My Date with Mr.Potter

At 4.30 in the morning, the air was cool, and I was glad I had a light jacket with me. I stood with my Mom, and my friend outside Modern Book Depo. I had been asked a few days ago to read out a few lines from ‘Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows’ for the release in my city. A huge honor, but also quite nerve-wrecking as at least three major Malayalam news channels were covering the event.

My emotions were too difficult to separate. Nervousness, for I am a very camera shy person, happiness that I was getting such a great opportunity, and fear. Not for myself, but for the characters of ‘Harry Potter’ as they were going to face their greatest battle yet.

It was time. I did not bother brushing my hair, or adjusting my shirt to hide fat. Instead I took a few deep calming breaths as my Mom and friend wished me good luck. As I stepped out of the store room and into the area of the shop, there was a smattering of applause. Quite stunned, I took my seat. Even as I sat, a strange realization came over me. This moment was never going to come again…I had to, had to make it memorable! I smiled a real smile and looked at everyone bravely before reading out the introduction. As I started reading the first few lines, I could hardly hear the cameras clicking and the whir of a video recorder. Instead I was lost in Rowling’s words.

There was an audible sigh of relief as the crowd heard that their beloved Harry does not die, and an inaudible one as I finally finished. I got up and got myself a glass of water, all the time admiring myself for overcoming one of my worst fears- the one of facing too many people.

Sweet and charming...not the chocolates!!

As time grows, so does my affection for him. He is a great guy, one of my many crazy friends, sweet in his own way. Try as much as you wish, he just does not get annoyed. Make plans of killing him in front of him, and he grins saying that he’ll be waiting. Comment that he does not have guts and he will like that.

Tell him you want to attend the recruitment drive and miss your class trip he very honestly tells you he would love having you there but he doesn’t want you to miss your class trip as it happens only once a year while rec drives are a regular occurrence. Tell him you had a bad day at school, that you and a friend had a bad fight, that you are down; he will talk with you till you laugh and feel better.

You say what you’ve written is stupid compared to other stuff on a certain blog; he contradicts the point saying it is better that most of the articles. He wants you to make more friends, so he invites you to a party and makes sure you do not get bored or lonely because you hardly know anyone around. He picks you up and drops you back home. Knowing your love for speed, he goes as fast as he can and promises next time he’ll go even faster.Remebering how you had loved the home made chocalates he had given you, he gives them to a mutual friend so that you can get them.

What can I say? I’m just plain lucky to have a friend like him. :)