HARRY POTTER: THE END OF AN ERA

To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great

adventure. Apt, it would be, to commence this epitaph of sorts with the wise words of ALBUS DUMBLEDORE. (Indeed, death happens to be a subject that is dealt with in remarkable detail in throughout the series.) It is with a heady mixture of exhilarating yet dreadful anticipation that I await the final instalment of Harry Potter on celluloid. True, the movies have scarcely lived up to the magic of the books, yet this is the last vestige of the enchanting enterprise that has captured the imagination of an entire generation. It is to that group of individuals, in their late teens and early twenties, that I address this piece. everything ten times over again. As I grew, my age always approached that of the protagonists and I would forever consider myself fortunate to be in the seventh year of my higher education (i.e. Class XII) when the seventh book came out. I remember very well how I faked a fever to bunk school the day the book was released, so I could spend that day reading Potter lest someone give out the story at school. And alas, I bunked a coaching test the next day because there is no other way of reading the last two hundred pages of the Deathly Hallows, except at a stretch! (And I had a fever, remember! ) Such is my fascination with Joanne Rowlings work that I have even read all of her supplements from Fantastic Beasts and

I was nine revolutions into my sojourn on this

planet when I first picked up HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE , on the coaxing of my cousin (She recently cajoled me into reading Terry Pratchett; recommended by me to all Douglas Adams fans). As they say, since then I have not looked back. My tryst with the series has been nothing but elating, as I have read and reread and read

Where to Find Them to The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Even today, whenever I
pick up a Harry Potter book, it is with the understanding that no textbook is going to be studied for the next couple of days! There are countless moments throughout that weave a spell over me but a few always stand out, especially those with Luna (I daresay, I consider myself a Ravenclaw) and Ron-Hermione conversations. Heres my favourite one:-

Ron: So how was it? Harry: Kind of . . . wet. Ron: [laughing at Harry] That bad at it, are you? Hermione: I'm sure Harry's kissing was more than satisfactory. Besides, Cho spends half her time crying these days. Ron: [still chuckling] You'd think a bit of snogging would cheer her up! Hermione: Don't you understand how she must be feeling? Well, obviously she's feeling sad about Cedric, and therefore confused about liking Harry, and guilty about kissing him. Conflicted because Umbridge is threatening to sack her mum from her job at the Ministry, and frightened about failing her O.W.L.s because she's so busy worrying about everything else. Ron: No one can feel that all at once! They'd explode! Hermione: Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon...

Additionally, it was fertile fodder for conversation with the opposite sex. Alas, there it did never disappoint! What is intriguing is the fact, that people who claim that they despise Harry Potter are the same folks whove never read it. I guess these narrow minded Muggles just seem to be in denial instead of giving it a try and joining in the fun.

Joanne Rowling, is indeed remarkable not only for the

witchcraft behind these novels, but also for her inspirational rags-to-riches story. I felt that her talk on The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination, which she delivered at the Harvard commencement in 2008 (and available on YouTube), left a deep impact on me. She is living evidence to the fact there are indeed women authors more accomplished than that male chauvinist, V.S. Naipaul! The way she understands and accurately portrays the psyche of an adolescent boy is outstanding. Im pretty certain that no male author can write with the same ease about an adolescent girl. (Though that does not make Twilight any better. Yikes!)

However, the thing I feel is the most striking and doubtlessly

unique about Harry Potter is its all-pervasive popularity among my age group. True, older and younger readers indulge in it with a supreme pleasure, but for us who grew up with Harry, Ron and Hermione, it is very different. For one thing, it inculcated a sense of reading in the most ardent of bookworm bashers. For another, there were no boundaries when it came to being Potterheads: everyone loved it, be it the nerd or the cool crowd, the bullies or the bullied. It was a real bridge between people of my age, however varied their other interests may be. A plausible reason for this was the creation of four houses, which all different kinds of people could relate to.

I would not say that Harry Potter is the greatest story ever
told in the fantasy fiction genre. That honour is reserved for none other than The Lord of the Rings, the only epic of our times that rivals the likes of The Mahabharata and The Iliad. But, face it, no one has read the Lord of the Rings a dozen times! Harry Potter flawlessly transcends borders, making its author the second richest female entertainer and the first person ever to earn over a billion dollars solely by writing

books. It is the bildungsroman* of our generation, one that has charmed the lives of millions across the globe with happiness and wonder. And I hope, that though the era may close, we may continue to savour the little delights it brought in the years to come, with countless young readers joining our ranks. So, I conclude the same way I started: with the words of that great wizard Dumbledore, Of course it is happening

When I met Harry

My tryst with Harry Potter began when I turned ten years old. We hated each other on sight. I, a self-proclaimed book hater then, who could never read a story to save my own life

reacted with horror on being gifted the 223 paged monstrosity. I wondered why I should

inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?
*bildungsroman: A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character.

punish myself by reading the ponderous volume. It was put aside forgotten until I saw it in the hands of my mother and subsequently my brother. We would have remained strangers to each other if I hadn t been christened by my brother as Muggle . We all know how highly annoying it is to be called names, especially incomprehensible ones by our sibling and when it is your younger 7 year old midget of a brother-it becomes extremely insulting. Thus I endeavoured to remove

Tejas Suri Literary secretary

this albatross around my neck by starting reading the book . It took me a month to read the first one and true to its name it
wrought its magic and converted me. I loved it! I devoured the next 4 in a matter of weeks and waited anxiously for the next. It became my personal bible- something I could read day and night and repeatedly too. I appreciated the words of wisdom it imparted subtly. One of my favourite phrases is-

If you want to know what a man s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals .

But the miracle that these books brought about was that my mind, starved so long of the magic of the written world jumped headlong into the ocean of books. I fell in love with the mythical worlds I visited and ever since then I ve never looked back.

My favourite character in the HP series: Hermione

It seems clichd- she : the girl-wonder, the know-it-all, the little-missgoody-two-shoes who does everything right should be a favourite. However, after reading the entire series one can t seem to stop admiring her grit, her strength of character, her spunk, her vast knowledge. An ordinary girl- a Mudblood- who like every other girl cares about her looks(remember she got her teeth whittled down to less than her natural protuberant size after being hit by the Densaugeo spell by Malfoy), feels hurt on hearing insulting comments from her peers(she hid in the bathroom on Troll Halloween after Ron called her a nightmare) and sticks by the people she cares for( helps Hagrid prepare his lessons after he s put on probation by Umbridge, persists in helping Harry prepare for the Triwizard tasks despite being shunned by Ron). She gets nasty with her enemies (She slapped Malfoy. Whoopie! He so deserved it!) And she throws temper tantrums- an example of which is when she releases those mad pecking birds at Ron. Yet there are so many extraordinary qualities that she possesses- the way she stands up for the down-trodden and forms SPEW despite facing a lot of discouragement, her dignified and compassionate behavior towards Kreacher who insults her repeatedly, her unfailing support for the

beleaguered Ron and Harry as they sruggle with their daily lessons. She does the difficult thing even when it makes her unpopular among her friends- she handed the anonymously gifted Firebolt to Prof. McGonagall because she feared it might be cursed, she chose to remain with Harry on their quest to find the Horcruxes after Ron leaves. She has more than her share of common sense- she calls Trelawney s bluff, she remains prepared with her purple beaded purse knowing that they all might have to leave suddenly. Her famous intelligence and quick wit help the trio get out of numerous scrapes- when escaping Fluffy, getting across the various traps that protect the Philosopher s stone etc. Her consistent help and kindness towards Neville during Potions show her innate goodness. She uncover Rita the Beettle Seeker s animagus secret, she goes against rulesprepares the Polyjuice Potion, incites Harry into coaching the Dumbledore s Army and fixes the interview with Skeeter so that Harry can be heard by the public. There is so much more about her that I like, numerous instances when she makes me smile and want to applaud her. All in all I believe she is one of the best fictional characters ever created!

Arshi Singh 5th semester

Some POTTER terms relevant to us all

 Meta-Proffmagi (noun) A mythological race that once prevailed whose sole purpose was to top in P.R.O.F.F. s no matter what . Only few exist in today s world.  Accio marks ! (spell) A spell used in ancient times to fetch marks , but now its effects are completely dull and its powers can be fully evoked only by few individuals , the Meta-Proffmagi  QUAD-ditch (noun) The most popular sport enjoyed by males , comprises of many balls ( two per individual ) of varying sizes , played in a rectangular field (known as quad) . The objective is to attempt to justify which side has bigger balls , usually by verbal or physical means.  Fasebuk irreleventa (spell) Once casted , this spell will make the victim write all sorts of i rrelevant status updates ( like bored :{ , ;P , ; -( , song lyrics etc ) on an online counterpart of Daily Prophet . Most severe side effects include depression due to less no. of likes per status updates .  P.R.O.F.F. s - (noun) Acronym for Purely Ridiculous and Outrageously Frustrating Face-off s . Examinations to test the cramming power and night out capabilities of an

individual . A person has to pass three of these to become a healer. Suplefy ! - (charm) It is cast when one is unprepared for an examination . Item necessary for this charm to work is a medical certificate by any SR on duty showing the reason for casting the charm (always acute gastroenteritis ) Fattaas fatalus - (curse) : (translation deadly fattaas) Once casted , causes immense ear ache and head ache to the victim . May even cause brain hemorrhage. A wizard by the name of Maharaj was credited with 5001 uses of this curse. Very-TIGHT-serum - (potion) Usually bought from the market , when ingested in apt amounts , leaves the dri nker in a state of euphoria and happiness . It comes in various brand names like jack daniels , blender s pride , black label etc. PULSE - (noun) Annual fest that is at the level of the Quidditch World Cup , mostly has musical performances , late night dances and people bashing each other up ! For further details , contact Harshit Garg and Himanshu Kanwat ;) SS - ( noun) Stands for Salazar Slytherin , who else ? ;)
Talking from a Weasley Angle:

Saurabh Weasley Bhatia

5th semester

A tribute to the words that mesmerised us for ages The dissection and hence the collection...

An effort by: Saurabh Bhatia, Soumya Sagar, Rituraj, Akhil Monga

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Muggle - Comes from English slang. A "mug" is somebody who is easily fooled. Animagus - Combination of the Latin words "animal" and "magus," meaning "animal wizard." Parselmouth - An old word for an individual who has problems with their mouth. Azkaban - Sounds very similar to and description is very much the same as the American prison known as Alcatraz, located on an island off the coast of California. Diagon Alley - Play on words. "Diagonally" refers to "a straight line at a slanted angle. Toujours Pur - The Black family motto. It is French for "Always Pure." Remember that most of the Black family consider Half-Bloods to be below them Evanesco (Vanishing Spell) - Means "I disappear" or "I vanish" in Latin. Crucio (Cruciatus Curse) - "Crucio" is Latin for "I torture." Expecto Patronum (Spell used to conjure a Patronus) - In Latin, "expecto" is to "await, desire, or hope for" and "patronus" is "protector." Hence, "to hope for a protector." A Patronus is used to protect against a Dementor.

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y y y

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Felix Felicis (Luck Potion) - "Felix" is Latin for "lucky, fortunate, or happy." "Felicis" is derived from two Latin adjectives, one for "lucky" and one for "of the lucky." It translates as "lucky of the lucky," but seems more acceptable to write it as "luck of luck." Could haves ties to the word "felicity" which means "extreme happiness." Legilimency - In Latin, from "legere" meaning "to read" and "mens" meaning "mind." Hence, the ability to read one's mind. Obliviate (Spell that erases one's memory) - Used in Chamber of Secrets when Lockhart tries to wipe out Ron's and Harry's memories. Comes from the word "obliterate," meaning to "wipe out, erase, or remove all traces." Also sounds like "oblivious" meaning "forgetful." Protean Charm - Most likely named after Proteus, a Greek god who could change his shape at will. Hermione uses this charm to alert members of Dumbledore's Army of future meetings in Order of the Phoenix. Quidditch - J.K. Rowling has stated that the origin of this name is entirely made up (she wrote five pages of "Q" words until she found one that she liked), but it is still interesting to the note that the word "quiddity" means "the essence or real nature of a thing." Also it is an interesting fact that the name comes from the balls used in the game QUAffle + bluDgers(2 bludgers , so DD) + snITCH . Riddikulus (Spell used to transform a scary boggart into a humorous shape) - "Ridiculous" means "absurd." Veritaserum (Truth Potion) - "Veritas" is Latin for "truth" and "serum" is a potion. Wingardium Leviosa (Levitation Charm) - "Wingardium" is a combination of the English word "wing" and the Latin

word "arduus" meaning "steep." "Leviosa" contains the Latin word "levare" meaning "ease, lift, or pick up". Beauxbatons - French for "beautiful wands." While we do realize this actually translates as "beautiful sticks" in French, the actual term for "magic wands" being "baguettes magiques" sounds far less appealing. Durmstrang - "Sturm und drang" is a German phrase meaning "storm" and "stress or urge." "Sturm und Drang" was a genre of German plays that were famous for their sense of foreboding and ill-fate. Their influence even reaches into modern musical theatre, as in the title song of Little Shop of Horrors. Metamorphmagus - In Greek, "meta" means "change," "morph" means "shape," and "magus" means "magic or wizard." Hence, a wizard that can change shape. Amortentia - "Amor" is the Latin word for "love," and "tentia" is derived from "tentare," which means "the handling of," "the making of an attempt," or "the attack on." Hence, "the handling of love," "making an attempt to love," or "the attack on love." Bubotuber pus - "Tuber" refers to the fact that the bubotuber is a plant, which extends perpendicularly into the soil. It's pus is dangerous to the skin. "Bubos" is an English word for an inflamed, tender swelling of a lymph node, especially in the area of the armpit or groin. It is characteristic of certain infections, such as Bubonic plague and syphilis. Kappa - A water demon that attacks humans. It is described in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. To prevent it from attacking a certain person, one gives it a cucumber engraved with the person's name. This is fitting, considering "kappa" means "water spirit" in Japanese and they feed

themselves on blood and cucumbers. Japanese villagers used to write their names on cucumbers and throw them into a river, believing that this would keep the kappas from harming their families. Mugwump - One who sits on both sides of an issue. Referring to the "Supreme Mugwump." Originally an Algonquian word "mugquomp," meaning "chief," it became the word for a political party who wouldn't make up their mind about something in the early to mid 1800s Horcrux - "Horcrux" when broken down in many languages means "outside the cross." This is consistent with the very unholy nature of creating one, and why it is stricken from the pages in a lot of textbooks. "Crucis" means "pain or torture," and "hor" is a shortened form of the noun "horreum," which means "storehouse." Thus, "tormenting storehouse." A Horcrux is effectively a "storehouse" for the part of the soul that an individual destroys when killing someone. "Hor" can also remind readers of the words "horrible" and "horrid." The English meaning for "crux" is "the critical feature or essence," like the crux of an argument. Similar to the Latin translation, it then becomes understood as "essence storehouse." Many consider the soul to be the essence of an individual. A "crux" is also defined as a "difficult puzzle," so Horcruxes can then be seen as "horrible" or "tormenting puzzles." In Egyptian mythology, Horus was the son of the god Osiris, who became the God of the Dead. Crux is also Latin for "cross." If you combine these two words, you get the "cross of Horus," also known as the "ankh" (a cross with a loop at the top). The ankh was the symbol of life. Thus, a Horcrux would ensure life.

Magical Creatures: Indian Connection

PHOENIX A very apt animal to be found in India. Reminds us all of the Phoenix-like features which are the hallmarks of Indian civilization (remarkably our civilization too has the ability to rise from ashes!!!) Well we all are familiar with the remarkable and magnificent properties which this magical bird possesses so I wont blabber about them. Had this bird been real it would definitely have found a place in the Animal Facility at AIIMS for its tears would have proved to be indispensable to many departments. May be the government would have started a whole new Department of Phoenix Studies (and hence increased the PG seats!!!) which would definitely have become one of the prized wings of AIIMS. Other than India this bird is also the pride of Egypt and China (they definitely would have developed some dish with Phoenix flesh. Eww!!!). JKR also states that it nests on mountain peaks. Then most probably it would have been found in the Western Ghats or the Himalayas. OCCAMY Ahh the goose which really lays the Golden egg except that instead of gold its egss are silver and it isnt exactly a goose or not even close to it. The Ministry of Magic rates this creature as XXXX (now dont let any dirty thoughts into your mind. See below for classification.) It is found in Far East and India. Sounds like an inhabitant of Tropical Rain Forests. Then it would definitely have nested in Kaziranga or Manas or other obscure wild life sanctuaries of North East India. Its eggs shells are made up of purest softest silver (Veerappan would have tried his hand at this one too!!) making this bird over protective for its eggs (Hmmm seems to be money minded.......). It mainly munches on birds and rats but has been known to carry monkeys (we could have used this bird at AIIMS

too. Strange how, many of the magical beasts could have found employment at AIIMS). REEM They are extremely rare giant oxen with golden hides which are found in North America and Far East (so includes India). Reem blood gives the drinker immense strength but it is very difficult to hunt one. But his animal would have been safe in India as its hunting would have been blasphemous. The Golden Hides would have definitely made this animal on top of poachers list of to-be-poached animals.

Ministry of Magic (M.O.M.) Classification

Now the Ministry of Magic Classification of Magical Beasts. (Dont flinch its nothing like the vast system of classification of phylas and orders and generas and etc etc that we studied before college.) The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures gives classifications to all known beasts, beings, and spirits. The five categories are as follows: XXXXX Known wizard killer / impossible to train or domesticate XXXX handle XXX XX X Dangerous / requires specialist knowledge / skilled wizard may

Competent wizard should cope Harmless / may be domesticated Boring

So you see all the animals found in India are XXXX. But isn t it strange that we Indians too are XXXX. Take the AIIMSONIANS for example!!!

Soumya Sagar 5th semester

----------------------------Potter crossword--------------------------

Compiled by:

Solutions:

Arshi Hermione Singh

5th semester

1. Pe ific s o l s 2. - o ey 3. Me o s 4. S i s 5. Accio 6. Levico s 7. Ric se 8.sco ify 9. Pro e 10. Collo ortus 11. Sectumsempra 12. E pelliarmus 13.aguame ti 14. liviate 15. Corporeal 16.Tarantallegra 17. over 18.protego 19.geminio 20.Fiendfyre 21. Crucio
  

This was put up as a crossword qui . Winner: Soumya Sagar, 5 th sem



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