A MONTH AGO, a massive crowd of people aged from four to 40 gathered outside a cinema in Warwickshire, England. They were desperately trying to get into the opening screening of Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, the sequel to last year's first Harry Potter film based on the successful children's novels by J.K. Rowling.
I was among them, squeezing myself into the packed cinema lobby struggling to get in as early as possible (it was a free-seating screening). It definitely wasn't a good feeling, but I was happy. For a Harry Potter fan, watching the film a month before it opens in Hong Kong on December 19 was the best Christmas gift.
I chose an aisle seat, waiting for the film to be shown. The auditorium was filled with excitement. Instead of talking to my friends in Harry Potter terms such as Hogwarts (the wizardry school that Harry attends), Quidditch (a dangerous speeding wizardry ball game) and Muggle (non-wizards), I chose to quietly recall my first encounter with Harry Potter.
Harry Potter became a huge phenomenon last year with the release of The Sorcerer's Stone, the first screen adaption of the novel. I was fed up with the over-the-top press coverage and promotional campaigns, thinking it was just marketing hype. I told myself I would not spend money on the books or the film, as I thought they were overrated.
Then one day a friend of mine, who was already a huge fan, offered to lend me the four books - The Philosopher's Stone, The Chamber Of Secrets, The Prisoner Of Azkaban and Goblet Of Fire - before the opening of The Sorcerer's Stone last Christmas. I decided to read them just to see if they were any good.
To my surprise, these books amused me so much I could not put them down. I was completely buried in the world of Harry Potter. The adventure story about the 11-year-old boy wizard was exciting, and the magical world portrayed in the book seemed so real and fascinating.