Vroom on a broom

“I was thinking about what it’s going to be like when we’re done,after the last movie,” Grint said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,really. I’m going to miss it,I think,because it’s been my whole life for a long time.”

Grint was sitting in his hushed dressing room at the cavernous “Harry Potter” set outside London,which has a ping pong table,a miniature billiards table,a huge television,a dart board and a giant cardboard cutout of his character. It’s a dorm room for a fellow who never had any interest in college and only adds to the sense that Grint is a lucky and carefree passenger on the “Potter” express.

But Alfonso Cuaron,director of the third Potter film has predicted that Grint was the most likely member of the “Potter” trio to go on to future stardom. Asked about that,Grint winced in embarrassment.

“Dan is the one who is very driven; he’s ambitious and he knows there’s quite a few things down the road. I am a little bit more laid back. And Emma,I mean,she’s really cool. She’s just a really good mate.”

Grint said Watson is “like a sister,” which made for some awkward scenes in Half-Blood Prince,the latest in the Potter series.

A major part of the film is young romance,in particular the love triangle involving Grint’s Ron,Watson’s Hermione and newcomer Jessie Cave as the smitten Lavender Brown. That provides a lot of this installment’s humour,as does Ron’s bid to be a Quidditch player.

About an hour before the interview in his dressing room,Grint was poised atop a gyrating contraption that is used to film the flying-broomstick sport. On command,Grint stared into a wind machine,pumped his fist and bellowed in triumph.

“It leaves you sore in the,uh,bicycle-seat area,” he said after climbing down. “It’s not as fun as I thought it would be.”

Grint said he had caught a glimpse of the first Potter film on TV a week earlier and was struck by how young he and his friends looked as they ran through the castle.

“I think it’s going to be sad when this,all of it,when it’s all over. Reading the last book,there was so much talk about who was going to die. So I was half-expecting,I mean,me,Dan and Emma to not survive. Or our characters,I mean. I was pleasantly surprised,though. I’m glad that it ended the way it did. We all make it.”