February turo March, and my days followed a steady, fulfilling routine. My weekdays were meticulously structured: three to four hours of inteudy sessions, oo one-and-a-half hours of immersive music lessons, and an hour and a half each dedicated to vigorous dand martial arts training. Weekends were my sanctuary, a respite from the demanding schedule. I often sought so the nearby park, where the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves provided a serene backdrop as I strummed my guitar. Despite making acquaintances in my csses, none of them grew into friendships deep enough to be hy.

  Life moved forward, and I cherished every moment of it. Dad was deeply immersed in the produ of [Harry Potter], often flyiween LA and London to ensure everything was in order. The auditions were in full swing, sparking immeement among children across the UK.

  So far, the roles of Draalfoy, and the Weasley twins had been cast, with the inal actors reprising their roles from my previous life. For the adults, Maggie Smith and An Ri were firmed fonagall and Snape, respectively. It was f to see some things remain unged.

  Finally, the pivotal day arrived for the finalization of the role of Harry Potter. I stood before the mirror in the dressing room, fully immersed in my transformation. The Hogwarts robe hung perfectly on me, my hair was styled into the characteristic messy look, and the iic lightning scar was meticulously applied to my forehead. My naturally bck hair and green eyes meant no need for a wig or tacts, adding authenticity to my portrayal.

  "Troy, you look just like I had imagined!" Chris bus excimed as I stepped out of the dressing room, his eyes lighting up with approval.

  I smiled but remained silent, turning my gaze towards the other important figure in the room: Joanne Rowling, the mother of Harry Potter herself.

  Our eyes met, and I noticed tears welling up in hers, shimmering with emotion.

  Not wanting to proloears, I pulled out a wooden stick—my wand—and pyfully cast a spell, "Rictusempra!"

  She giggled, her tears transf into ughter, a sound that lightehe room.

  My smile widened with satisfa. "See, Chris? This wand suits me well. My spell worked on Jo. It has chosen me."

  Chris smiled warmly, pointing at the script oable. "Why don't you read a few lines for us, Troy?"

  "Sure." Pig up the script, I carefully read through the pages given to me, feeling the weight of the moment.

  It was the se where Harry realizes that Snape gave Hagrid the dragoo learn about Fluffy, the three-headed dog. I took a deep breath, eling Harry's curiosity aermination, ready t the character to life.

  "Of course." I begaing a realization wash over me, feeling a subtle shift in my demeanor as if Harry's thoughts were my own.

  "What is it?" Linda, the casting director filling in for all the other speaking roles, spoke as Hermione, her voice curious and ed.

  "Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger just turns up who just happens to have one?" I asked, my voice tinged with incredulity. "I mean, hoeople just wander around with a dragon egg in their pocket?" I let a hint of frustration seep into my tone, feeling Harry's bewilderment and a touch of self-reproach. "Why didn't I see it before?"

  Turning sharply, I addressed Hagrid, my eyes narrowing with urgency. "Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg? What did he look like?" I demanded, my voisistent, pressing for the truth.

  Linda responded, embodying Hagrid's casual obliviousness. "I don't know," she read, her voice gruff. "He kept his hood up. Never saw his face."

  "This strahough, you and he must have talked, right?" I asked, embodying Harry's iigative spirit, leaning in as if pieg together a vital puzzle.

  "Well, he wao know what sort of creatures I've looked after. So we talked about Fluffy," she replied, her tone rexed.

  "Did he seem ied in Fluffy?" I asked, feeling a dawning realization build, my pulse quiing with the pieces falling into pce.

  "Of course he was!" Linda excimed jovially, her voice rising with Hagrid's characteristic cheerfulness.

  "And CUT!" Chris excimed, his voice slig through the tension, bringing us back to reality. He turo Jo, his face alight with excitement. "Do we have to read some more lines?"

  Jed, a smile pying on her lips. "Well, I'm free this afternoon. I don't mind."

  I took a deep breath as I came down from the high that was enag the se with such vigor. I had immersed myself so fully in the role that my heart ounding in my chest because of the buildup of the tension in the se.

  "Are you good to go, Troy?" Chris asked with a tinge of worry in his tone.

  "Oh, yeah," I nodded. "Just got a little ied in the character. Nothing to worry about. Let's do the se."

  That led to me reading almost half of Harry's lines in the movie. Because the book had already been released and the movie was quite loyal to the source material, there was no suspense or anything of the sort. I felt aric thrill each time I slipped into Harry's skin, the words flowing naturally as if they were my own thoughts.

  Every se became a vivid tableau in my mind, from the dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts to the t, shadowed figure of Hagrid, each character's presence palpable. The lines weren't just dialogue; they were a gateway to Harry's world, a reality I could almost touch.

  It took more than two hours before I was finally free from the audition process and could ge bay regur clothes.

  "Troy, there are a few things you have to keep in mind before we finalize you," Chris expined, his tone serious yet supportive. "First of all, you must keep yourself physically fit for the decade. That means no excess dies or fast food."

  That could be quite brutal for some kids, but not for me. I did enjoy fast food, don't get me wrong, but I sacrifiething for the role. And Chris said not in excess. That means a limited amount is acceptable, right? Not to mention my lessons would ensure I wouldn't get fat.

  "Sedly, after signing the tract, you'll have to make sure not to accept any roles that may portray you in a ive light, or roles that are too mature, like your role in [Sex Education]." He stated firmly.

  I nodded in acceptahat rule was kind of iffy. I knew for a fact that Dan Radcliffe, the OG Harry Potter, appeared nude on stage i End as well as Broadway and also had a simuted sex se on stage, and Warner Bros didn't do jack shit to him. Moreover, tracts entered into as kids have to be renewed when you reach the majority, so I always refuse this cuse at that time depending ouation.

  ", you must maintain passing grades all the way through high school, clearing your AS-Level at the very least ED as the case may be."

  I that easily. As per my current pn, I would be doh my high school by the time I'm 14 or 15 at most.

  He went on to list a few more ditions that I agreed to after getting firmation from Mum about them. Most were simple, like maintaining a positive media image, staying away from troversial statements (like politics ion), and keeping quiet about the future plots of the books if any of them were revealed to me during produ.

  We didn't argue mud accepted the tract ditions. The only thing undecided was the matter of pay and the final signing of the tract, for which Warner Bros were waiting for after the release of [The Sixth Sense].

  There was another reason for this. And that was the arrival of Daniel Radcliffe.

  Yes, people, you heard it right. Chris bus watched a movie called David Copperfield after Maggie Smith reended Daniel for the role. While Chris was strictly in favor of my casting, Warner Bros called Daniel over for the audition as well.

  I shrugged it off as insequential. Daniel was much less experienced and lesser known than me. And I had the producer and the director in my er.

  "Hey, Chris! How's the casting for other roles going?" I asked casually, trying to gauge the progress from the director himself.

  "It's going well," Chris replied, rubbing his temples. "We've cast Neville, Fred and Gee, Ginny, Draco, Snape, and Magall. Oh, and of course, Hagrid. Ms. Rowling's personal choice came through as Robbie Coltrane." Chris sighed, a mix of relief and lingering stress evident in his voice. "Now if only Richard Harris would accept the role of Dumbledore, we would be so much more rexed."

  Richard Harris was another issue altogether in the movie series. He was a wonderful actor, no doubt, but unfortunately, he passed away before the release of the sed film and had to be recast in the form of Michael Gambon. It ur belief that if Richard Harris had lived longer, many of the ses in future movies, like Dumbledore's fight with Voldemort in the fifth movie, would not be as iing because of his frail body.

  "Well, how about Michael Gambon? He is a good old actor. Or Michael e? Ian McKellen? Sean ery?" I suggested, different alternatives for the role of Dumbledore.

  "To be ho, Ian McKellen was my first choice for pying Dumbledore. Unfortunately, he sighe Lord of the Rings Trilogy, which is being shot at the moment, and he doesn't want to appear in two simir fantasy movies where he pys the old wizard," Chris expined.

  "A genuine reason for deing the role," I aowledged.

  "Michael e… well, he doesn't want a long-term itment of more than one movie sig oime. That's not feasible for us. Sean ery is in tax exile, which means that he ot e to Engnd for shooting for some legal reasons. And finally, Michael Gambon, hmm that's not a name I had sidered for the role. But I see why you'd reend him. I'll discuss it with your Dad," Chris said, patting me on the head. "Thanks a ton, Troy. Any other casting ideas?"

  "Well…" I started, feeling a bit hesitant, "You could cast Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort."

  "That's an iing choice. Why him?" Chris asked, intrigued by my suggestion.

  "Okay, don't tell Dad or heavens forbid Mum," I whispered, ensuring our versation stayed between us. When he nodded, I tinued, "I watched [Sdler's List]."

  He chuckled softly, uanding my reasoning. "Yeah, that would expin it. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. Now, why don't you go back to your Mum? She must be getting bored there."

  Following his advice, I found Mum talking with Rowling. I always wao meet J.K. Rowling, and I couldn't get a better opportunity. So I made a beeliowards Jo and Mum, presenting Jo with two books that I had brought specifically for this purpose.

  " you please sign these books for me, Ms. Rowling?" I asked, her the first edition hardcovers of her first two books.

  "Oh my! Please, dear, just call me Jo. You have the very first edition with you?" Jo excimed, seeing the limited edition books that had only a few hundred copies in the world.

  "Yup!" I nodded enthusiastically. "I robably one of your earliest readers. I vinced Dad to buy the adaptatihts of your book."

  "Then I have you to thank for, eh?" She asked me with a mischievous smile.

  I felt a little fused. She should be angry with me if anything. If she had held onto the adaptatihts till now, she could've sold them off for millions. Not to mentioaining the rights of the final few films to get a further increased price after a few years.

  Seeing my fusion, she crified, "I was in a very tough spot financially and needed cash urgently. Your Dad gave me that money, some of which I ied in promoting the book by going on tours around the UK and ter in the US. And today, here I am. So, Troy Armitage, thank you. If it wasn't for you, I might still be some poor, unpopur writer amongst thousands out there."

  I khat wasn't true, but I didn't argue with her. In a way, it's better if she believes that.

  "Nonsense," Mum cut in, "You're an amazing writer, Jo. If not my husband, then someone else would have e to get the books. It was only a matter of time."

  Jo didn't refute Mum's words but simply sighe books and even wrote her personalized notes on them.

  "Here you go."

  Part 1 read, 'To my first fan out there. Thank you, Troy. -J.K. Rowling'

  While Part 2 read, 'I hope your ag journey is more magical than Harry's. -J.K. Rowling'

  I beamed at her, "Thank you, Jo. I'll cherish these books and more to e till the end of time."

  "Don't worry, I'll save a first edition for you as soon as it es out," Jo promised with certainty. Then she leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "I hope you get the part."

  And with the blessing of the author herself, I left the studio.

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