LeakyCon Day 3: The Tears Start Falling

Thursday morning was a little rocky waking up at 7:00am to get ready and head over to Royal Pacific for our first workshop. As much as my body protested that four hours of sleep was insufficient, I knew that if I missed the Dear Mr. Potter panel, I would be very angry with myself later in the day. So, Catherine, Brae, and I arrived early enough to get good seats and watch the technical difficulties unfold. Apparently the technology at RP doesn't like Macs (or old PCs...or people in general). Once they gave up on trying to make it work, they discussed the idea behind the book, the proceeds they'd already made for charity, and read a few passages. It was a very moving workshop.

Then, it was off to a workshop called simply Why Fred? We discussed how he was doomed from the moment that he first appeared in SS, how his death was handled, the future that JKR had painted for George, and various other topics there. After that was the first viewing of Finding Hogwarts which was ok. It could have definitely been better had it not been for more technical difficulties and a somewhat blah ending. I felt if it had been wrapped up better, it could have been a much better film. This critic gives it a B.

By this point, we were starving and heard that the Islands Dining Room had a cheap buffet, supposedly just for LC attendees. It was fairly packed (and by that I mean there were about 30 empty tables but there was a twenty minute wait, probably due to being understaffed). The food was mediocre and the service horrible (Brae had to go get us refills after we waited fifteen minutes for them). We joked about how the LC buffet should have been themed and came up with names for our food likeHippogriff pizza (which made more sense than a phoenix sandwich the day before because it's pretty impossible to get meat from a phoenix...trust me, we discussed it at length and found very few scenarios in which it would work) and grindylow tenders.

When we got back to the conference space, we ran to catch the end of Books v. Movies which was interesting. They discussed a bit of why certain scenes were cut (most of the panel worked in the film industry or have degrees in film study) and examined the technique behind several shots and scenes. It was fairly fascinating and well done. Brae took a liking to one of the presenters and insisted that we go to every single presentation she was doing that weekend. During the workshop, he received a text from Catherine saying that Oliver Boyd was at the live podcast and was about to play. As you might recall, OBatR was one of the main reasons I wanted to go to LeakyCon so badly. I scoured the wrock schedule to see when he'd be playing, but I couldn't find him. I knew he had to be playing, but I assumed it had to be a surprise. Because of my disinterest in the podcasts, I didn't even look in the descriptions of them to see his name there. I wanted to leave right then and hear him, but Brae refused. We didn't head over until we realized that the next workshop he wanted to go to was going to be horribly boring (a writing workshop). We arrived in time to catch Train to Nowhere, Lupin's Tale, and (of course) End of an Era. When he started playing End of an Era, we ran up closer and found seats next to a girl I'd never met. She immediately thrust a tissue into my hand and grabbed my other in hers so we could comfort each other since we'd both started tearing up at the first note of the song.

Christian of OBatR was doing a few signings and photos after his set, so we ran over, drying our tears as we went to try to get a picture with him to help me on my way to completing my wizard rock picture collection (I wanted pictures with all the bands I listened to regularly). We only had to wait a little while for it, and we didn't look too horrible, even after crying. I had my first fangirl moment of the con after that picture. There was dancing and squeeing involved. (There were only two of these moments.)

Then we found Stephanie who said they were having trouble getting in touch with the theatre for accommodations for me. They offered to pay for a cab to get us over there faster to work it out since it started in about an hour. We refused this offer and walked over there right away. It turned out not to be a problem since we were the first people in our theatre and got to choose our seats right away. I saved us seats while Jordan and Ashley (our other roommates) changed and Catherine and Brae got snacks. I met a cool girl from Australia who sat next to me for a while as well. Then it was time to steel our nerves for the final movie.

I have never had a viewing experience quite like this one. It was amazing! I think the crying started right at the beginning, but the all-out sobbing started for most people when the twins came on the screen and didn't stop until we were on our way back to Royal Pacific. I, personally, didn't start sobbing until the Prince's Tale, but there were sporadic tears throughout the beginning. It was amazing to know we were all in this together and no one would make fun of us even if we were hyperventilating (which most of us were) and went through an entire box of tissues.

As for the movie itself, I'm still on the fence. I want to go see it again before I make any posts about it, but there were major things I loved and hated which I was forced to go into detail on all weekend. I'm afraid that when I go see it again, though, I'll still be hyperventilating and not surrounded by Potterheads which might lead to awkward stares in the theatre and that I won't like it even as much as I did the first time because that amazing atmosphere will be gone. We shall see.

We hurried back to the conference space after the screening to make it to wizard rock. I wasn't worried about missing the first few acts because I cannot stand MC Kreacher, and House of Black hardly ever plays the songs I like by her in concert. Since they were first, it wasn't a big deal. However, they'd postponed the start of the concert so that everyone could get back to RP (or because of technical difficulties, I'm not sure). So, we sat through MC Kreacher and even go to hear both I Think My Boyfriend is a Death Eater and The LeakyCon Theme Song by House of Black before Lauren Fairweather went on! Then we sat through JFF (who I also don't really care for) before Ministry of Magic came on. Now here's where the magic happened! I'd never really considered what it must be like to go from being a major fan of HP to an HP star, especially trying to go to a conference after being in a few of the movies. I kept seeing Evanna all over swarmed by people who refused to let her just enjoy a moment of the con. It was honestly kind of sad. Yes, it was absolutely awesome that she was there, and she seems like an amazing person, but she couldn't go anywhere without being bothered. So, when I turned around in the mosh pit for Ministry of Magic and saw her with a bunch of Starkids, I knew trouble was coming. Luckily, it was just a bunch of pictures being taken and nothing else. But it was awesome to dance right next to her for a while (she disappeared quickly), and, no, I didn't get a picture because I didn't want to be one of “those people”.

On our way out to catch a water taxi while everyone else stayed for The Remus Lupins' last show ever which we also didn't care about, we ran into Lauren Lopez who I took a picture with and is very nice! This was my second fangirl moment which involved us walking away after the picture, me jumping and squeeing while flailing my arms about and accidentally hitting a girl in the face who should have known not to sneak up on people who have just taken pictures with Lauren Lopez!

We made it back to our hotel pretty quickly because we caught a water taxi easily due to a lack of a crowd. It took us a while to get to our room, though, because Portofino Bay is like a giant (and I mean GIANT) labyrinth! It was almost impossible to find your room. I'm not even joking. Every time we left or came back, it seemed like we took a different way or made a wrong turn every time. You literally might want to take some bread crumbs if you ever stay there. This, naturally, led to us deciding that Loews (who owns Portofino Bay) should build a Hogwarts hotel since they've got the confusing layout down. It was also themed to perfection, much like Royal Pacific. So, I'm all on board with this, Loews! Let me know if you need help with accuracy!

Then it was time for sleep since we were all fairly exhausted after planning our day for Friday.

Look for our posts on days 3-6!

The End?

As a fandom that evolved with the release of each book and was hinged on theorizing and debating with each other between books and helping each other fill the void created by finishing the last sentence of the current books at our disposal, we wondered if the fandom would end with the release of Deathly Hallows, and it was only natural.

I mean, what really held us together? We were a group of relative strangers gathered online, most of whom hadn't met in real life or for more than five minutes in between activities at HP conventions.

But we survived.

We discovered what truly held us, as a fandom, together: our love for the works. It didn't matter that there wasn't another release to look forward to. It didn't matter that many of the mysteries we'd spent countless hours pondering alone, in chat rooms, on forums, on skype, etc. had been resolved in the final book. It didn't matter that we still didn't always have faces to put with the handles and avatars on forums for those we called “friends”. We were bonded by going through the HP experience together.

We experienced love, loss, and victory, not just with Harry and the other fictional people we'd come to love, but, by extension, with every true HP fan around the world who had read the words that drew us in so much. We went through Post-Potter Depression together after the tears had long since dried from our eyes.

And we survived.

Maybe deep inside many of us there was a tiny part that was saying “there's always a few more movies to look forward to”. And maybe that got us through.

But now we face the last movie release, and we are again wondering if we, as a fandom, will cease to exist.

If you are to honestly ask yourself if every “true fan” (by which I mean those that listen to wrock, go to conventions, dress up for releases, hold HP parties, host HP discussion groups, play Quidditch, etc.) will simply give up their love for HP upon seeing the last movie, what is your answer? I'd bet my broomstick it's a “no”.

There will still be conventions, fansites, and all the friendships we've forged through this fandom to hold us together. The fandom will not die.

Is that to say that I don't foresee a day when HP conventions are no longer held regularly or at all? No. Do I foresee a day when HP discussion groups are all but extinct? Yes. Do I foresee a day when wizard rockers don't tour anymore? Yes. But do I foresee a day when the forums that were a-buzz when HP news are completely gone and every HP fan I've met looks back at the HP phenomenon as a fad, a passing fancy, a youthful delight? No.

The fandom will live on as long as there are true fans out there re-reading the series, listening to wrock, going to wrock concerts, reading and sharing the series with others, discussing theories, making fanvids and parodies, and generally loving the heck out of these books.

"I shall never truly be gone unless none here are loyal to me."

For Well Organized Minds and Golden Snitches

What a journey! The last novel finished, tucked safely away for another day, and the story of Harry Potter come to an end for me once again. As in the first time I read them (and I assume the last time I read them), I cried, I giggled, I felt all the emotions that I do when I read a good novel, and particularly strong for this particular set of them of course. I loved remembering all the great little tidbits here and there about Potions class and Hagrid's love for the trio and the utter bits of lunacy characters spout from time to time.

If you knew me better, you might think to say my heart grew 3 sizes in the great time I had reading, and as LeakyCon approaches just hours away, I expect the swelling won't go down for some time. No matter what I say about the books and Harry in general it's probably all been said before, but there isn't a time when he doesn't inspire me. One word describes my experience with him and that will forever be adventure. It is so cliche a word to hear, but it is never truer than with this series. It's not just a book, it's words that speak to our souls, it's not just a bunch of movies, it's our imaginations brought into startling reality, it's not just a bunch of fans getting together, it's a family coming home to share with one another their hardships and cherished turns over an inviting feast and warm fire. Whatever it's been, whatever it is, and whatever it will be, that's what I will always know it to be, an adventure. I know 20 years from now, as the words are now the same as when we first saw them, that this fact will never change and no matter how much we say it's the end, when J.K.R. said that death is only the beginning, so this is just the start of a grand new chapter in our lives that we carry on with heavy hearts.

Just one last note before I'm off to try and "sleep" (whatever that is), the question every muggle asks us when they see our scarves, or interrupt our favorite chapter with their mugglish intrusions. The reason we all love Harry Potter? SImply put for me, and you can find it glaring at you in the very first novel without looking too hard, are the moments we share in each of them. The moment we feel our first regret, the moment we find that one thing which we soar above others at, the moment that suddenly fills us with anguish and great triumph all at the same time, the single moment when, above all odds, our hearts and minds and souls all get the chance to do what they seem to be made for and fill to the brim with all the courage we will ever need in life. For that simple reason, we don't live through Harry, Harry lives through us, and as our lives go on, even if we forget him, his moments are never really forgotten, because they were never really his to begin with…they were ours all along.