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Review: Harry Potter - the movie

By J.T. BECK
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BURKE, Va., Nov. 19 (UPI) -- (United Press International assigned the children of three of its editors to review "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which broke all box office records this weekend, bringing in $93.5 million.)


First of three reports

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"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was a very good movie. The wardrobe was awesome and so were the special effects. It was kind of like the book, but I don't remember exactly because I read the book a long time ago.

They identified the characters very well, and the beginning was good -- and so was the end.

Harry Potter was a movie that made me feel excited -- very excited -- and Quidditch was one of the best parts.

Quidditch is a game that is played on a broomstick. The object of the game is to catch the golden Snitch, which will earn your team 150 points. The winner is determined by the number of points. Quidditch players are the Seeker, Chaser, Beater, Keeper -- and both teams have those.

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The characters included Hagrid, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Professor Quirrell, Professor Snape, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Draco Malfoy.

Hagrid was the keeper of keys. He had almost every key to Hogwarts -- the school of witchcraft and wizardry. He was a very, very big man and he had a long beard. Hagrid always wanted a dragon. He met a man at a pub and the man gave him an egg, which hatched into a little dragon. But Professor Dumbledore sent the dragon to Romania so it could be in an environment with other dragons.

Hermione Granger always paid attention in class and was a friend to Harry. She read almost every spell book there ever was.

Ron Weasley also was a good friend to Harry and loved playing Wizard Chess and was very courageous when Harry was in trouble.

Harry Potter was, or thought he was, an average boy, but soon found out from Hagrid that he was a wizard. Harry was amazed. Harry was a Seeker for Gryffindor's Quidditch team at Hogwarts. Gryffindor was one of the four houses, or dormitories, for students at the school.

Students were chosen for the houses by the Sorting Hat, a big witch's hat that was attached to a chair. As you sat in the chair, Professor McGonagall put the hat on your head. The hat read your mind and said what house you'd be good for.

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The four houses were Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

Professor Quirrell was a scaredy-cat -- he always acted nervous until the end, when Harry found out -- well, I'll keep that a secret for now (in case you haven't read the book).

Professor Quirrell taught Dark Arts Defense at Hogwarts. Professor Snape was always after Quirrell's job. When Harry was in trouble during Quidditch, Snape tried to save him with a counterspell. But Hermione started a fire on his coat so the counterspell didn't work, but made Professor Quirrell lose eye contact so Harry's broomstick went back to normal.

Professor Snape was a potion teacher at Hogwarts.

Professor Dumbledore was the headmaster at Hogwarts. He looked after the school. He was a help to Harry.

Professor McGonagall was a teacher at Hogwarts. She taught spells to the students. She could turn herself into a cat.

Draco Malfoy was chosen by Slytherin, another house at Hogwarts. He hated Harry and wasn't friendly at all.

Those are the main characters.

But there was one more -- Lord Voldemort. His nickname was "You-know-who." He was a wizard gone bad and he gave Harry a scar on his forehead.

At the end of the movie, Harry, Ron and Hermione were each awarded with 50 points for Gryffindor for being courageous.

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The movie's lessons were friends help each other, do your homework (and don't be late for class), and "never judge a book by its cover." And this is an awesome movie from a great book.


(J.T. Beck is the 9-year-old son of UPI Executive Editor Tobin Beck.)

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