I've always been a huge fan of the boy who lived. I would stay up late and force my eyes to stay open, fighting sleepiness just so I can read one more chapter. Or one more paragraph. Or one more page. At least that's what I kept saying to convince myself to put the book down.
So you can just imagine how ecstatic I was when (some parts of) Harry Potter's world came to town. The Harry Potter Exhibit started last June at the Arts Science Museum at the Marina Bay Sands.
Plans to go there had been put off for 3 months, so the excitement grew and grew until finally, my dream came true--- to step into and get lost in Harry Potter's world. Even just for an hour or so.
Even just a glimpse of it means the world to me. I entered into my fantasy world literally and no words can describe the joy I felt.
Got Lost Inside Harry Potter's World
Our ticket to Platform 9 3/4. Well, not really. But close. :)
I had to control myself from squealing when we finally stepped inside. The first Harry Potter movie prop that greeted us was the famous Flying Ford that Ron drove on their way to Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry's letter from Hogwarts
one of the knights in the Wizard's Chess Ron played in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I wish they used a real owl. But this cute stuffed animal will do. That way to the exhibit. Yehey!
All 8 movie posters of the movies were at the hallway on way to the main exhibit area
The last 3 best Harry Potter films
At the entrance of the main exhibit room
You can just imagine the will power I used to stop myself from going through this mist (which created an illusion of the curtain into which godfather Sirius Black disappeared after Bellatrix Lestrange cursed him in the movie) while waiting for the staff to let us in. That's where the main exhibit starts.
Unfortunately for us, it's "for your eyes only". No cameras allowed "or else you'll be expelled from Hogwarts" says the witch who welcomed us inside. Aw.
So since no cameras were allowed, I'll try to remember everything I've seen behind those mist.
First, the Sorting Hat was there but they only sorted 2 persons. Then the doors opened to the dark room where they showed a few clips from the movie. Then there's another door! And my journey began.
Inside Harry Potter's World
1. A replica of the Hogwarts Express. There were trunks scattered beside it too.
2. The (moving) paintings hanging on the wall. Well, there were some which are videos of the moving paintings as seen in the movie. There was even the Fat Lady in that scene where she was trying to break a wine glass with her voice. I passed through that door behind her. Just so I can experience stepping into the Gryffindor common room (kunwari. hehe).
3. The casts' clothes. Hermione's, Ron's, Harry's, Neville's, Luna's casual clothes and Hogwart's school uniform.
4. Hermione's enchanted bag she used to keep all their things when they were "on the run".
5. Harry', Hermione's and Ron's wand---with scotch tape!
6. Copy of The Quibbler that Luna was reading and the glasses she was wearing in the movie.
7. The time-turner Harry and Hermione used in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to save Buckbeak and Sirius.
8. Harry and Ron's poster bed, their trunks, Ron's favorite Quidditch team's poster and everything else at their bedside.
9. Nimbus 2000 and Nimbus 2001.
10. Their school professors' uniforms
11. The board with school announcements.
12. A few things they used in their Potions including the Half-blood Prince's book.
13. Professor Trelawney's cups complete with the tea leaves she used to prophesy Harry's death.
14. Their other classmates' uniforms.
15. Neville's pruning kits.
16. The Marauder's map.
17. I pulled a Mandrake out of the pot! It was super heavy I had to use two hands. And it shrieked! I was like a kid playing, pulling out Mandrake after Mandrake from the pots at Professor Sprout's makeshift greenhouse.
18. Hagrid's Hut! And we were allowed to sit on his giant chair. Joan and I were able to sit comfortably in the chair that Hermione sat on in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The only thing missing there was Hagrid's enormous bed.
19. 3 hoops that were like that in Quidditch. And we shoot Quaffles into them. Heavy balls they are. (Have you played shooting balls at Timezone or the like? It's somewhat like that).
20. Quidditch uniforms.Yes, including Cedric Diggory's. Ha ha.
21. A replica of the Pesky Pixies at Professor Lockhart's lesson. Even his paintings, pictures and books were there.
22. Professor Umbridge's office. Her kittens' dish paintings on the sickeningly pink walls as Harry would describe it. Her tea cups, her pink uniform she was wearing when George and Fred made a loud "bang" before leaving Hogwarts. Her magical quill, the parchment Harry wrote "I must not tell lies" on, a copy of the Daily Prophet with news about her.
23. The Statue at the cemetery where Cedric died.
24. Death Eaters' masks and robes.
25. The giant tarantula, Aragog.
26. Voldemort's robe and wand.
27. The creature they thought didn't exist but Harry and Luna could see (the name escapes me at the moment).
28. Buckbeak was there! Her eyes looked so real.
29. The executioner's axe and robe. There were pumpkins scattered too around them.
30. The school rules that Draco and his cronies hung on the walls of Hogwarts during Umbridge's "regime".
31. The Great Wall. Of course not as huge as in the book or movie but looks like it, with floating candles. The ceiling was just dark though. ^_^
32. Some food that was served during meal time. Goodies like Chocolate Frog and Bertie Bott's every flavor beans.
33. The Triwizard Cup.
34. The Goblet of Fire.
35. The names on paper that Dumbledore got from the Goblet of Fire.
36. Dumbledore's Army list, which got me teary eyed. Just looking at their signatures as shown in the Order of the Phoenix brought lump in my throat. Mushy me.
37. The clothes they wore during the Yule Ball. Hermione's pink dress was gorgeous up close.
38. A preserved Fawkes.
39. Head of the Hungarian Horntail.
40. The Deathly Hallows; Elder wand, Invisibility cloak and the Resurrection Stone.
41. Luna and Xenophilus' clothes during Fleur and Bill's wedding.
42. Godric Gryffindor's sword.
43. Dobby and Kreacher! Well, in wax that is.
44. Colin Creevey's petrified figure.
45. Nagini's replica in wax.
46. Professor Lupin's wardrobe where the Boggart came out during his class and the giant Jack-in-the-box that one of his students feared.
47. Rita Skeeter's quill.
48. A copy of The Life and Lies Of Albus Dumbledore.
49. Goodies from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.
50. Some of the letters that Harry didn't get from the mail in The Sorcerer's Stone.
Then there were the merchandise outside the exhibit door. We're not sure if camera's not allowed there. So we just assumed it's not. He he.
I felt like I stepped into a dream and never wanted to wake up. I felt so enchanted, until now. I didn't want to leave but some good things never last. My friend Joan had to ask me when we reached the end of the exhibit, "Ready?".
And just like after reading the last book and watching the last film, I am not ready to leave Harry and his magical world. I may return to reality but they will always be part of me. I know not everyone will understand but I know people who do. Some may say it's only fantasy, fiction. But as Professor Dumbledore said, "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"
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