Yer a wizard, Eli.
Well, perhaps not, but he’s definitely a Harry Potter whizz!
11-year-old Eli Chmelik, from Essex, UK, has set the record for the most Harry Potter characters identified from film quote in one minute, with 19.
"I want to do this so that I can say I hold a world record - it is on my bucket list!" Eli said when applying for this record.
He can happily cross that off now, after flawlessly identifying each character solely from quotes read aloud.
He chose this record in particular after noticing the record for the most Star Wars characters identified from quote in one minute (20), achieved by teenager Montgomery-Everard Lord (UK).
"I know Harry Potter quite well so I decided to do it with Harry Potter characters." - Eli
After first reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone at age six, Eli was instantly hooked. He repeatedly read J.K. Rowling's books over and over again.
Eli is now the same age as Harry was during his first year at Hogwarts.
Eli's preparation for this record attempt involved reading the books even more than usual.
To keep his skills sharp, Eli got his family to test him. His mother, Bonny Chmelik, was more than happy to help, and is "so proud" of her son.
Bonny also selected the 50 quotes that were to be used in the record attempt. The quotes could not be fewer than four words each and there could not be more than four quotes from any single character.
The list was randomised before the official attempt and the quotes were spoken by an independent reader.
The list included some lesser-known quotes, as well as famous lines such as:
- "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." - Albus Dumbledore
- "Longbottom, if brains were gold, you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something." - Draco Malfoy
- "He can run faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo." - Fred Weasley
- "Yer a wizard, Harry" - Rubeus Hagrid
The young Potterhead matched 19 quotes to their speakers in the allotted time. However, Eli believes he could double his score, citing the slow speed of the quote reader.
According to Eli, he can identify up to 40 quotes in a minute when practicing with his parents.
Regardless, we are thoroughly impressed with Eli’s current total and look forward to his future attempts!
More Harry Potter records
- Largest collection of Harry Potter memorabilia: 5,284 items, collected by Tracey Nicol-Lewis (UK) as verified in Bargoed, Mid Glamorgan, UK, on 3 April 2021.
- Fastest-selling book of fiction in 24 hours: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh - and final - novel in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, sold 8.3 million copies in the first 24 hours (345,833 books per hour), following its release in the USA on 21 July 2007.
- Largest gathering of people dressed as Harry Potter: 997, achieved by students from West Byford Primary School in Perth, Australia, on 22 November 2017.
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