Adam in Real World and Harry Potter(Showbiz/OC/HP/Hollywood)

Chapter 22:

.....

-June 12, 1996

A month had passed since Adam started filming Leave It to Beaver.

Production was running smoothly, and while the studio scenes at Universal had been relatively simple, the team was now moving to various locations in California to capture the essence of 1950s suburban life.

It was a welcome change.

While Adam enjoyed acting on controlled sets, there was something exciting about filming in real locations, with streets full of extras, classic cars, and authentic settings.

Of course, with new locations also came new challenges… and some unexpected situations.

Though there were also some funny moments in the controlled sets. Like when they filmed on the recreated set of the Cleaver house, where Beaver gets his head stuck in the staircase railing... a direct nod to a classic episode from the original series. However, it was still undecided if the scene would make it into the final cut of the movie.

The railing, modified by the design team to appear narrower than usual, was key to the physical comedy of the moment. Adam, dressed in Beaver's signature red sweater and jeans, looked at the structure with a mix of curiosity and nervousness.

"Are you sure this won't leave me with scars?" Adam joked as the crew adjusted foam padding around his head.

"No promises," Alex, the assistant director, replied while holding a storyboard.

"But if you really get stuck, at least we'll have some great Behind-the-Scenes footage," he added, half-joking—though he probably wasn't entirely wrong.

John, the staging director, crossed his arms with an amused smile.

"Just remember to breathe. And don't force your neck"

The cameras rolled, and Adam, with his natural expressiveness, perfectly portrayed Beaver's comical frustration as he tried to free himself. His exaggerated grimaces and clumsy movements—even kicking a floor lamp by accident—made the crew burst into laughter.

"Cut! Adam, that was perfect! But… can we do it again without destroying the set?" Andy Cadiff, the director, laughed.

After three takes and a minor scare when the railing creaked suspiciously, the scene was finally done. Even Christopher McDonald (who played his father, Ward Cleaver) clapped.

"You've got a natural talent for physical comedy, kid"

Adam just smiled modestly. Of course, he did… even if it was all thanks to his Perfect Acting skill.

.....

One of the most chaotic days of filming took place on East Main Street, Santa Paula, where they were shooting one of the movie's most ridiculous scenes..... the one where Beaver makes a deal with the bully who stole his bike.

The deal? If Beaver could climb to the top of a café, where a giant coffee cup sat perched, and look inside, the bully would return his bike… supposedly.

The fictional diner, topped with the most absurd prop in the movie—a four-meter-tall hand holding a giant coffee cup—was built by the production team in the middle of the main street.

The fictional café, topped with the most absurd prop of the entire film—a massive four-meter hand holding a giant coffee cup, custom-built by the production design team—stood right in the middle of the main street.

The structure was huge, with realistic details that made it seem like an over-the-top advertising display.....perfect for the movie's comedic tone.

Adam, sweating under his green cap and itchy striped shirt, studied the structure with his arms crossed.

The wind made the safety cables attached to his harness sway slightly.

"Looks like something straight out of Hitchcock's fever dream," Andrew commented, nodding toward the giant coffee cup. "Are you sure you don't want a stunt double?"

Adam adjusted the padded kneepads under his jeans.

"If a stunt double survives, so will I. Besides, when have you ever seen a double act better than me at faking fear?" he replied with a sly grin.

"Fair point, you're really good at that," Andrew laughed.

"Well, I guess this is going to be interesting…" Andrew murmured, glancing at the coffee cup again with a mix of amusement and concern.

"Think I'll survive?" Adam joked as a crew member double-checked his safety harness.

"Not sure… but if you end up rolling down the street like a cartoon character, at least it'll be fun to watch"

Adam rolled his eyes while Estelle, his manager, let out a patient sigh.

"Just don't break anything," she said in her usual professional tone, though she couldn't hide a small smile. She wasn't even there to watch him act—she had come to talk to him about future potential roles. Yeah, she was always thinking ahead, and Adam was constantly recording new self-tapes for possible castings.

"If you break a bone, I'll have to sell your next role as 'the kid with the funny cast,'" she added dryly, though the sparkle in her eyes showed she was amused. "By the way, Warner Brothers wants a new self-tape by Friday. I was thinking of recording you… after you survive this madness"

The climbing scene started with a whistle.

As filming began, Adam started climbing the building exactly where the stunt experts had told him to.

That's right, the stunt team had marked the footholds with yellow Xs: the thumb curve of the hand, the wrist crease, the coffee cup handle. Once he started climbing, he realized that while it wasn't difficult, it did require some physical skill. And boy, was he grateful for all the sports he had played—otherwise, this would've been way harder. Yep, in Draco's body, this would've been much more difficult.

Adam climbed with the agility of a kid who had grown up scaling trees and dodging bullies on the schoolyard. Every move was choreographed, but the wind added a chaotic element—at six meters up, a gust shook the structure, making it vibrate.

"Cut! Secure that damn thing!" Andy Cadiff shouted from his director's chair, eyes locked on the monitor.

"How's the view, Adam?" Andrew yelled from below, pretending to hold binoculars.

"Better than your paycheck!" Adam shot back, using the moment to wipe his sweaty hands on his jeans.

After a few moments, they brought him down, and he had to start climbing again from the bottom.

Honestly, it looked harder than it was—with safety measures in place and knowing exactly where to step and hold, it was pretty simple. You just needed the right physique.

And well… maybe some people would get nervous about the height and the wind making the structure sway, but Adam had no problem with it. He was already used to heights—not only had he often flown with his dad in a small plane, but he had also flown plenty of times on a broomstick…

Though not as high as he'd like, since Narcissa still refused to let him fly outside their home.

Apparently, it was "too dangerous".

So, yeah—this?

This was nothing.

If anything, Adam was actually having fun—so much so that he made a mental note to try rock climbing or mountaineering someday.

It looked exciting as hell.

For now, though—his goal was simple.

Reach the giant coffee cup.

As he climbed again, Adam made sure to use his Perfect Acting skill..... Every gasp, stumble, and flailing limb was executed flawlessly, making his character's fear seem completely real.

By the time he reached the final stretch, the camera crane captured every moment:

Adam crawling over the index finger, his sneakers slipping on the middle finger's nail.

The highlight?

When he pretended to slip, dangling by his arms, legs flailing wildly.

It was pure slapstick gold.

"Trim the shot to fifteen seconds! I want his sweaty face on screen!" Cadiff instructed the editor, who nodded frantically.

Adam hung there for a moment, gripping the giant fingers, legs kicking wildly as he pretended to struggle to climb back up.

Then, finally, he made it.... using the fingers as a ladder, he reached the coffee cup and tumbled inside with a calculated, clumsy grace.

Every movement, every exaggerated reaction, every comical expression had been flawlessly executed.

"Cut! That was perfect!" Andy Cadiff roared, laughing.

Even the crew broke into applause.

....

Then.... one of the most important days of filming was the scene that would go at the beginning of the movie, where Beaver and Wally Cleaver delivered newspapers on their bikes.

Adam and Erik von Detten (who played Wally) had to ride their bikes down the street while tossing newspapers onto the porches of the houses.

"If you hit someone with a newspaper, I'll give you five bucks," Erik whispered as he adjusted his bike.

Adam faked outrage.

"Only five? It should be at least ten."

Both of them laughed as the camera started rolling.

The problem was… throwing newspapers accurately while riding wasn't as easy as it looked. That's why they planned to edit the scenes so each newspaper landed perfectly in place.

But knowing that didn't stop Adam from trying anyway.

Of course, that caused more trouble than necessary…

In one of the first takes, Adam completely missed his target, and the newspaper accidentally smacked a production assistant right in the head.

"Hey!" the man exclaimed in surprise, blinking a few times.

The entire crew burst into laughter, and Adam, without missing a beat, shrugged with a look of fake innocence.

"Oops… sooo, does that still count for the five bucks?"

Even Andy Cadiff couldn't hold back his laughter before resetting the scene.

The whole thing ended up being one of the funniest moments of filming for everyone on set.

And so, between laughter and multiple takes, production kept moving forward.

Though Adam never got the money Erik had promised for the newspapers he actually managed to hit people with.

Yeah.... Something he would remember forever…

That's right— Interest compounds, and so does Adam's wrath.

Jokes aside…

That afternoon, after a long day of filming, Adam was allowed to return home to New Jersey for a few days, as previously planned.

Naturally, when he got back, he talked with his parents and siblings about everything he had been doing..... while Andrew made sure to add details or embarrass him whenever he could.

But Andrew wasn't the only one who could play that game.

Yep heh.... Adam had seen his brother flirting way too many times with some of the girls on set, mostly the ones working under the staging director.

And, obviously, he didn't hold back at all.

If Andrew wanted to embarrass him, Adam could do the same.... giving a LOT of details.

Though judging by their parents' expressions, he may have gotten his brother into kinda some troubles.

Oh well. He brought it upon himself.

By the way, little by little, Adam was starting to understand what was happening to him ummm physically.... his reactions to women and his sudden interest in them, something he had never experienced before.

Welll..... There were still a few things he didn't quite get, but at least he understood the basics…

Though he did have plans to get his hands on some magazines that talked about specific topics he was still confused about.

Of course, he would have to do it behind the adults' backs, since none of them seemed to think he should be looking at those things yet.

But soon enough… he would have them in his hands.

...

...

The next morning, the warm sunlight filtered through the White family home in New Jersey when the sound of a suitcase rolling across the floor announced the arrival of Alice White, Adam's grandmother.

A huge surprise for Adam, since he had no idea she was coming.

"Grandma!" Adam exclaimed, surprised but smiling as he ran to hug her.

Alice chuckled softly as she wrapped him in a warm embrace.

"My dear Adam," she said affectionately, "every time I see you, you seem to have grown a little more"

"Well, I've actually grown a lot," he replied with fake arrogance. "But I'm still not even 4'3", so I have a long way to go."

Alice let out a laugh before turning to greet the rest of the family.

"Sylvia, dear, thank you for having me," she said, hugging her daughter. "And Matthew, Andrew—my other handsome grandsons—come here."

Adam's brothers greeted their grandmother as well, while their mother led everyone to the living room to get settled.

Alice usually only visited New Jersey two or three times a year, but this visit was special.

Not only because she wanted to see her grandkids, but because she had a surprise for Adam.

That's why she had planned her trip with her daughter ahead of time, making sure her grandson would be free…

It was crazy to think that at just nine years old, the kid was already working so much.

His grandfather would've been so proud of him.

Once everyone was seated, Alice reached into her bag and pulled out a paperback book, placing it on the coffee table in front of Adam.

"This is for you," she said with a smile.

Adam looked at the book curiously and picked it up.

On the cover, in large letters, it read:

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"

A chill ran down his spine.

For a moment, he said nothing—just held the book in his hands.

This.... this was the beginning of everything.

Thanks to this book, he had obtained his system and was now living an incredible life.

Thanks to this book, he had discovered real magic and now had the chance to become a true wizard.

"It's an Advance Reading Copy (ARC)," Alice explained. "We only printed a few copies before the official release. This is the first one I'm giving outside the publishing house"

She then explained that the rest of these ARCs would only go to booksellers, librarians, journalists, celebrities, and a few others before the book was printed for mass distribution.

After settling into her seat, Alice began telling him how she had met Joanne Rowling, the author, and briefly explained everything that had happened with the book and its publication—despite the fact that it had nothing to do with poetry.

"..."

Adam blinked in shock.

He hadn't expected any of that.

He never thought his grandmother would be the one to publish the book…

His fingers ran over the cover, feeling its texture.

It hadn't even been officially released yet.

"Wow—Thanks, I really wasn't expecting this… When's the official release?"

Alice smiled, pleased with his reaction.

"Probably at the end of this month or early next month," she replied. "But that's not even the most interesting part…"

Adam immediately looked up with interest.

"That soon?" he asked before she could continue.

Not that she minded the interruption.

"That's right. Like I told you, we've been working on this since the beginning of the year," Alice nodded. "Joanne is already working on the second book. But that's still a while away"

That made Adam even more excited.

He needed that second book.

After all, he was literally living as Draco in that world, and if there was another book…

Then it might contain more information about a possible future—one he was very tempted to use to his advantage.

"Will I get to read it before it comes out?" he asked with a charming smile.

Alice chuckled.

"If you keep being my favorite grandson, I might be able to arrange something," she whispered playfully.

Adam felt a rush of excitement and smirked.

That meant he would soon have even more knowledge about the magical world's future.

What Adam Didn't Know… wasssss that this simple act…

Would change many things.

Weeks later, on June 29, 1996, to be exact…

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was officially published in England.

And no one would have imagined that, thanks to Adam and his grandmother, the book had been published almost a year earlier than originally intended.