Sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places’, announced the Pottermore website on February10, 2016. Just when we had resigned ourselves to the conclusion of the series, J.K Rowling sprung a surprise; a Ukranian Ironbelly sized one!
Nine years after the last book in the series, the Deathly Hallows , Potterheads have something to be excited about. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , set 19 years later, incorporates the same underlying theme of love, courage, friendship and betrayal with a new set of protagonists.
So, what is it about the ‘Boy Who Lived’ that hooked millions of teens and pre-teens to his tests and travails in the magical wizarding world? Akshita Gupta succinctly decoded the mechanics of a Potter fan, saying that, “Throughout our childhood we’ve always waited for a letter from Hogwarts and hoped that we could be one of the few Muggle wizards like Hermione. But it is underlying theme of friendship and courage to face all odds that I connected with, which grounded the fantasies to reality.” Rowling kept fans on tenterhooks for a long time with veiled hints and new tid-bits about the wizarding world, without revealing her intentions of bringing out a sequel to the popular series. “Though I hadn’t expected her to write a sequel to the series but I’d definitely kept my fingers crossed hoping against hope,” says Deesha Dalmia who has religiously followed the series. While some fans do think that co-authorship of the latest story may take some of the original elements away, they’re not too worried about the alterations. In fact, change is inevitable since new characters are being introduced which also entails a different storyline, perhaps a more mature one. “I don’t think it should be considered a part of the series anymore as it will have a different plot without Harry Potter being the lead character. The temperament and pace of the book/play may be revamped since every writer has his/her own style,” Deesha says, giving a fresh perspective.
Another novelty that fans are thrilled about is the play which is set to release before the books. While English playwright Jack Thorne, the co-author of the Cursed Child and scriptwriter of the play, did raise a furore with his casting choices especially that of Noma Dumezweni, an African-American actress who will play Hermione Granger, most fans do not believe it will affect their perception of her. According to Sunanda Singh Bhisht, an ardent fan, Thorne’s choice of actors is an effort to address a potent stigma that people attach to others with a darker skin. “I admit my apprehensions of the immense changes that have been and will be made to the original series. But I believe that I will soon grow to love these changes.” As Rowling said, the stories we love best do live in us forever.
