In fact, ever since Warner Bros. officially released the poster for The Sorcerer's Stone last year, marketing efforts surrounding the film had been proceeding thodically. For instance, this past June, as filming wrapped, Warner unveiled the second trailer. Then in August, with visual effects completed, the third trailer was released to the public.
Had it not been for the major event in September that drew the world's attention to New York—and the sudden disaster that forced Warner Bros. to halt its attention-grabbing promotions, unable to monopolize public resources during the nation's crisis—
Warner Bros. would undoubtedly have gone all out with a massive campaign in the fifty days leading up to the film's release.
But Harry Potter is, after all, a British-Arican co-production with an all-British cast.
Can't make a big splash in North Arica?Then blast it in the UK!Besides, Harry Potter is Young Adult—its audience is kids, and kids couldn't care less about what was happening in New York.
So...
Warner Bros. took an indirect approach, pouring all promotional resources into the UK. That's precisely why the premiere was set in London—well… initially they had planned separate events on both sides.
With resources concentrated solely in Britain, Leicester Square shimred like a vast galaxy when the 4th arrived:
Sean Connery, the original Jas Bond, graced the event;Ian McKellen, Magneto from X-n and Gandalf the White from The Lord of the Rings, was present;Not only that, Kate Winslet, the most successful actress in British cinema today, walked the red carpet.
When Rowling, dressed in an evening gown and sporting a bow-adorned top hat, raised her gloved right hand to greet fans beyond the security cordon, the waves of cheers grew louder and louder, making Isabella smile as she prepared to make her entrance.
"Oh~ Isa~ What's got you so happy?"
Today, Isabella and Rowling shared a car.
It wasn't that Vivian and Catherine weren't coming—they would have attended today's premiere regardless. But there's an unspoken rule in showbiz: if an artist brings family mbers onto the red carpet, those family mbers automatically forfeit their privacy rights.
At that point, any dia outlet could freely publish photos of your family mbers.
Regardless of whether they were minors or not.
Vivian didn't mind exposure—she'd been famous since the 80s—but neither she nor Isabella wanted Catherine in the spotlight, and Catherine herself had no desire to walk the red carpet.
So when Rowling also sought to protect her daughter, the two won joined forces.
"Oh~ I was just thinking, isn't Kate the pinnacle among actresses?"
Isabella remarked, "You won't find a more dazzling woman in the film industry than Rose."
"Is that envy?" Rowling asked with a smile. "Or longing?"
"Both, I suppose…" Isabella tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at Rowling. "You know I'm always honest with you. Since I'm in this business now, naturally I want to be the best I can be."
Rowling chuckled.
Truthfully, she rather liked Isabella's straightforwardness.
But at the sa ti, she felt Isabella was being overly modest.
"Isabella."
"Hm?"
"Right now, you can say Rose is the most dazzling woman in the film industry—I can accept that. But if you still say that after tonight, I'll have to ask you to leave the crew. Because I think Hermione is the absolute best."
Rowling winked at Isabella. "You~"
"Hahahaha~"
The young woman bead.
She loved complints, and she'd admit Hermione possessed extraordinary personal charm.
So, Hermione surpassing Rose?
Oh~That sounded wonderful~
As they spoke, the limousine pulled up to the red carpet.
Staff in suits and ties opened the doors for them.
The next second, deafening screams pierced Isabella's eardrums.
The shrill voices made her ears ache, but whether it was her past performance experience or the intensive training Maggie had given her in this life, it all reminded her: right now, she had to be elegant.
She smiled and nodded at the staff, extended her hand, and stepped out of the car with a practiced grace. The imdiate crackle of caras made her feel as though she'd plunged into an ocean of flashes.
'Oh sxxt—'
'Daniel was right. This really is a nightmare.'
Isabella wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't—beauty ca at a price.
Her composure sent fans beyond the barrier into excited screams—
"Hermione? Is that Hermione next to Rowling?"
"Yeah! Yeah!! Yeah!!! It's her! It's her!! That's her!!!"
"Oh my god—she's even prettier in person than in the posters and trailers—"
"Oh—what's her na again? Isa? Isa!!"
To be honest, this was Isabella's first public appearance.
Before arriving, she hadn't imagined what the scene would be like.
But when the cries of "Isa, Isa, Isa" erupted, Warner Bros.' marketing investnt, Harry Potter's influence in Britain, and the rchandise sales of companies like Mattel suddenly beca tangible.
Everyone recognized her!
Then, as she turned toward the cheers and waved…
"Oh! My! God!"
"She is gorgeous!!!"
Isabella, in her fiery red gown, resembled a rosebud about to bloom.
A gentle breeze swept through, causing her naturally wavy golden hair to sway in rhythm.
She was beautiful like an angel.
After lingering briefly on the red carpet and interacting with fans from all over, Isabella followed Rowling through the premiere proceedings—signing her na in cursive on the autograph wall, answering the host's questions…
Only after completing these tasks did Isabella find ti to enter the cinema, slipping into the auditorium decorated to resemble Hogwarts.
She waved toward the section where her mother and older sister sat, alongside Rowling's daughter, her younger brother, and the Weasley family.
The Granger family was there too.
Their cheerful responses reassured her as she took her seat among the main cast and crew. Seated right beside her were Maggie Smith and Rupert.
"My dear, you look absolutely stunning today."
The red-clad figure drifting over drew Maggie's smiling complint.
Isabella rely shrugged and shook her head.
"Oh, Miss Maggie… I couldn't care less about looking stunning right now."
"Outside just now, a gust of wind nearly froze solid."
November's chill in London was already quite noticeable.
The perfect thing to wear at this ti was actually a coat.
Just like Benedict Cumberbatch.
But to Maggie, her "honest words" sounded like pure hypocrisy.
"If you really weren't beautiful, you'd be unhappy."
"Pfft—Hehehehe—"
Before Isabella could respond, Rupert—who'd been eavesdropping—burst into pig-like snorts of laughter.
Daniel, Bonnie Wright, Tom, and the others, already seated, followed suit, covering their mouths to stifle giggles.
This spectacle made Isabella curl her lip. "You lot are so boring."
She grabbed the shawl from her seat and wrapped it around herself—Mom had brought it in.
"I just like telling the truth."
"Hahahaha~"
Her grudging admission made everyone laugh.
Isabella kept a straight face for a mont, then…
"Long ti no see."
She cracked, smiling at her friends beside her.
This was their first gathering since wrapping up filming for The Philosopher's Stone.
Everyone had changed, most noticeably in height.
Of course, she had grown too.
"Long ti no see."
The group greeted her with smiles.
Oh~ Their voices had changed too~Well, she had changed as well.
Being a female celebrity isn't easy. No matter your age, when attending formal events, stylists always recomnd dresses—especially in Britain, where skirts are won's standard formal wear.
Even the Duchess of Cambridge couldn't escape this custom, so Isabella had no choice but to follow local etiquette.
Not to ntion, Bonnie and the others were dressed the sa way.
Since Isabella and Rowling's appearance on the red carpet was practically the grand finale, the premiere comnced shortly after they took their seats. Warner's host took the stage to welco everyone and thank the invited guests for their support. After about three minutes, the speech concluded, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone began its screening.
Sweeping orchestral music filled the theater's speakers.
It was the familiar "Hedwig's The" beloved by all Harry Potter fans.
The Warner Bros. logo flashed briefly, revealing Privet Drive in the dead of night.
Due to limited access and strict confidentiality, Isabella had never seen the final cut of her own performance.
As the film began, she felt a powerful sense of novelty watching it from the audience's perspective…
That novelty lasted only seconds.
Because there, on the big screen, Dumbledore appeared—alongside Professor McGonagall—taking the swaddled infant Harry from Hagrid, who had just landed on his flying motorbike, and placing him gently at the Dursleys' doorstep.
The sight stirred Isabella's emotions.
This was where countless Potterheads' dreams began.
As the lightning-shaped scar on Harry's forehead expanded into the Harry Potter logo, the film officially comnced.
Chris Columbus spent the next fifteen minutes sketching Harry's tragic upbringing:Ten years old, forced to live in the cupboard under the stairs, treated as an on of bad luck by the Dursleys—And yet, he hadn't grown bitter. He still found joy in small things and could interact kindly with those around him.
Take his trip to the zoo, for example—where he cheerfully chatted with snakes, thanks to his Parseltongue ability inherited from the Noseless Man.
Upon receiving his Hogwarts acceptance letter, Harry's joy was palpable. Even when Uncle Vernon tore it up, locked him away, and raged that "magic doesn't exist," Harry still clung to hope.
And then… Hagrid arrived.
The mont he tapped his pink umbrella against a brick wall, revealing the hidden gateway to Diagon Alley—an iconic gesture millions of fans had mimicked—the magical world truly opened up.
Shops brimd with cauldrons, wands, herbs, and, most prominently, owls. Hedwig tilted her head with wide, solemn eyes—so cute it drew coos from the audience.
When Harry later reached King's Cross, the sight of Platform 9¾ signaled the gathering of the main cast.
Columbus dedicated three minutes to showing the boarding process. Then, the scene cut abruptly to the train speeding through the countryside, symbolizing Harry's journey into a new life. The next mont—Ron appeared, plopping down beside him.
Premiere audiences usually fall into four groups:
The project's creators, cast, and their families.
Invited celebrity guests.
dia reporters and critics.
The lucky few fans who won premiere tickets.
Of course, those "fans" were never chosen entirely at random. They were typically hardcore movie buffs or die-hard Potterheads who had attended countless fan events before.
And once they sat down…
From the instant the film began, cheers erupted from the true fan section.
These cheers rose and fell with the story, like the rhythmic tides of an ocean.
To most, this seed perfectly natural. While Harry Potter wasn't a profound art film, comrcial movies only needed two things: a solid story and impressive effects.
The story was already proven by the books.
As for effects?Chris Columbus was Steven Spielberg's protégé, with Industrial Light & Magic handling visuals.
But when Ron entered the fra, the audience, who had been marveling at the magical world's grandeur, suddenly erupted in laughter.
They couldn't help it—Rupert Grint's Ron was just too… clumsy.
"So… it's true! I an, do you really have the… the…?"
"The what?"
"Scar?"
His first words to Harry mirrored the curiosity of the entire wizarding world—except Snape.
Ron desperately wanted to see Harry's scar.
But he also didn't dare et the Noseless One's gaze.
That tension—wide-eyed curiosity mixed with fearful caution—made his expression hilariously exaggerated.
As he leaned forward, eyes bulging, the theater dissolved into a sea of laughter.
"Whoa—how did Ron's eyes get any wider?"
"Hahaha~ He looks like he's staring at an alien, not a scar!"
"Ooh ooh ooh~ He looks so dumb… but it's hilarious! Hahaha~"
The chorus of laughter made Rupert tense up.
He instinctively turned his head, peering into the darkness.
Finding nothing, he spun back and muttered under his breath—
"It's all your fault."
He shot a glare at Isabella.
Isabella, who knew exactly what he ant, burst into laughter alongside Daniel.
Mm.
That scene had been fild under Isabella's chaotic "guidance."
At the ti, she had thought Rupert's overblown reaction was ridiculous.
But Columbus had loved it. He felt Rupert perfectly captured Ron's adorkable innocence—echoing the later feast scene where he devoured chicken legs with gusto. So, he'd kept the take.
And now, watching it with an audience…
It really was hilarious.
After Harry confird his identity, Ron's eyes were already wide as saucers.
But when he saw Harry's wealth—and realized his own poverty—his eyes widened even further, practically cartoon-like.
Honestly, such a shot would ruin most films.
Too exaggerated. Too unbelievable.
But Harry Potter was Young Adult.
And in Young Adult, exaggeration worked.
As long as the scene made the audience laugh, it was the best take possible.
When the snack trolley rolled in, broke-as-a-joke Ron could only sulk.
But when Harry revealed his pockets overflowing with coins and bought the entire cart, Ron's eyes reached "Pro Max" levels of shock.
The continuous take left his gawky expression on screen for a long mont. To the audience, though, it perfectly embodied childish innocence.
As Ron and Harry snacked together and struck up an easy conversation, the audience smiled—this was the birth of their friendship.
But the mont was cut short.
Because the compartnt door slid open.
"Has anyone seen a toad?"
"So boy nad Neville lost his toad."
A striking figure appeared in the doorway—Hogwarts robes perfectly in place, long hair cascading over her shoulders, eyes sharp with scrutiny.
Her hands gripped the fra, steadying herself against the train's sway.
Yet her stance looked more like she was deliberately blocking the path, interrogating them.
Her tone was stiff. Her posture arrogant.
And yet, when she spoke—
"Oh~ Hermione's here!"
"She looks adorable in her Hogwarts robes—"
"It's different from the books, but… I like this Hermione… Her na is Isa, right?"
"Yeah! Isa! That's her—Isa!"
The cheers filled the theater.
And Isabella, watching her on-screen self appear as Hermione Granger for the first ti, felt her heart tremble.
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