Jo said on Oprah, "I know what I believe because of what I've written."
New Harry Potter Banner
Here's the new Harry Potter banner that appears to be a companion to the Ron and Hermione banners that I posted here earlier.
Snitch Seeker has the Harry Potter banner and new quotes from Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson posted here: http://www.snitchseeker.com/harry-potter-news/dan-radcliffe-rupert-grint-and-emma-watson-talk-filming-deathly-hallows-action-scenes-77051/ This quote from Emma reveals some of what we will see in the Deathly Hallows films: "There is a giant snake involved, we get picked up on a dragon, dropped in a lake and I nearly get my throat slit. It's real adventure." That sounds pretty intense!
Track Listing of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One Soundtrack
Snitch Seeker has the track listing for the CD of Alexandre Desplat's soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One here:
You can also see what the collector's box set will look like and read a description of its contents. The track listing for the CD is as follows:
1-1 Obliviate - London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-2 Snape to Malfoy Manor – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-3 Polyjuice Potion – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-4 Sky Battle – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-5 At The Burrow - London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-6 Harry and Ginny – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-7 The Will – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-8 Death Eaters – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-9 Dobby - London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-10 Ministry of Magic - London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-11 Detonators - London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-12 The Locket - London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-13 Fireplaces Escape – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-14 Ron Leaves – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-15 The Exodus – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-16 Godric's Hollow Graveyard – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-17 Bathilda Bagshot - London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-18 Hermione's Parents – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-19 Destroying the Locket – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-20 Ron's Speech – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-21 Lovegood – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-22 The Deathly Hallows - London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-23 Captured and Tortured - London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-24 Rescuing Hermione - London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-25 Farewell to Dobby - London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
1-26 The Elder Wand – London Symphony Orchestra – Clive Bell – Jakob Lindberg – Alexandre Desplat – London Voices – The London Oratory Boys
You can pre-order the CD here:
http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Deathly-Hallows-Part/dp/B0043URV8M/&tag=snitchseekerc-20
Or you can order the collector's edition here:
http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Deathly-Hallows-Part/dp/B0047VEE0U/&tag=snitchseekerc-20
I am really looking forward to hearing Desplat's score for the new film. I am a music teacher by profession, a flute player, and a school band conductor. Yes, that's right. I'm a conductor. I'm living proof that you can make a career out of "foolish wand waving," even in the muggle world. 
Christian Imagery in the Half-Blood Prince Film
I've blogged about Christian imagery in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films here:
This post is about the Christian imagery in the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince film. A cross can be clearly seen in this screencap, taken from the scene in which Harry and Dumbledore are apparating away from Horace Slughorn's village.
Then there is the scene at the end of the film in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione are having a conversation at the top of the Astronomy Tower in the aftermath of Dumbledore's death.
Look on top of the castle turret on the right side of this screencap. The decoration at the top of the turret appears cross-shaped from this distance, although a closer inspection may reveal that it is not a cross, it certainly looks like one. What are Harry and Hermione looking at in this scene?
They are watching Fawkes the Phoenix soar joyfully into the blue, of course. The phoenix is a symbol of the Resurrection whose origins I explained in my book, The Lord of the Hallows: Christian Symbolism and Themes in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter.
The mythology of classical antiquity described the phoenix as a majestic bird which flew to foreign lands to gather fragrant herbs and spices to heap upon an altar, set fire to them, and then burn itself to ashes, only to rise from the pyre after three days time. The early Fathers of the Church logically saw this myth as a typological symbol of the death of Christ, who rose from the tomb on the third day.
The phoenix was adapted by the early Christians as a symbol of the Resurrection as early as the first century A.D. Drawings of the creature appear amongst the Christian murals and "graffiti" that identify the tombs of the martyrs in the catacombs beneath the city of Rome. St.Clement of Rome, who was pope at the end of the first century, wrote of the legend of the phoenix in his First Letter to the Corinthians. He used the story of how the bird died and rose again as a new phoenix to explain the Resurrection of the Christian faithful which will occur at the end of time. –quote from pages 37-38
The symbolism of the phoenix has been important throughout the series. Harry met Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet phoenix, in the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Fawkes saved Harry's life by crying healing tears to heal a mortal wound Harry received from the deadly basilisk. The tears of a phoenix are the only known cure for the basilisk's poisonous venom. Fawkes's song gave Harry renewed strength and courage in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when the young hero had to face Voldemort in the flesh during the wizard's duel in the churchyard. Dumbledore's patronus is a phoenix, and the name of the Anti-Voldemort league that Dumbledore established is called "The Order of the Phoenix." All of the good adult wizards that Harry admires—Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley—are members of the new Order of the Phoenix. Harry's deceased parents, James and Lily, along with Ron's deceased uncles, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, and Neville's parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, were all members of the original Order of the Phoenix during the First Voldemort War. We even witness Fawkes the Phoenix saving Dumbledore's life when Voldemort tries to use Avada Kedavra, the Death Curse, to defeat him: "Fawkes swooped down in front of Dumbledore, opened his beak wide, and swallowed the jet of green light whole." (OP 815) Only the phoenix, like Christ, could take the curse of death upon himself and rise again in glory, unharmed. From the earliest days of Christianity, the phoenix was a symbol of the believer's hope of Resurrection at the end of the world. Its ascension into the heavens, like that of the eagle, symbolized the soul's desire for union with God. At the funeral which concludes the sixth book, Harry saw smoke rising from the white flames around Dumbledore's body, and "Harry thought, for one heart-stopping moment, that he saw a phoenix fly joyfully into the blue." (HBP 645)–quote from pages 40-41.
Here's another screencap from the sixth Harry Potter film.
The tapestry behind Ginny is based on a very famous work of art, "The Unicorn in Captivity."
It is the seventh in a series of tapestries entitled The Hunt of the Unicorn as an Allegory of the Passion. The unicorn is captured, killed, and resurrected in the series of tapestries, and is thus a Christ symbol. In The Lord of the Hallows, I wrote:
Another set of famous unicorn tapestries, currently housed in the Cloisters, the Medieval exhibit of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a set entitled The Hunt of the Unicorn as an Allegory of the Passion. These tapestries, woven in 1495-1505 in the Netherlands, depict the betrayal and passion of Jesus Christ as a unicorn hunt. Although the unicorn is killed in the sixth of the seven tapestries, he appears alive and well in the seventh tapestry. Here, the unicorn is a collared beast in a small enclosure, surrounded by a field of colorful flowers. "The Unicorn in Captivity" is symbolic of the resurrected Christ. A unicorn tapestry copied from this famous work of art appears in the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), and can be seen clearly behind Ginny Weasley when she takes Harry by the hand in front of the Room of Requirement. –quote from pages 29-30.
If you would like to read more about what I have written about the phoenix and unicorn, as well as the symbolism of the lion, serpent, stag, griffin, eagle, and the weasel, please consider ordering a copy of my book from www.outskirtspress.com/thelordofthehallows. Other topics covered in the book include the influence of Inklings C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien on Rowling's writing, Harry Potter's Christian themes (such as free will, the immortality of the soul, and the power of self-sacrificial love), Horcruxes and Hallows, the Arthurian legends of the Grail Hallows, a belief in God in Harry's world, the Biblical quotations in Godric's Hollow, Aslan, Frodo, and Harry Potter as Christ figures, and much more!
The book is also available from http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Hallows-Christian-Symbolism-Rowlings/dp/1432741128 I noticed that Luke Bell's Baptizing Harry Potter and Travis Prinzi's Hog's Head Conversations are listed as books that people also buy when purchasing my book. I've read both of those volumes, and I would definitely recommend them to all of the Harry Potter fans who follow this blog. Both books are excellent!
You might want to read these posts if you haven't done so already:
Harry Potter and C. S. Lewis's Silver Chair: http://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/exciting-narnia-news-and-the-deeper-meaning-of-the-silver-chair-and-harry-potter/
The Deeper Meaning of the Quest for the Deathly Hallows (a Grail Hallows Comparison) http://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/09/26/the-deeper-meaning-of-the-quest-for-the-deathly-hallows/
Weasley Is Our King! (The Weasel as a Christian Symbol) http://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/weasley-is-our-king/
The Power of Love and Self-Sacrifice in Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings: http://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/08/03/the-power-of-love-and-self-sacrifice-in-harry-potter-and-the-lord-of-the-rings/
An Excerpt from My Mythcon 41 Paper on Horcruxes and Sauron's Ring: http://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/mythcon-41/
Melissa Anelli's Unpublished Rowling Interviews ("Hallows of Hogwarts" and other possible titles for Book 7, and the Dumbledore as "God" & Grindelwald as "Lucifer" quote) http://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/melissa-anelli-and-j-k-rowling-interview/
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New Hermione Banner
This Hermione banner is apparently the companion to the new Ron banner/poster that I blogged about yesterday. I think both of them are fantastic!
I haven't seen a Harry banner like this one. If I find one I will post it here.
October 23, 2010
New Ron Poster and Angry Hermione
I really like the new Ron Weasley poster with the tagline "Nowhere is safe." This is not one of the Ron character posters that we have seen before, but a new one that has appeared online very recently.
Here are some pictures of angry Hermione that I found. Poor Ron!
Ron takes the lead after his dramatic return the day after Christmas. Is the Trio going to visit the Lovegoods' house?
More New Deathly Hallows Pictures: Ron/Hermione Falling Asleep Holding Hands
Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the Burrow after the "Seven Harry Potters" Escape from Privet Drive
Harry, Ron, and Hermione Camping in the Wilderness
Souvenir Deathly Hallows Film Cell
Is that Hermione's bushy hair I see?
Trio at Grimmauld Place.
Look at Ron and Hermione's hands in the photo above (at the top, on the right side). That's another detail from the novel that they got right!
Ron had a fit of gallantry and insisted that Hermione sleep on the cushions from the sofa, so that her silhouette was raised above his. Her arm curved to the floor, her fingers inches from Ron's. Harry wondered whether they had fallen asleep holding hands. The idea made him feel strangely lonely.
–Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, page 176.
More New Deathly Hallows Pictures!
Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the Burrow after the "Seven Harry Potters" Escape from Privet Drive
Harry, Ron, and Hermione Camping in the Wilderness
Souvenir Deathly Hallows Film Cell
Is that Hermione's bushy hair I see?
Trio at Grimmauld Place.
Look at Ron and Hermione's hands in the photo above (at the top, on the right side). That's another detail from the novel that they got right!
Ron had a fit of gallantry and insisted that Hermione sleep on the cushions from the sofa, so that her silhouette was raised above his. Her arm curved to the floor, her fingers inches from Ron's. Harry wondered whether they had fallen asleep holding hands. The idea made him feel strangely lonely.
–Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, page 176.
