Harry Potter Grows Up
11 July 2009
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As Emma Watson stepped gracefully out of her limousine at the world premiere of 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' in London's Leicester Square this week, there was a collective gasp.
Could this stunning woman draped in a sparkling vintage gown with towering gold heels be the same bushy-haired little girl who flounced onto the big screen as the boy wizard's brainy sidekick Hermione Granger in 2001?
Unlike most other celebrities, the child stars of 'Harry Potter' have literally grown up in front of the camera.
Emma, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe were barely 11 years old when they were cast in the movie franchise.
With each passing film, they have grown taller and - in the case of Daniel and Rupert - hairier, but when they stepped onto the red carpet on Tuesday (07.07.09), it was suddenly apparent they weren't children any more.
It's an observation that is made obvious in the opening scenes of the new film.
While Death Eaters destroy London's Millennium Bridge, a newly-cocky Harry (Radcliffe) is nonchalantly flicking through a newspaper in a grimy cafe at Surbiton train station, when an attractive young waitress catches his eye.
After some suggestive stares, the girl approaches Harry with a seductive smile on her face and a few tacky pick-up lines on the tip of her tongue.
The pair has barely finished arranging an illicit late-night rendezvous when Harry notices the lights on the opposite platform flickering.
Seconds later Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) appears and whisks Harry away from his night of debauchery to a tiny deserted village in rural Britain.
As they stand, staring at each other in the moonlight, Dumbledore remarks: "You need a shave Harry."
But before Harry gets his hands on a razor, the ageing headmaster has a more important task for him.
He must convince retired teacher Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where they are - after the dramatic departure of Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher Delores Umbridge in the previous instalment - a teacher down once again.
The eccentric potions master - who is renowned for his love of important and powerful people - is fascinated by Harry, and agrees to take up his former post.
After hearty commiserations about the "enjoyable night" with the pretty waitress Harry has sacrificed, Dumberdore sends him to the Weasley household where he immediately spots the other object of his affections - Ron's younger sister Ginny (Bonnie Wright).
Originally due to premiere in November 2008, the film's release date was pushed back eight months to July 2009
His feelings for the fiery redhead might be new, but Harry is soon back in familiar territory, chasing his sworn enemy Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) through the streets of Diagon Alley - where the young wizards buy provisions for the year ahead, from wands to dragon's blood - trying to find out what he is up to.
But as soon as the school term starts, Harry has more important things to worry about. This year he is having private lessons with Dumbledore.
Together, headmaster and student must delve into dark wizard Lord Voldemort's past to find a way to defeat him once and for all.
Before they can begin, Harry has to convince Professor Slughorn to divulge a secret involving the young Lord Voldemort - known as Tom Riddle - which he is determined to take to the grave.
It's a tricky task, made more difficult by Harry's growing obsession with Malfoy.
He suspects Malfoy is behind a series of dark deeds in the school, but Dumbledore refuses to listen until it is too late.
Soon, the school is facing attack from both outside and within and the time comes for certain people to show their true colours.
But while dark forces amass beyond the castle's walls, Harry and his schoolmates under attack from a different kind of foe - raging hormones.
As Harry lusts after Ginny with all the subtlety of a howler, Ron spends most of the first half of the film eagerly swapping saliva with his ditzy classmate Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave).
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