So after a pretty long wait, on early Tuesday morning (3am AEST) I finally got my owl telling me my Pottermore account was ready. Of course, it was another day before I could even get past the busy server (Muggles—can’t trust their technology, really.)

Consider yourself warned—SPOILERS AHEAD.

EDIT (October 2011): It’s come to my attention that I’ve been cited on the DH2 score’s Wikipedia page as a music critic. I just want to confirm that I am NOT a professional writer, just a curious and passionate fan.

Late last year we heard rumours that John Williams would return to the Harry Potter franchise to compose the final Potter film, which I wasn’t particularly writing home about. I’ve actually not been much of a Williams fan in the Potter series (“Hedwig’s Theme”, “Fawkes the Phoenix” and the Prisoner of Azkaban score notwithstanding). However, it was later announced that Alexandre Desplat would stay on for Part Two.

After all, it just makes sense to finish what you’ve started.

I wrote my review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One in April. I thought Desplat’s score enhanced the film wonderfully, and I was confident that Part Two was in sensitive and capable hands. Listening to Part Two now, I can happily back that prediction.

It’s been just over four years exactly since the last Harry Potter book came out (21 July 2007). I still remember the time as clear as day – waking up at 6am on a Saturday, on one of the coldest July days, dressed in Gryffindor garb to meet up with my friend to be part of the phenomenon, and completely disregarding my other obligations, like homework. I even ended up being on the ABC’s evening news, though I didn’t know about it until after my friend told me. What a day! The following week I caught a nasty cold as I recall it – now that’s commitment.

Do you remember what you were doing on that 21st day of July in the year 2007? Celebrating Harry Potter, I hope.

I suppose it’s excellent timing to post this, as the first trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 was released today. And oh my God how FANTASTIC does it look! But my excited squees will come later.

Put simply, Alexandre Desplat is my favourite film composer of all, followed by Dario Marianelli, Joe Hisaishi, Yann Tiersen and er, many others. But I know and love Desplat best; I’ve practically grown up with him. My first encounter with his music was in Girl with a Pearl Earring, the film adaptation of Tracy Chevalier’s novel starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth (two people with whom I was pretty infatuated at the time). The movie had my tick of approval, but it was the music in particular that struck out to me. I had never heard anything so exquisite, so heart-wrenchingly gorgeous to my ears; I scrambled to know who the composer was and where I could get the soundtrack. Back then I wasn’t so knowledgable about online avenues, but eventually while I was on a bookstore tour with the school librarian and other classmates, I found a CD in stock at Readings.

And so began my unequivocal relationship with Desplat’s music—and …

It was my worst and toughest academic year yet, but equally just as rewarding (well, at least, I try to remind myself of the rewards, 43 cushions later). It was the year Australia voted in* its first female Prime Minister. It was the year a Queenslander hacker brought too much attention to himself by leaking a heck of a lot of alarming cables. It was the year Bruce Wayne returned as the Batman, and DC Comics went nuts, or rather, Grant Morrison was permitted to go nuts.

All things considered, it was just another tumultuous year. So here’s a summary of what made 2010 for me.

You may have also noticed over the week that I’ve overhauled Evening Hour ‘s layout a lot. I’m slowly converting this blog into a review blog, since it’s all I seem to be doing anyway. It’s still under construction so there may be errors or blank spaces here and there. Watch this space!

* = “voted in” in the truest sense is questionable, as former PM Kevin Rudd was ousted by his own people, rather than the public, therefore we really had no choice…