Seven could be the most magically powerful number in the "Harry Potter" series. Think about it: There are seven books, seven Horcruxes (possibly), and now, for Daniel Radcliffe, seven years of playing the Boy Who Lived. Though the rest of the wizarding world has been eagerly awaiting this seventh month because it brings the fifth movie in the "Potter" saga (see " 'Harry Potter' Set Visit: Go Inside The Ministry Of Magic In This Peek Behind The Scenes"), as well as the final book of the series (see " 'Harry Potter' Roundtable: Experts Battle Over Theories On How Series Will End"), Radcliffe has another magical date marked on his calendar his 18th birthday on July 23.
As the world's most famous boy wizard becomes a man and a more accomplished actor, too, branching out from the "Potter" films to Muggle roles onstage in "Equus" and in the forthcoming movie "December Boys" he's shepherding his signature character into manhood as well. Here, Daniel talks about how Harry has evolved in the new film, "Order of the Phoenix" from bashful wizard to first kiss and what the tea leaves say is next. (Watch Radcliffe talk about Harry's loss of innocence, first kiss and questionable alliances.
) : Just as Harry is a little older in each film, his world becomes a little larger and darker. : At first, everything was so amazing and cool: "I'm a wizard, I can do magic." But gradually, he learns there are shades of gray.
He's becoming aware that there are bad people in the wizard world that aren't Voldemort, in a less obvious, more insidious way, like [Minister of Magic] Cornelius Fudge and [Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Delores] Umbridge. That's what the films are about for me: a loss of innocence, going from being a young kid in awe of the world around him, to someone who is more battle-hardened by the end of it. : But his battle is a more political one.
: Toward the end of the film, there is a massive fight sequence, but his fight is a more silent, underground fight this time. He forms Dumbledore's Army, after being persuaded by Ron and Hermione, and this film is about Harry being more aware that a war is about to happen between Voldemort and the Death Eaters and people like the Order of the Phoenix, and it's about him trying to prepare as many people as possible. It's like the French Resistance or any revolutionary group of people in any war that are being oppressed.
He's setting up a group of people to fight against Umbridge, who is oppressing them she's trying to stop them from learning any real magic and that provides more of the uplifting moments. I mean, we say that every time, but this one is much darker, and I think Dumbledore's Army really lifts the film in tone, where you see Harry go from this quite reluctant leader to this Henry V character who is stirring up the troops. That should be a joyous thing to watch.
: And his battle is a more internal one as well. : It's immense loneliness, a feeling that there's no one he can talk to about anything, and on top of his previous frustrations, a death. His parents' death is quite abstract in his mind he can't remember the last words they said to him or the last kind look his mum gave him.
It's just something that happened that he was there for. But with Cedric [who dies at the end of "Goblet of Fire"], he's encountered that happening, and he's got a terrible survivor's guilt. He's thinking, "I should have been the one to die.
" So yeah, he's got something extra that he's suffering with, and he hasn't been talked to by his friends all summer. He feels abandoned after finding out Voldemort's back. Seven could be the most magically powerful number in the "Harry Potter" series.
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