The actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint at the premiere of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1' in New York.
The actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint at the premiere of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1' in New York.

Goodbye Harry Potter and friends



As though signalled by the gloomy clouds gathering over London on a chilly November day, it's the beginning of the end for Harry Potter. With the imminent release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, the film adaptation of the seventh and final book in JK Rowling's magical series, her world-famous boy wizard is close to casting his last cinematic spell. Which means the conclusion to, by far and away, the most successful film franchise of all time. To date, the first six films have collectively grossed $5.4 billion (Dh19.8b) around the globe. Five of those six are among the top 20 money-spinning films of all time.

While the second part of this final adventure won't be hitting screens until next July, the cameras stopped rolling on the series in the summer. Not that its young British stars look like they're in mourning when we meet.

Daniel Radcliffe, 21, bounces in, minus those distinct round spectacles Harry wears. The 22-year-old, red-haired Rupert Grint - aka Harry's friend Ron Weasley - looks even more laid back in his scruffy Converse trainers. While the baby of the trio, 20-year-old Emma Watson - Hermione Granger to her millions of fans - is oh-so-chic in her new fashion-plate style.

They couldn't seem more different to a decade ago when Warner Bros - the studio savvy enough to bankroll the Potter films - unveiled the then shy-looking trio to the world. The intervening years have seen them evolve far beyond expectations. While Radcliffe braved the West End stage naked for a role in Equus, Grint manages a property portfolio worth £10 million and Watson has fronted modelling campaigns for the fashion brand Burberry.

"It's made me a stronger person than I ever could imagine I would be," says the Oxfordshire-raised actress of her time on Potter. "I feel, as though after having done this, I could do anything, really. In terms of acting, in terms of life in general, it's really made me who I am."

Radcliffe, the west London-born son of a literary agent and a casting agent, concurs: "I was fortunate enough to have a very good education, and I went to lots of English private boys' schools," he says. "Very white, middle-class places. And suddenly, being brought on to Potter, I was plunged into a world where you have people from every conceivable background. And I think it just broadened my worldview so much more, having been exposed to that. I think it made me more rounded as a person than I otherwise would've been. And that sets you up for life - not just thinking that everybody you'll ever meet is white and privileged."

As for the Hertfordshire-raised Grint, the quietest and most self-effacing of the trio, he seems simply bemused by the group's rise to global fame. He's just been to Singapore to watch the Grand Prix (his father sells F1 memorabilia for a living) where fans greeted him as Ron. Then there was the time he and the others immortalised their handprints in concrete on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. "That was crazy," he recalls. "It's a really big deal. There were thousands of people outside the Chinese Theatre. The mayor of Hollywood was there. I think our paving slab replaced Kevin Costner's! And they keep your shoes as well. They take them to a museum."

With the David Yates-directed final episode seeing Harry, Hermione and Ron on the run as they seek out a means to bring down the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), it's the darkest of the series since the third instalment, 2004's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Yet it seems entirely apt that Deathly Hallows sends its characters out into the world - including London's busy Piccadilly Circus. For after 10 years of belonging to what has become an institution on the scale of any long-running soap opera, Radcliffe, Grint and Watson are about to fly the Potter nest and strike out on their own.

If you're looking for symbolism, the final shot they filmed together was a stunt in which all three jumped onto a crash mat - later replaced with a burning fireplace by computer wizardry. Talk about taking a leap into the unknown.

"I don't think we were struck by the deep symbolism of it at the time, but I can certainly see how there is a parallel to be drawn there," says Radcliffe. "For me, it was so inevitable it would end on green-screen [the backdrop used to impose digital effects]. I promised myself it wouldn't end as a special-effects shot, but it did. And then we all just sat around crying for a couple of hours."

Like the break-up of a relationship, tears were inevitable.

"I didn't really prepare myself for how emotional it was going to get for all of us," notes Grint of their final day at Leavesden Studios, the former Rolls-Royce factory near Watford that has been the home to Harry Potter since shooting began. "It felt really final and a bit overwhelming. This has been our childhood."

Arguing with the conviction you'd expect from the daughter of two lawyers, Watson notes that "the boys were slightly more in denial" than she was on that last day of shooting. "I wanted closure," she says. "I was worried I'd walk away from the set and think 'Oh yeah, I'll be back again' and then it'd hit me a year later."

For all three, you get a sense that they're ready to move on. Just look at Watson, who immediately cut her hair - she now sports a short crop reminiscent of Mia Farrow, circa Rosemary's Baby - when filming wrapped. "I've wanted to have this done since I was 16," she says, explaining that contractually she's had to keep Hermione's long tresses throughout her adolescence. "Sometimes, as a child, I felt like I was wrapped in cotton wool a little bit," she adds, noting she wasn't even allowed to tan. And none of the cast were permitted to do dangerous sports - even skiing (which may explain why Grint has attached himself to a future project about British Olympic downhill ski-flop Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards).

Yet, what is remarkable about the Potter experience is just how well-balanced these young stars are.

"They're all grounded, intelligent, friendly, charming human beings, which is an amazing achievement," says Jim Broadbent, who plays Professor Slughorn in the series. "And I think in America, the opposite would probably be true."

The question is, where next? All three say they want to carry on acting. Watson, currently studying for a liberal arts degree at Brown University, has just shot a small role in My Week With Marilyn, in which she plays the wardrobe assistant to Marilyn Monroe. And Radcliffe is currently in the throes of filming Susan Hill's Victorian horror The Woman in Black.

Perhaps it's why none of them seem concerned about being typecast as "the kid from Harry Potter".

"It must be much harder for adult actors who play a soap role," says Watson. "I'm not really worried about it. Maybe I should be, but I'm not."

Radcliffe agrees, noting he's up for the challenge of shedding Harry. "To a certain extent, some people will always see me as this character. But the minute you accept that, it frees you slightly."

Making peace with Potter looks to be the way forward. "It's not just going to go away," says Radcliffe.

Given the timeless quality to both the books and the films, he's right. With new generations of fans to come, in some ways their Harry Potter experience is far from over.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is released in the UAE today

Common%20symptoms%20of%20MS
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EFatigue%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3Enumbness%20and%20tingling%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ELoss%20of%20balance%20and%20dizziness%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStiffness%20or%20spasms%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETremor%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPain%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBladder%20problems%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBowel%20trouble%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVision%20problems%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EProblems%20with%20memory%20and%20thinking%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Racecard

5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m

6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m

6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m

7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m

7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m

8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m

8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m

9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m

10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m

Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport

Price, base: Dh5.1 million

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm

Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

Surianah's top five jazz artists

Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.  

Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.

Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.

Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.

Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants