In her previous life, Isabella couldn't rember what the HP1 poster looked like.
But in this life, she thought Warner had done a fantastic job with the HP1 poster.
The background of the movie poster depicted the mont the kids first arrived at Hogwarts:
The upper half showed a pitch-dark night, with the brilliantly lit castle rising atop the hills.
The lower half displayed a wide river, with everyone holding lanterns and rowing toward their dream destination.
Between the two sections was a white cloud, serving as a dividing line.
In the center, the light brown Harry Potter logo was clearly visible.
The second poster featured Hedwig, wings outstretched, clutching an envelope in its talons. Even though it carried nothing else, every HP fan would instantly recognize it as the Hogwarts acceptance letter everyone dreams of receiving.
The third poster depicted Harry. Wearing his Gryffindor uniform, arms crossed, his glasses-frad face slightly tilted upward, his gaze wasn't directed forward but instead focused on the unknown in the distance, like a little adult contemplating the future.
The fourth poster finally showed Hermione, also in a Gryffindor uniform, arms crossed. But unlike Harry, she held a thick stack of books and faced the cara directly, smiling brightly.
Her slightly curved lips, sweet face, and waterfall-like golden hair…
"Oh my God~How can I be this beautiful???"
"Hollywood giant Warner Bros. today released the movie poster for the worldwide bestseller Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Hogwarts is mysterious and beautiful under the night sky!"
"Hedwig surprises fans with a magical world pass!"
"The highly anticipated character stills for Harry Potter et the public today. Harry is perfectly portrayed, cute to the extre, and Hermione's beauty exceeds expectations, with a sweet smile that is unforgettable."
"Obedient young Harry! Stunning young Hermione!"
"Unexpected casting, satisfying results."
"..."
The posters appeared alongside dia coverage, so while gazing at their beauty, so people also read the headlines aloud. Even though most of the articles only partially concerned Hermione, that didn't matter.
The unanimous praise made Isabella purse her lips. The unreserved admiration made the small tail at her back perk up.
She wasn't vain—or well, even thinking that in her head made her feel guilty.
Honestly, who doesn't like complints? Who doesn't enjoy being praised? The overwhelming acclaim simply made Isabella happy—overjoyed! If it weren't for her "modesty," she would…
"Oh Isabella~ just smile if you're happy~"
"Isn't it uncomfortable to hold it in?"
"Look at Daniel, his smile almost reaches his ears!"
Indeed, even with all the external praise ringing in her ears, Isabella's facial expression was still sowhat restrained.
Ah, in her previous life, she had been taught not to be too proud in social interactions.
It was fine to be happy, to be expressive, but not excessively so.
Because the line was hard to gauge, many people's final expressions were rather shy.
Isabella admitted she was the sa.
But this reserved deanor couldn't be tolerated by Chris Columbus.
Clearly happy, yet why maintain that stiff composure? To look proper? To appear mature? Oh, forget it! Everyone already knew you, and even if they didn't, it's normal to fluff your feathers a bit after being praised~
Whoosh—
As Columbus spoke, everyone cramd into the office shifted their gaze to Isabella.
Imdiately, the "serious" expression she'd been holding was laid bare.
Her joy, yet unsaid, made her even cuter.
But being the center of attention also made Isabella break down slightly.
"Oh—Director—"
She shook her head with a smile, two shallow dimples forming on her fair cheeks.
"I admit I'm happy, okay?"
"Since everyone knows, there's no need to hide it, right? Really…"
Isabella raised her eyebrows. "Can't I just pretend for a bit?"
"I want to show a predictable expression for sothing that's completely natural—why not?"
"Hahahaha~"
Her expressive face and joyful deanor turned Columbus's office into a sea of laughter.
And after shedding her restraint…
Oh~Isabella admitted, accepting praise decisively and showing her joy outright was really satisfying~Hehe~
After laughing, everyone turned their attention back to Columbus because they noticed a problem.
"Director, there are only four posters?"
Rupert didn't see himself among the materials.
"Yeah, yeah? Where's our character still? Won't Warner release it?"
Tom also raised his head.
"Oh~ the release of movie posters happens in stages. Today is just the first batch."
Columbus explained with a smile: "Warner asked to tell you that they'll release all the posters before Christmas. And don't worry, everyone in the cast will have a poster."
"For example, the day after tomorrow, Sunday, Warner will release Ron's poster, featuring Professor McGonagall with him. Then on the 8th, next Friday, Draco Malfoy will appear with Snape…"
No matter how much the young actors liked Harry Potter, they were all fans of the series. But after officially joining the cast, everyone cared most about themselves.
So when they discovered Warner hadn't released posters featuring them yet, disappointnt surged instantly.
But when Columbus explained that every cast mber would get a poster, it cheered everyone up.
It's not about having too few, it's about fairness.
Although adults know there's a hierarchy between main and supporting roles, children don't care.
And because children's perspectives differ from adults', Warner decided that everyone in the HP cast would get a poster.
This is actually the most professional Hollywood approach: first identify the true audience, then provide a tailored experience. As long as the target audience is satisfied, word-of-mouth will naturally generate more fans.
As for the wider public…
Well, Isabella didn't know.
She couldn't see the public's reaction.
Not only because the internet was still in its infancy—there was no TikTok to instantly check feedback—but also because after filming began, producer David Heyman emphasized that no dia would bother them before the wrap and release date. Without interviews, news dissemination in the traditional era didn't exist.
So at this mont, all they could see was—
Today:
Ah, Draco Malfoy's poster is out! Tom, you look handso, but not as much as Snape!
Haha~
Tomorrow:
Ah, Ginny's poster is released with Dumbledore? They really look like grandfather and granddaughter!
Haha~
Over.
Honestly, the lack of outside news made their joy feel a bit self-entertained. When Warner finally launched their press releases, there was no way they'd include negative comnts. So whether the public liked them? No one knew.
But this protection was actually beneficial for the kids on set.
Kids are sensitive. If they received too much negative feedback, it could ruin their performances.
But there are always exceptions, right?
For instance, Isabella, a day student bug.
Since the crew didn't shoot night scenes or travel, she could run ho easily. Then…
December 19.
Three days after Warner released the HP1 posters, Isabella noticed her older sister seed off.
"Cessa? What's wrong? Are you sick?"
At six in the evening, the family was having dinner as usual.
Winter in London had brought temperatures down to a few degrees above zero, with recent rain and snow. Indoors, the heating was on, so moving between inside and outside could easily cause a cold.
"You not feeling well?"
Vivian also looked at her eldest daughter, setting down her fork with concern. "Shall I call David to check on you?"
David was their family doctor. Unlike ordinary Western middle-class family doctors who only chatted, the Mayfair family doctor had an anesthetist license and could perform minor procedures at ho. The call-out fee alone was £3,000 per year.
"You only get service if you pay; once you call, he arrives within fifteen minutes."
"Oh~ I'm fine~"
Catherine snapped out of her daze. "I'm not sick."
"So you're upset? Because this year's Christmas trip was canceled?" Isabella guessed.
When their father was alive, the family traveled for Christmas every year.
Last year to Norway, the year before to France, the year before that to Croatia.
This year, traveling was difficult.
Although the HP crew gave them a long Christmas break from Christmas Eve to January 5, and their inco could support travel, Vivian wanted to visit a cetery on Christmas Day.
Then on December 28, Maggie Smith would turn 66, and she had already invited Isabella's family a month ago, hoping they'd join her for a "together Christmas."
Finally, with Hermione's poster released, Isabella's appearance was already public. Even if she wasn't widely recognized, appearing unadorned in a busy area would draw attention within five minutes, aning they'd soon need security.
Currently, security was provided by Warner.
Warner's reputation among fans wasn't great, but they were wealthy.
With all these complicated issues, the new trip had to be postponed.
"Oh Isabella! What are you thinking?"
The offbeat question made Catherine roll her eyes, loudly asking, "Do you think I'm soone without foresight?"
"Then tell what's wrong!"
Isabella raised her voice slightly, "I noticed you were upset after I sat down. If you don't tell , I can only guess—"
"It's nothing. I just didn't sleep well."
Catherine sighed. "I've been wanting to start a new painting recently. I have so ideas, but no inspiration, so I've been a little frustrated."
"Is it really that simple?"
"Of course!"
Isabella didn't believe her and glanced at her mother.
Vivian shook her head, making her stance clear: 'If your sister doesn't want to say, don't ask.'
With her mother's attitude like that, Isabella decided to just eat her al quietly.
But not asking didn't an she couldn't investigate a bit, right?
Her sister's mood worried Isabella, so after dinner, when she saw Catherine quietly retreat to her room, she quietly followed. She pressed lightly on the doorknob—good, it wasn't locked—pushed it open slightly, and slipped her head inside.
She saw her sister sitting at the computer, staring seriously at the screen.
"Puchi puchi, Cessa? What are you doing?"
Isabella whispered.
"Oh shit—"
Catherine was completely startled!She jumped up in place and landed heavily.
She twisted her head forcefully and glared, "Oh—Isabella—when did you open the door—"
"Just now."
"Why didn't you knock!!"
"Because your door wasn't locked."
"Just because my door wasn't locked, you don't knock? Oh—whose bedroom locks their door in this house???"
In Western culture, once kids develop a sense of privacy, they do lock their bedroom or study doors to be alone. But in their house, it wasn't necessary—neither Vivian nor Eric would enter without permission.
Hmm, previously, Isabella was on the "won't enter without permission" list, but now?
"Uh… Cessa… I know you're upset, but… I didn't co in…"
Isabella pushed the door open.
Then, a ridiculous sight entered Catherine's line of vision.
At this mont, Isabella spread herself across the doorfra like a spider, her entire body outside the room—technically not stepping into the bedroom—but her head… she was craning her neck like Luffy, trying to see more.
"I was just asking if I could co in!"
This self-deception made Catherine groan, holding her forehead. "Fine, co in."
"Yay~"
Isabella hopped over to her sister's side and glanced at the unguarded screen—
She understood why Catherine was upset.
Catherine's computer displayed Yahoo's entertainnt section, full of Harry Potter-related content. Even just looking at the headlines, the small interface was divided between "allies" and "enemies."
In other words, so people liked the HP casting, so hated Warner's posters. This was normal, as tastes vary. But many of the negative comnts originated because of her.
"Oh~ so that's why you were upset~"
Isabella leaned forward, hands on the back of Catherine's chair. "You were annoyed by the dia?"
"Why hide this from ? Afraid I'd get upset?"
"Mm." Catherine made a nasal sound.
As Isabella's older sister, Catherine naturally cared about her younger sister's work. Or rather, if Isabella had joined the industry for family reasons, only soone extrely cold would remain oblivious to her progress.
So when she learned Warner would release posters, she paid attention.
When she first saw them, she was thrilled—Warner had made Isabella look beautiful.
She was satisfied and a little proud—This is my sister!
But after a few days, her mood gradually dropped. As the posters circulated, so dia claid Isabella was too beautiful, inconsistent with the original books.
It made Catherine feel uncomfortable.
At that ti, she wasn't angry—people were just stating their opinion, which was reasonable.
But in recent days, as all posters were released, her irritation kept rising.
Many dia outlets, in their summaries, targeted Isabella—
Saying her beauty was the biggest flaw in all the posters.
Other characters aligned more closely with the books.
Saying her beauty made J.K. Rowling's insistence seem like a joke.
Earlier, Rowling and Columbus had fought hard to preserve the original work, showing integrity—but now, Hermione's actress didn't match the description, representing hypocrisy.
Saying Isabella's beauty would ruin the entire movie.
The magical world should show magic, not looks.
Truly, the relentless criticism made Catherine want to fight those people herself.
"MFxxk! Is it a cri to be beautiful?"
"We didn't steal their rice!"
"During the final auditions, I saw all the Hermione candidates looked good, none were ordinary!"
"So why would they say your beauty would ruin the movie? Huh??"
Catherine couldn't understand.
Isabella…
Honestly, she also felt a little uncomfortable.
Words can warm a cold winter, but harsh words can chill a sumr day.
Being scrutinized is sothing a celebrity must endure—it's unavoidable.
Of course, Isabella wouldn't say all this to her sister.
She sighed softly, leaned in, cheek to cheek, thanking her sister for defending her while picking up the mouse.
Clicking through a few links, she quickly found a comforting explanation.
"Oh, these people are posting this on purpose—they're jealous of ."
"Huh? What did you say?" Catherine didn't understand.
Isabella pointed at the open webpage. "See? The dia attacking are all from the US."
"The Houston Chronicle said my looks didn't match the book, The Boston Globe said my beauty made Rowling's insistence a joke, and USA Today said my beauty would ruin the movie."
"When all these outlets are Arican, doesn't their motive beco clear? Haven't you forgotten? Warner originally wanted to make an Arican version of Harry Potter."
"If Warner had succeeded, all HP dia resources would have been monopolized by these Arican outlets. But now, they can only watch our dia and Warner's headquarters have exclusive access."
"So, if you were them, seeing the casting was unusually good, what would you do?"
"You'd try to attack Harry Potter, right?"
"And at that point, the only target you could attack is , because I'm exceptional. And everyone in dia knows—the more beautiful the heroine, the more fans she attracts."
Exactly. Isabella's comforting thought was labeling the criticizing dia as malicious.
No choice—they were all from the US.
Of course, Isabella knew her reasoning was a bit extre. When HP is tightly monitored by the UK governnt and co-produced with the US, British dia wouldn't dare criticize.
Does it matter now? Isabella didn't care, but Catherine…
"Oh… so that's it?"
Catherine hesitated.
"Of course it is!"
Isabella switched the webpage to Yahoo's official source, softening Catherine's gaze.
"These people are disgusting! Losing an argunt on the project, so they resort to this!"
"So you should read less of it."
Isabella closed the page. "If there's nothing important, read less, and read more books. If you're bored, co to my room and play with . Oh, speaking of which, we haven't played together for so long…"
She couldn't stop others from talking, but she could limit her sister's exposure to trash news.
That night, she took Catherine to her room to watch a movie.
Did Catherine understand everything? Isabella only knew that the next day, the sun rose as usual.
Perhaps the crew was isolated, or maybe they feared gossip affecting filming. When Isabella noticed external criticism, she stayed alert on set, checking if anyone ntioned it—but…
The crew was quiet as a chicken.
This made her feel comfortable.
After Christmas, when filming resud, she noticed sothing unusual.
It was normal—kids returning from vacation naturally heard rumors.
And the cast's emotions were obvious in their eyes.
Comfort? Sympathy? Resentnt?It was complicated.
When everyone wanted a reason to talk to her…
"Isabella, co here."
On the first day back, Chris Columbus privately spoke with Isabella.
His aning was clear: don't worry about outside comnts.
First, everyone knows she's talented and hardworking, and will be a beloved Hermione;Second, HP fans generally don't read comntary news—the Arican dia's criticism wouldn't affect her much, and Warner would handle any troublemakers;Third…
"Isabella, in our industry, only successful people are scrutinized and criticized under a microscope. All losers just exit the stage. So… keep being yourself, okay?"
"dia belittlent proves one thing: we chose the right person."
"You're one step away from true success: make this movie great, okay?"
"Okay."
Isabella smiled. "Director, I think you're saying a lot today."
"Because everything you just said can be sumd up in one sentence: 'Belittlent is the noblest form of praise.'"
Isabella winked.
"Uh—Yeah~~~"
Chris Columbus paused briefly, then his face broke into a huge smile.
"Oh, Isabella, honestly, you're outstanding, extrely outstanding. Even though Joanne and I have differences, I still really like you. This isn't flattery, because… we may have other opportunities to work together in the future."
"Thanks~ But let's talk about the future later~ Right now… I'm just focusing on the present, right?"
"You're right. Then… action?"
"You're the director—you decide."
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