<p><P>STUDENT&nbsp;Afshan Azad is swapping life in Manchester for the magical world at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as she prepares to start filming for the next Harry Potter movie.<BR>The 17-year-old from Longsight, is to repeat her wizard role as Hogwarts' student Padma Patil in the new Harry Potter film, ‘The Order of the Phoenix’.Afshan who is studying for her AS levels at the Xaverian College, in Rusholme was first cast as Padma in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ and was such a hit that she regularly receives bundles of fan mail.<BR>In the past few weeks she has already been to read-throughs, costume fittings and make-up sessions, for the new film in which experts will make her look identical to her on-screen twin, played by London actress Shefila Chowdhury.<BR>Although she will miss her mum, dad and three brothers she says she is looking forward to filming.<BR>"It’s going to be strange to go back after settling back into Manchester life but I am looking really forward to it and can’t wait to meet up with the rest of the cast,” she said.<BR>“I can’t really give away too much about the film but I can tell you it is going to be as brilliant as the previous ones.<BR>“I had such a great time filming for the last film and now I can’t wait to get stuck into it.”<BR>Before being picked to play the part, the modest teenager had never acted. And she admits she only went to the audition at her former school, Whalley Range High School for Girls, for a laugh with her friends.<BR>She said: "I never in a million years thought anyone from Manchester was going to get it and I never thought it would be me.<BR>“I wasn't serious about it at all. I thought it would be fun just to try it out.<BR>“At the first audition they were looking for a girl who looked the part and I got selected straight away.<BR>“I then decided to go for further auditions where I did a lot of improvisational work and in the end they chose me.<BR>“I never dreamt of becoming an actress and feel like I am living some kind of dream.<BR>"The Goblet of Fire was the best experience of my life.<BR>"The first day we had to do a cast read through, where we went through the whole script. I was a bit star-struck. I was a big Harry Potter fan before. I‘ve read the books and watched the film so being on set really felt uncanny.<BR>“I couldn‘t get cover the fact that I was on the same set as Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry.<BR>“But everybody was really nice and eventually it felt like I was part of one big happy family.<BR>“I got a lot of support from the rest of the cast.<BR>“Daniel is a real good friend now and we always keep in touch, he gave me a lot of tips and advice.<BR>“Now I am not star-struck anymore. Even when ‘The Goblet of Fire‘ was premiered and I saw Madonna walking down the red carpet, I didn’t just stand there with my mouth dropped wide open, I just saw her as another person."<BR>So is she getting chased down the streets in Manchester from her own fans?<BR>“I do get a lot of people stopping me and asking for my autograph and I get a lot of fan mail but it hasn't got to that stage yet,” she laughed.<BR>“A lot of people don’t realise that I was in the last movie until they read about me in the papers recently.”<BR>But she now has to balance her acting with her studies. In a few months' time she sits her AS levels in biology, chemistry, English Language and business studies so she is planning to continue her studies on the set of Harry Potter.<BR>"We have to do a maximum of five hours study on set everyday.<BR>"We have tutors coming in to help us. Education is part and parcel of the job. Sometimes it's hard because you’re studying and then you have to go and do some filming and then back to studying again. But you get use to it.<BR>"When I first started filming for the last movie I found it hard to concentrate. Everything had been so new and I was nervous, but I’ve got over that feeling now.“<BR>Afshan, whose parents are from Chittagong, Bangladesh, says she has received a lot of support from her family and the Asian community in general.<BR>“Everybody has said that I have done a great job and that they are proud to see an Asian girl in a mainstream film. I hope I can inspire other Asians to do the same especially from the Bangladeshi community.<BR>“I know that there are very few actors going into mainstream TV or films from this community, but hopefully things are changing.<BR>“My family for example support me so much, especially my brothers. They were ever so proud of me, even now they still can’t believe their little sister is in a Harry Potter film!”<BR>Afshan, who had once hoped to go into medicine, now aims to be a journalist after completing her studies, but hasn't ruled out a career as an actress.<BR>"If good roles come my way I will consider it," she added.<BR>Tony Andrew, principal of Xaverian College, added: "We're very proud of Afshan's achievements both in and out of college. It takes a lot of dedication to be able to balance studying for important exams with playing a key role in a movie as big as Harry Potter."</P></p>