Compared to normal families, single-parent households generally have it a bit tougher, but as long as your heart is sunny, you'll encounter poetry and the horizon… eh, maybe that sounded a bit too poetic?
Since Isabella had no academic issues, and Vivian agreed to let her self-study, after reviewing her test papers, the crew submitted her self-study application to the education authorities. The next day, the department came to verify, and after confirming that she could score full marks on two additional sets of tests, she was granted permission to self-study. Of course, they also stated that they would periodically check on her self-study progress; if she showed significant regression, she would have to return to class.
That small certificate brought a drastic change to Isabella's life. No matter how excellent she was, on set she still sat at the kids' table. But now… well, she still sat at the kids' table, but life had become considerably easier.
For instance, without extra classes, Isabella's day looked like this:Wake up at 7:00, leave at 8:00, arrive on set before 9:30, and enter the tea meeting room at 10:00.
On workdays before filming officially began, the young actors gathered from 10:00 to 12:00.
Initially, Columbus gathered everyone to foster camaraderie, but it soon became a curiosity-satisfying session. After he explained the differences between the script and the novels, he added special filming instructions to the agenda.
However, these instructions were not about crew rules or formal on-set behavior. They weren't about telling kids to keep quiet; instead, they concerned differences in wording between editions of the HP books in different countries.
For example, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the UK was published as "Philosopher's Stone," but in the US it was "Sorcerer's Stone";"Sherbet lemon" in the UK was "lemon drop" in the US;"Jacket potato" in the UK was "baked potato" in the US…
For adult audiences, these differences could be ignored. Adults understand.
But HP is young adult. When British kids are used to "Philosopher's Stone" and American kids to "Sorcerer's Stone," the movie must adjust its wording. Otherwise, unfamiliar audiences would be thrown out of the story.
The usual Hollywood method is simple: dub the UK version as "Philosopher's Stone," the US version as "Sorcerer's Stone," and that's it. But HP did not follow this routine—all variant shots had to be filmed live.
Yes, the special instructions in the HP crew meant every scene with different wording had to be filmed—two versions!Upon hearing this, Isabella was dumbfounded.
Not just because she had studied HP's "differences theory" in her past life, but because she assumed dubbing would solve it—and more so, because this method was absurd. Every scene with a difference required two filmed versions? What kind of extravagance is this?
Chris Columbus explained the rationale:
Respecting the viewing habits of all fans.
HP is recorded live on set; getting children to dub later doesn't capture the feeling, and many kids struggle to find the right tone in post-production.
Honestly, these reasons made sense, but Isabella was still speechless.
For this kind of extravagance, she could only think: Warner is really, really rich.
Then—
"Hey! If you have so much money you don't know what to do with, how about increasing my salary? Thirty thousand is too little; give me thirty million and I'll call it a deal!"
Because of cultural differences, the explanation was detailed, and English can be verbose. Simply listing words without pictures sometimes even adults struggle to understand. So the briefing took a long time.
But that didn't prevent everyone from finishing on time.
By the afternoon…
With makeup and costume confirmed, the kids' afternoons were basically free.
Classes started at 1:00 p.m., free time after 4:00 p.m.
Compared to the first few days, everyone was considerably more relaxed. But…
Since Isabella could self-study, after lunch and a chat with the group, she returned home with her mother once the others went to class. Without traffic, she could even be home before 2:00 p.m.
Admittedly, whenever she left early, she could sense the accumulated resentment behind her.
Being nonconformist really earned some hate!
To avoid complaints, the day student occasionally brought little gifts for the others.
Cake today, baked goods tomorrow, and the day after, helping buy the album of a singer Draco liked…
Basically, buying goodwill with money.
Once everyone realized Isabella's early departures actually helped them—they often stayed on set and didn't leave—her reputation evolved rapidly.
On first meeting, she was the "runaway queen";After playing the "spot the difference" game with Columbus, everyone affectionately called her "Isabella";With no classes, she became "the demon genius of the crew";And now, whenever someone needed help, they would start with—
"Miss Heywood?"
"Need something?"
"Could you help me with homework?"
"Scram!"
"Oh~ Isabella~ you really hurt my feelings~"
"Rupert, hide that sarcastic face, or I'll shove your homework in your mouth!"
"Hahaha—" Everyone laughed.
And Rupert?
"Oh! Sxxt! Rupert! Move your stupid notebook!"
He had swapped his homework with Draco's. He really didn't like doing homework.
After work, no matter the hour, Isabella practiced piano for two hours to maintain her musicality.
Then she'd read music books, which she enjoyed.
Or glance at her sister's textbooks—she wanted freedom.
By 6:00 p.m., she had dinner with her mother and sister, then went online.
Checking Yahoo for current affairs to stay connected with the world—recently, the Sydney Olympics had begun.
Around 8:00 p.m., she'd wash up and go to bed.
Of course, not immediately sleeping—she'd watch a movie while leaning against the headboard.
As Maggie Smith had said before, accumulation…
In show business, talent may bring fame, but sustained success requires effort.
Cameron's talent didn't appear overnight—it took ten years to reach the top!
Spielberg spent 18 years from first picking up a camera to making Jaws!
On the surface, Isabella's days seemed orderly, even dull, but she felt each day of improvement was fulfilling.
This leisurely rhythm abruptly ended on September 29, the official start of HP filming.
The 29th was bright and sunny.
The crew held a small opening ceremony in Leavesden—no media, just producer David Heyman, author J.K. Rowling, and director Chris Columbus gave short speeches wishing the film's smooth completion.
On the first day, Columbus didn't schedule scenes for the child actors but had the adult professors demonstrate, hoping for good luck. If there were massive mistakes on day one, everyone's mood would suffer.
The children expected to shoot the next day, but—surprise!The crew traveled 200 miles to North Yorkshire.
Grosmont Station was the filming location for the child actors' first scene.
Anyone familiar with film production knows that shooting rarely follows the story order. Today's and tomorrow's scenes are determined by actors' schedules, location availability, and many other factors.
For example, October 1–3, Grosmont Station was cleared for them, so they filmed there.
The key task that day was filming the ending of the first HP movie: the school year ends, children go home.
The scene: at the Hogwarts departure station, Harry hands Hedwig to the staff, then boards the train with Hermione and Ron. They spot Hagrid seeing them off; Hermione waves, Harry hesitates and runs over to say goodbye. There's a long dialogue, then Hagrid sends Harry off. The train departs.
The script estimated about 2.5 minutes, with 32 camera changes—a complex scene. Columbus positioned the first shot as a group shot of the trio.
"Daniel, when I call action, hand Hedwig to the conductor and then board. Meanwhile, Isabella, Rupert, you two walk back."
"Our boarding order is Ron first—he doesn't see Hagrid."
"Hermione second—she sees Hagrid and waves, Hagrid waves back."
"Harry third—he doesn't see Hermione waving at Hagrid. He thinks Hagrid is calling him, hesitates, Hermione calls him aboard, then he runs to Hagrid."
"When Harry runs out of frame, this segment ends."
"Any questions?"
Isabella had never acted before, so she didn't know if Columbus's detailed explanation was normal.
But she understood immediately: when Columbus acted out the scene with scripts and gestures, it became clear what she had to do.
Or rather, she felt this level of detail made filming very simple.
The food is served—just open your mouth! So easy!
Daniel and Rupert felt the same, so the three nodded.
After their confirmation, Columbus clapped and had them do a trial run.
The clapperboard clicked; they moved with the director's narration.
Harry handed the cage to the conductor; Ron and Hermione turned simultaneously.
Their luggage car was adjacent, so they boarded quickly. As Ron went first, Hermione waved toward Columbus, mistaking him for Hagrid. Isabella, ready to follow Ron, saw Columbus shake his head…
"Cut—"
Columbus called stop.
"Stay put for now."
He directed, "Isabella, Rupert, turn around."
The two turned, confused, and their eyes met… Okay, the luggage car and their passenger car were only four paces apart—but somehow a whole universe seemed to have opened between the three of them.
Even though Columbus didn't say anything, they knew they were out of frame.
And this lack of coordination…
It was basically three people performing separately.
Embarrassment rose on their faces. Columbus smiled and said:"It's fine. This is your first time working together. You're not familiar with each other yet. A few more tries and it'll be fine."
They felt slightly better, apologized in unison, and tried again. Then…
"Cut."
Still, they hadn't boarded the train properly. Still, when waving, Columbus called cut again.
This time, before he even spoke, the three noticed the problem.
Though all three were now in frame, Rupert and Isabella were walking slowly, while Daniel walked faster.
The four-step distance took them over three seconds to cover, causing Harry to pace behind them.
If one were to describe it, it looked a bit like serving food in a cafeteria.
Those in front dawdle, stuck in indecision, and the people behind stumble and halt.
So…
"Again."
Columbus waved with a smile.
They tried several more times.
Even though all three were now consciously watching each other, they repeatedly got "No Good":
Rupert and Isabella walked too slowly, Daniel tried to rush and overstepped, causing mismatch;
Or Rupert and Isabella walked normally, but Daniel turned too quickly, nearly colliding with Isabella;
Sometimes coordination was okay, but their focus on each other made their movements awkward and stiff;
Sometimes they finally synchronized, but Isabella forgot her lines, thinking the timing had passed.
Everyone on set couldn't help but laugh—they realized the trio's coordination was almost zero.
And this simply couldn't be filmed.
"Okay, okay, take a break, let's talk."
Honestly, Columbus had a good mindset; he wasn't angry.
He led them to the rest area. Being stopped so quickly had frustrated the three.
Columbus didn't dwell on it. "Can anyone explain what just happened?"
The three exchanged glances. Daniel and Rupert instinctively focused on Isabella.
They hoped this all-capable girl of the past few weeks could save them. And Isabella…
She had no clue either.
"Sorry, Director, I don't know."
She shook her head.
"Oh—"
Daniel and Rupert were slightly disappointed.
Isabella was the crew's recognized prodigy! If she didn't know, then what about them…
No explosions, please?
"Please don't ask me! Don't ask me! Don't ask me!"
They silently prayed.
Columbus, seeing their ostrich-like behavior, smiled and said, "If you're clueless, I can give you a hint. Isabella, Daniel, Rupert, your performance wasn't actually wrong. You acted everything I described. But when combined, it became a bit uncoordinated."
"And this lack of coordination isn't because you weren't paying attention to each other, but… something else…"
"So what is it?"
Daniel and Rupert felt dizzy.
In their minds, continuous NGs only happened for one reason: poor acting.
But now, Columbus said their acting was fine, and the mismatch wasn't because of ignoring each other.
Are you sure your brain isn't trolling itself?
While they silently grumbled, Isabella asked Columbus for the script—not because she fully understood, but because if the acting wasn't the issue, the problem must lie in the script or storyline.
She took the script and read through the two-and-a-half-minute scene.
Suddenly, she felt like ants were crawling on her back.
She realized the mistake:
Earlier, Columbus had very thoroughly explained how to film the boarding scene.
Because he explained so meticulously, they had copied it blindly without thinking.
Yes, their part was simple: hand over luggage, then board. But their internal emotions?Gone!
All gone!
Without psychological activity, the scene collapsed.
This scene was a deviation from the book, specially adapted by the screenwriters and Rowling for the movie's ending.
In the novel, the ending shows everyone back at King's Cross, platform 9¾—not a farewell at Hogwarts.
So why was it changed for the movie?Columbus had mentioned when discussing differences: the Dursleys appear in the novel's ending, and they're hated by the kids. In a family-friendly film, it's better to minimize unpleasant images.
The movie's ending needed warmth, so Isabella understood the boarding order.
The script had Ron first, Hermione second, Harry last—why? To allow Harry to greet Hagrid, of course.
But does that mean they couldn't greet Hagrid together on the platform? Impossible!
So…
"Director, I think I understand."
"You mean the boarding order is based on the characters' emotions, right?"
Reading the script, Isabella noticed two small details they had missed:
After Harry runs to Hagrid, they have a private moment where Hagrid gives him a family photo;
After parting, Hermione asks Harry how it feels to go home.
She lifted her head.
Looking at the director—
"Ron and Hermione go before Harry because they have families, so leaving Hogwarts means reuniting with loved ones."
"At that moment, they're relatively happy."
"Especially Hermione—her family is happy, hence the line calling Harry aboard."
"In her world, Harry should want to go home like her."
"That's why the screenwriter put her in the middle."
"But for Harry, it's different. His parents are gone, Hogwarts is his real home. Now he must leave a happy home for a sad one?"
"Oh—No—that's why he's last! He doesn't want to leave Hogwarts."
"Parting is a little sad for him."
"So our biggest mistake was not thinking?"
"Yes—if the emotion is correct, our pace and rhythm will be correct."
"This scene depicts both returning home and leaving home."
"The steps going home are light; the steps leaving home are sorrowful."
At this point, Isabella stopped.
Though her summary sounded harsh, Columbus nodded in approval.
Acting naturally isn't blind imitation!
Looking like the character doesn't mean your behavior fits the story!
The script requires portraying the sadness of leaving home. Acting like you're on vacation ruins it.
Previously, the three hadn't realized this, normal because they weren't professional actors.
Once they understood, they figured out how to fix it.
The less capable aren't chosen, after all.
Daniel had filmed before, Rupert had stage experience.
Isabella was the adorable complete newcomer.
After several more rehearsals, the director finally called for filming. Then…
On camera, Harry smiled handing Hedwig to the staff, but as he turned, he seemed to sense the impending farewell. His smile vanished. Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione boarded.
Ron first, looking back at his friend, holding the door for Hermione.
Hermione followed, catching sight of a tall figure with her peripheral vision.
Recognition made her turn instinctively. Hagrid's kind presence brought a smile; she raised her hand to wave.
A proper farewell between comrades.
Meanwhile, Harry, initially sad, saw Hagrid. Unsure, he paused, but seeing Hagrid wave back to Hermione made him smile. He instinctively released the train door.
The rebounding door made Hermione turn slightly.
"You not getting on?"
"Wait a second."
That question gave Harry the push he needed.
Without hesitation, he ran to his true family.
"Okay~~~"
Columbus twisted his voice in delight.
He hugged Daniel as he ran up, laughing: "Cut—"
"Good."