Bothered and bewildered

Heading to the 12:01 a.m. Wednesday performance of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," I had two hypotheses:

1. Most members of this night's audience would be in their early 20s and either intoxicated or working on it.

2. The pivotal scene, in which a major character dies, would either make me cry or leave me cold. I could not imagine a middle ground.

In the case of the first hypothesis -- which I arrived at having attended the midnight showings of all previous "Harry Potter" films and watching the core audience grow up -- bingo. The energy was spirited.

And yet the audience still had a sense of control. There is something to be said for what one considers celebrating, in one's early 20s; but these fans exhibit a reverence for Harry and what his books and movies have meant to them. That reverence persisted even after the movie let out, and a packed cineplex parking lot attempted to empty all at once.

As for the second hypothesis, I had been wrong. I had failed to imagine the choice that the filmmakers would make in their presentation of that moment.

The death of a pivotal character has been addressed in previous movies and has been presented more or less as author J.K. Rowling originally envisioned, to powerful effect. In this instance, the import of the moment and of the character seemed to cry out for the same faithfulness to the source material.

And while the basic setting and action remained the same, the surrounding events were altered and the result was one of disbelief. We all left the theater subdued.

To those not steeped in the seven-volume canon of Potter lore, here's what you need to know: The original scene takes place against the backdrop of an immense battle between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It is the middle of the night, and though Hogwarts is the safest place in both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds, the spells, charms and ancient magic that keep the school safe are subverted by Draco Malfoy's efforts. And one by one, the Death Eaters arrive.

The ensuing battle, which so clearly demonstrates the death of the illusion of security and the reality of the danger in standing up for what you believe, sets up the crushing blow that is the death of a primary character. By this point, your heart is racing and you can't set the book down.

This battle is not in the movie.

The movie asks us to believe that the Death Eaters would simply enter the school, assassinate their target and go home. They have finally gotten into Hogwarts, the fortress that they have coveted and that houses their worst enemies, and yet they will leave it and its inhabitants mostly intact.

We don't believe it.

Yes, it is sad to see the death of a beloved character, but the moment holds nothing close to its potential power. I remain dry-eyed. In other words, disappointed.

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Heidi Berg is a performer in the Twin Cities and a "Harry Potter" fan since 1999.

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