Patty had been trying to get tickets to Troy's next concert in Los Angeles ever since he announced the first one, but for some reason, she never could. With only four shows left before he wrapped up his 12-concert run in L.A., she felt utterly dejected that she hadn't managed to attend even one.
Then, something completely unexpected happened—something that turned her luck around entirely. Now, here she was, standing at the premiere of [Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix] in Los Angeles.
"Oh my God!" Patty exclaimed, practically bouncing on her feet. "I still can't believe we are here, Claire. Just last week, I had no hope of ever seeing Troy face-to-face, and now everything is falling into place. It's even better than I imagined!"
Claire hummed in agreement. "Who knew you'd be one of the lucky winners out of thousands of teenagers taking that quiz?"
"Hey! It wasn't just luck, okay?" Patty shot back defensively. "If it was so easy, why didn't you win it as well?"
Claire raised her hands in surrender. "I don't know my Harry Potter trivia that well. I'm a fan of Troy, not HP. Now, if it were a quiz about Troy's life—gossip, rumors, anything publicly known—I'd ace it. No doubt."
She was referring to the Harry Potter trivia quiz organized by Warner Bros as part of a marketing strategy. The rules were simple: participants had to be between 13 and 19, fill out an online form, and, if selected, receive a call within a week. On the call, they would be asked seven trivia questions about the series. Only those who answered all seven correctly were entered into a pool of winners, from which one was randomly chosen to attend the Los Angeles premiere of the fifth Harry Potter movie, while the others would get free movie tickets at a theater of their choosing.
Both Patty and Claire had been lucky enough to get the call, but only Patty—who had read the books cover to cover more times than she could count—managed to answer all the questions. Fortunately for Claire, Patty's prize included two business-class flight tickets and premiere passes, so they had flown in style. Warner Bros had even arranged their hotel stay.
And now, here they were, standing at one of the most iconic theaters, watching a momentous ceremony unfold.
"Today, we gather for a truly historic occasion as we immortalize three of the Harry Potter cast members in cement here at Grauman's Chinese Theatre," an older man—likely the mayor—announced jovially.
Patty and Claire had squeezed their way to the very front, giving them a perfect view of the event. The crowd around them was electric, shouting and cheering like their lives depended on it. The excitement only grew when the theater doors finally swung open, and out walked Steve Kloves, the producer of the series.
"When I acquired the rights to this series, I never imagined we'd reach this level of success," he said. "And yet, here we stand at the most famous movie theater in the world, with Troy, Emma, and Jamie about to leave their hand, foot, and wand imprints. Yes, wands as well."
A wave of murmurs and excited whispers rippled through the crowd.
Patty turned to her friend, looking utterly lost. "I'm clueless. What exactly is this ceremony?"
Claire shot her a disbelieving look. "Seriously? Grauman's Chinese Theater is one of the most famous movie theaters in the world! It's historic—built in the 1920s. Since then, superstars from every era have left their hand and footprints in the cement here. Once this is over, we can check out that section over there." She pointed toward a specific area. "Now hush, Troy is about to come out."
"Please welcome Troy, Emma, and Jamie!" Steve Kloves announced as the three young stars stepped onto the stage.
If the crowd had been loud before, now it was utter pandemonium. Fans were screaming, waving, and even jumping up and down in sheer excitement at seeing Troy so close. Patty and Claire weren't much different, but their reactions were far more subdued for one big reason—Patty's prize included a meet-and-greet with Troy later. Since she would be meeting him soon, she didn't feel the need to fight for his attention now.
The ceremony itself was a spectacle. One by one, Emma, Jamie, and Troy pressed their wands into the wet cement, followed by their hands and finally their feet.
"Don't worry about their shoes," the mayor said with a chuckle. "The three have agreed to donate them to the Hollywood Museum next door, so you'll be able to admire them there."
It was surreal watching some of the biggest young stars leave their mark on such a historic site.
"I don't know why," Patty mused, turning to Claire, "but I thought Troy would be more... muscular. In person, his body seems just like any other average guy's."
"He was buff before," a girl standing beside them chimed in, having been eavesdropping silently until now. "I saw him last year as well. He must've stopped working out for some reason. Maybe he's just too busy to hit the gym every day."
"That actually makes a lot of sense," Claire agreed.
"Of course it does," the girl said haughtily. "I know everything there is to know about him." She paused for a second before saying, "I just wish he had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame." Her voice turned wistful. "Even barely recognizable names like Winona Ryder and Cuba Gooding Jr. have one, and Troy's fame is international."
Patty glanced back at the sidewalk, where she had seen dozens of stars embedded in the pavement. She had to admit—the girl had a point. Troy deserved a star. Emma and Jamie didn't have one either, but Troy certainly should.
"Can we file a petition or something?" Patty asked.
"Nah," the girl shook her head. "The star has to petition for it themselves since they have to pay for the installation and upkeep. Unless a bunch of us fans pooled our money together, there's no way we could afford it."
Before their conversation could continue, the ceremony wrapped up, and the three actors waved at the cheering crowd before heading back inside.
"Hi, everyone!" a theater employee called out, addressing the gathered fans. "Unless you have a ticket to the premiere, we kindly ask you to step back and vacate the premises. This is for your safety—we don't want anyone getting hurt in the crowd."
As the rest of the crowd dispersed, Claire and Patty were quickly ushered inside the theater after presenting their VIP tickets. What followed was a whirlwind of emotions. The venue was filled with Hollywood's biggest stars—Johnny Depp, Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Bullock. Patty nearly went weak in the knees when Keanu Reeves brushed past her.
But the moment she had been waiting for finally arrived. And the funny thing? She wasn't even the one to approach Troy. In fact, she was casually chatting with Claire when the superstar walked over to them on his own.
"Hi!" Troy Armitage beamed at the two girls. "I heard you won a Harry Potter quiz?"
Patty opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out. She opened and closed it again, completely stunned, but words still failed her.
Claire, thankfully, was faring much better. "Patty did. I'm not smart enough."
"Oh?" Troy raised an amused eyebrow before extending a hand toward Patty. "Nice to meet you, Patty."
When Patty still didn't react after a few moments, Troy lightly placed his hand on her forearm. "Are you okay?"
"No," Patty finally gathered the courage to speak. "And if saying that makes you keep touching me, then I'll never be okay."
Troy chuckled. "I know the perfect treatment for your illness."
Before she could process what he meant, Troy closed the distance and pulled her into a tight hug.
"My life is complete," Patty mumbled dreamily. "If I die tomorrow, I'll have no regrets." She paused, reconsidering. "Actually… just one regret—that I never got to see your concert in person."
Troy laughed, releasing her but keeping hold of her hand. "Don't say things like that. I'd feel awful if you died."
"Well, in that case, I won't," Patty said playfully. "Can't have you feeling bad now, can we?"
"Hey!" Claire protested. "Stop hogging him all to yourself."
Patty wasn't even looking at her best friend, but she could feel Claire's glare burning into her.
"Don't fight, girls," Troy chided gently before turning to Claire. "I didn't catch your name, miss?"
"Claire," she answered, equally dazzled that Troy Armitage now knew her name.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," Troy said smoothly. "Now, come on—we have a movie to watch together."
Claire and Patty exchanged confused glances before asking in unison, "You mean, we're watching it with you?"
"Of course," Troy nodded as if it were the most obvious thing. "What's the point of flying you out here if you were just going to watch the movie alone? You could've done that back home."
Patty still couldn't believe any of this was real.
"I just had an idea," Troy said after a moment. "Since you're both such big fans, how about coming to my concert this weekend? I have a few extra VIP seats, and I'd love to have you there."
If Patty shrieked at that moment, well—that wasn't her fault. At all.
Later, as they settled into their seats beside Troy in the theater, Patty finally asked the question that had been circling in her head ever since that girl outside brought it up.
"Hey, Troy? Why don't you have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?"
Troy tilted his head before replying, "Because I don't want people stepping on my name?"
"Really?" Claire asked, skeptical.
"Nah," Troy chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm messing with you. Honestly, I never thought about it. If I had, I probably would've nominated myself years ago. But now that I am thinking about it…" He paused, considering. "Alright, I'll ask my dad to apply for it."
(Break)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix opened in 4,450 theaters across North America on November 10, 2006. With an expansive global rollout, it became the biggest release for a Harry Potter film, debuting in nearly every major market worldwide.
After a two-year wait since the previous installment, fans were more than eager to experience the next chapter in the saga. Advance ticket sales shattered records, with opening weekend tickets selling out within hours—not just in select locations, but across the globe. From the U.K. to Russia, India to China, Brazil to Australia, Mexico to Germany—wherever Harry Potter was playing, tickets vanished like hotcakes.
The film's massive anticipation translated directly into box office numbers. On its opening Friday, it raked in a staggering $89 million. While the numbers dipped slightly over the weekend—$63 million on Saturday and $52 million on Sunday—the domestic opening still reached an unprecedented $204 million. Internationally, the film performed even better, amassing $353 million, pushing its worldwide debut to an astonishing $557 million—the biggest opening in cinema history.
Industry analysts attributed much of this success to Troy Armitage's meteoric rise in superstardom. His transition into the music industry had introduced him to an entirely new audience, many of whom were previously unfamiliar with the Harry Potter franchise. This crossover appeal created a powerful feedback loop, where one facet of Troy's career fueled another.
Of course, it wasn't just Troy's star power that propelled the film's success. Order of the Phoenix received widespread acclaim for its compelling story, masterful direction, breathtaking visuals, and standout performances. It didn't take a genius to predict that the film would be a box office juggernaut.
The momentum wasn't limited to opening weekend. Strong word-of-mouth carried Order of the Phoenix through an exceptional box office run. Audiences praised the film's nuanced performances and impeccable direction, enthusiastically recommending it to friends and family. In the second week, the film made $154m domestically, followed by $64m in the third week, and $27m in the fourth week.
By the end of its theatrical run, the film had grossed $542 million in North America and an additional $872 million internationally, culminating in a breathtaking $1.414 billion worldwide. This made Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix the second highest-grossing film of all time, trailing only Titanic.
Troy's earnings from the film were equally record-breaking. Had his original contract remained intact, his cut would have been approximately $141 million. However, due to renegotiations that required revenue-sharing with his senior co-stars, his total payday settled at $105 million—still among the highest salaries ever commanded by an actor in history for a single movie.
(Break)
Promoting a movie is, without a doubt, one of the most grueling tasks an actor can endure—especially when the campaign spans the entire globe. I had Little Miss Sunshine set for release next month, but thankfully, its promotional tour would be much shorter, in line with its modest budget.
"Why did I take on so many movies at once?" I groaned to Benji. "I feel like disappearing to my island and not coming back for months."
Benji grinned. "I'd love that, but are you sure? Knowing your parents, I bet they'd be thrilled if you took more breaks."
"Ugh, no," I shook my head before reconsidering. "I'm just venting. This last tour was brutal."
"You'll be fine," Benji said optimistically. "If you want, we can take a break after Superbad."
I shook my head again. "I've got a few things lined up—my second album, a TV show, and now some concerts in London."
Benji studied me for a moment before suggesting, "Maybe you could postpone or drop the TV show? That way, you'd actually get some time to rest."
I hummed noncommittally. The thought had crossed my mind more than once, if I were being honest, but I really wanted to do it with Mum.
Before I could dwell on it further, a girl approached me. She was slightly chubby, beautiful, with blonde hair, and looked a little younger than me—which made sense, considering she was 16 at the moment.
"Thank you for giving me this role, Troy," she said earnestly. "Seth told me you personally picked me out of all the girls who auditioned."
"It's no problem, Jen," I replied casually. "I have a sort of sixth sense for these things. I'm sure you'll do great. Are you getting along with Jonah?"
"Of course," Jennifer Lawrence answered smoothly.
I had a feeling that she was lying. That's because Jonah Hill wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with—not for most people. Not to mention, he was seven years older than Jennifer, so they probably won't have a lot in common.
When I took over Superbad's production, I hadn't even considered what happened in the original timeline. My only focus was making the best movie possible. With that in mind, I initially decided Jonah was too old for the role, and we started searching for a replacement. Unfortunately, after watching dozens of auditions, it became painfully clear—no one else even came close.
So, reluctantly, for the sake of a great film, I allowed a nearly 23-year-old Jonah to play a high schooler. The irony? Seth Rogen, who was only a year older than Jonah, was playing a cop.
Pushing those thoughts aside, I turned my attention back to Jennifer. "You'll be fine," I reassured her.
Just then, another girl walked in and stepped closer to me.
"Hi, Troy!" Anna Kendrick beamed. "Thanks for giving me this role."
Anna would be playing Becca, my character's love interest. After Brick, her career hadn't taken off the way she'd hoped, so she'd called me multiple times asking for a role. Now, I finally had the perfect one for her.
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AN: Visit my Pat reon to read ahead, or check out my second Hollywood story set in the 80s.
Link: www(dot)pat reon(dot)com/fableweaver