Chapter 179

The audition process continued to move forward.

It seemed that because she had only signed up, things were moving faster than Emma had expected, and it was finally her turn.

Of course, before her was Rupert Grint.

"I'd like to audition for Harry Potter," Rupert said.

"Wait, you can sign up for two roles, right?" Rupert added.

"Then, I'd like to audition for Ron's role as well." Rupert glanced at Martin, who was sitting at the edge of the table, absorbed in a handheld gaming console and not looking in their direction.

Rupert's heart sank a little, disappointed that Martin hadn't even noticed him.

Emma, with a teasing voice from behind, spoke up: "Looks like Martin doesn't remember signing your name."

Rupert's frustration grew, but it didn't last long.

As Rupert was about to exit the stage, passing by Martin's desk, Martin suddenly looked up and said, "Rupert Grint, good luck!"

Rupert almost leaped out of his seat with excitement. "Ha! I knew it! I knew you still remembered me, Martin!" He repeated to himself, "Oh my god, Martin still remembers me!"

The boy was so excited, he kept mumbling and forgot to leave the stage.

Martin chuckled at the scene.

Just then, Emma Watson, who had already registered, approached, looking at Martin with curiosity. She pulled Rupert away and politely said, "Sorry, Martin, my friend here is a little too excited. I'm Emma Watson. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Watson," Martin responded with a smile.

"Wow, Martin knows me!" Emma whispered to herself, but kept her composure.

Rupert, still dizzy with excitement, was led off the stage by Emma.

Once they left the theater, Emma couldn't contain her excitement and rushed to her waiting mother outside.

All the composed reserve she had pretended earlier vanished as she shouted joyfully, "Mom! Mom! You won't believe it, I talked to Martin! Oh my god, I was so nervous. Was I rude? No, I don't think so, right?"

"Mom, you know what? Martin even told me I was beautiful!"

"Oh, Martin is so handsome! Seriously, even up close, he's flawless! He's like a perfect work of art!"

Her mother chuckled. "Okay, okay, dear. Let's get in the car and head home."

As the car pulled away, Emma suddenly remembered Rupert.

"Oh, and Mom, I met a friend today. His name is Rupert Grint, and he auditioned for Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

"Oops! I forgot to say goodbye to him! Really!"

But Emma quickly pushed the thought aside as she excitedly continued chatting about Martin with her mother.

Three days later, the real auditions began.

The first day had already served as a sort of pre-screening process. Those who didn't fit the image had been eliminated.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Emma Charlotte Watson. I was born in France in 1990. I currently study at Lynams School in Oxfordshire. I have trained in singing, dancing, and acting at the Yima Theater Arts School. I won the Daisy Pratt Poetry Competition and played leading roles in 'King Arthur: Youth' and 'The Happy Prince' in school drama performances..."

Her self-introduction, delivered without stage fright, earned Emma many positive impressions.

"Miss Emma Charlotte Watson! Why did you choose the role of Hermione Granger?"

Director Chris Columbus, chin resting in his hand, watched the confident girl in front of him with interest.

For the record, Chris Columbus was well-known for his kind nature, and he was genuinely impressed by Emma's presence.

"Hello, Mr. Columbus, you can call me Emma. As for why I chose this role, it's simple—I chose it because I love it."

"Wow! 'I chose it because I love it!'—that's a great answer," Martin, who had been engrossed in his game console, suddenly interjected.

Chris Columbus nodded, then glanced at Martin before turning back to Emma and kindly saying, "Emma, here are a few lines. Could you try reading them for us?"

Emma nodded, ready to perform.

"Did any of you see a toad? Neville lost a toad."

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let me see it."

"Are you sure this is really a spell? Doesn't look like much, does it? I've tried a few simple spells at home..."

Emma recited the lines with perfect tone, recalling the scenes from the book.

It was clear she was doing well, and Director Columbus nodded approvingly.

After Emma exited, Columbus smiled at Martin and asked, "What do you think, Martin?"

Martin grinned. "Chris, I said I won't interfere. It's your call."

Chris was pleased with Martin's response and marked Emma's name with a check on his list.

The auditions continued. The group's main focus was on the lead roles, and there were few that truly caught their attention. Most of the children struggled with their lines, some too nervous to speak at all.

One audition that stuck with Martin involved a chubby little girl who auditioned for Hermione Granger. When asked to read her lines, she was so nervous she mixed them up, causing quite a scene that took some time to clean up.

As the day went on, everyone began to feel a little tired.

Just then, a young boy walked in confidently.

"Hello, everyone, my name is Daniel Radcliffe. I'm 12 years old. I study at Sussex House School. I've appeared in 'David Copperfield' and 'The Tailor of Panama.' I'm here to audition for the role of Harry Potter today."

Chris Columbus looked at Daniel, who was speaking fluently, and it felt like a bolt of lightning struck him.

This boy—this was Harry Potter!

"Can you read a few lines for us?" Chris asked, still in a daze.

Before Daniel could speak, Martin motioned to a staff member, who handed him the note with Harry Potter's lines.

"Where's my letter?" Daniel said, mimicking an angry expression, "Who wrote this to me?"

Chris, who had been quiet until then, suddenly spoke: "No one sent it to you. The address was wrong. I've burned the letter."

Daniel, continuing the performance, pointed accusingly. "And it says I live in a cupboard under the stairs..."

After he finished, Daniel glanced around, a little unsure of himself.

Chris smiled warmly. "Very good, Daniel. Your performance was excellent. Go ahead and wait for the next step and make sure to read the novel more thoroughly."

Daniel's face lit up. His mother was the casting director, and he understood exactly what those words meant.

When Rupert Grint saw Daniel exit the audition room with excitement, he felt a sudden sense of unease.

Is this kid going to get the role?

Should he keep auditioning for Harry Potter?

His thoughts were interrupted when a staff member called his name.

Rupert jumped up. "Yes, I'm here."

Entering the audition room, he nervously greeted everyone and introduced himself.

"My name is Rupert Grint. I was born in London, England, on August 24, 1988. I'm 12 years old, and I study at Richard Hale Secondary School. I'm here to audition for the role of Ron Weasley."

"Great. Go ahead and read a few lines for us," Columbus instructed.

"Are you really Harry Potter?"

"Oh, well, I thought Fred and George were just messing with me. Are you serious?"

Rupert looked ahead, imagining Harry Potter pushing his hair back to reveal the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. His eyes widened in realization.

"Is this the work of the Dark Lord?"

"Very good!" Columbus exclaimed with a smile.

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧