It is! It is

[erisedstraeh2002]

Amanda wrote:

> Harry does not cast Expelliarmus in the duelling scene. <snip> 
> My prediction: I hope I'm wrong, but I'm betting they'll cut the 
> first exchange with the many students paired off, and have first 
> Snape/Lockhart and then Harry/Draco up on that little runway thing. 

Now me:

I think your prediction is right, based on what we've seen in the 
first two trailers - in the first trailer, Harry's being blasted 
backward and in the second trailer, Draco is spinning in mid-air.  I 
think Harry's casting an Expelliarmus at Draco and Draco is casting 
one back at Harry in the movie.

What I don't like about this change is that the only way Draco can 
get a good spell off on Harry is when he thinks Harry isn't going to 
cast a spell (after Draco's hit with the Tickling Charm) or when he 
starts on the count of two rather than waiting until three.  I'm 
going to be *most* annoyed if they show Draco getting a good spell 
off on Harry fair and square.

I'm also going to be quite disappointed if Rickman doesn't say "Time 
to split up the dream team" to Daniel and Rupert - I just *love* that 
line!

Amanda again:

> So I think we'll see Snape blasting Lockhart with Expelliarmus, 
> because the usage of that spell is important in subsequent scenes 
> in this and other books.

Me again:

I think one of the pictures shows Snape blasting Lockhart, so I think 
this will be in there.

Amanda again:

> --this is where Hermione picks up Millicent's cat hair. Unless the 
> movie makers have it be a random cat hair, and not Millicent's; or 
> perhaps Hermione and Millicent will interact differently. Point is, 
> the cat hair is also very important to the story, and whatever form 
> the getting of it takes, it will likely happen here.

Me again:

Perhaps the ever-clever Hermione will visit the school laundry?

Amanda again:

> --this is where the readers are alerted to how serious the problems 
> with Ron's wand are. We already know it doesn't work; now we see it 
> can be a danger. This is a significant instance in the drumbeat 
> of "Ron's wand is unreliable," in that it presages its backfiring 
> on Lockhart later. Unless they work this in somewhere else too, we 
> ought to see some malfunction of Ron's wand here.

Me again:

I think we see Ron's malfunctioning wand when he belches slugs in the 
beginning of the book.  Perhaps this will cover it (although I'm 
*most* interested to see how they handle the slugs <evil grin.).

Amanda again:
 
> I also am really hoping that they leave Snape/Lockhart in to 
> establish that Snape doesn't like Lockhart, to lay the groundwork 
> for the staffroom scene, one of my very favorites. Please o please 
> o please let them have that one in there, too!

Me again:

I love that scene, too, and I think they'll have to leave it in (or 
at least do a variation), because it's when the teachers tell 
Lockhart to go handle the Chamber monster that sends him packing, and 
I can't see how they can leave that out, since it's what prompts 
Harry and Ron to take Lockhart with them to the Chamber.

~Phyllis
who really wanted to see a *black* snake come out of the 
Serpentortia, since that's what it says in the book!