The Harry Potter Supercut
Magic–the power to influence the world in improbable ways. Fantasy: The activity of imagining the improbable. These two words are literally tied together by their definitions, so it is no wonder that the fantasy genre is permeated by magic. Thousands of novels have told the story of magic and its wielders, with each contributing just a part of the complicated relationship modern culture has with magic. However, this is not a series of articles about the history of magic in literature(That will come later). Instead, it is simply a deep dive into the most famous magic-based children's fantasy ever written: Harry Potter. Within it, magic is something that wizards have in their blood, which they can utilize through a magic implement called a wand, focusing and shaping it into a controlled form known as a spell. However, it is so much more than that. In Rowling’s iteration of magic, it permeates the concept of love itself and manifests itself in many magical plants and animals. This is all very complex, so naturally, to make it digestible, there is a school of magic called Hogwarts that, in essence, both Harry, his friends, and the reader attend.
The start of a book or series is a spark, and it can be argued that all the majesty of the coming flame is contained within that spark. All the momentum built up early in the series is substantiated by particularly potent dialogues. Lines like, "Fell asleep right as we were flying over Bristol," "Cats can't read, right?" "Course I'm not strictly allowed to use magic," "Just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters," and most famous, "The wand chooses the wizard, Harry," all offer tiny glimpses into the magic world, and though they only make sense later in the story, those initial moments still carry the full weight of the imagination required to form them.
Harry, at first glance, is your typical tragic backstory protagonist. Both his parents were murdered when he was a toddler, and on top of that, he had to grow up in an abusive household with his Muggle (Non-magic) relatives. However, in Harry's case, this tragic backstory is multifaceted in its narrative implications, surpassing what is common in other books. It establishes powerful metaphors for mourning, love, and death itself, which are explored throughout the rest of the series. However, in addition to these plot ornaments, his backstory is also the source of Harry's most dominant character trait: adaptability. Every character in fiction is more adaptable than a real human being, as they are not actually adapting to the situation before them, but to the author’s requirements. The difference in Harry’s case is that he adapts organically over a long period of time, rather than suddenly gaining perseverance after the failure. As we all know, perseverance is something that must be constantly cultivated, tested before it can stand up to true trials. Harry has lived such a boring life that his natural talents have become a coiled string, able to flexibly tackle a daunting world. It is also easy to miss small elements of his adaptability. It is obviously evident that he learned how to ride a broomstick in an instant, but it can also be observed in how he became comfortable around ghosts, leading him to attend a death day party. That is real adaptability, not just adapting to the plot, but his allies' needs, not instantly, but over a satisfying amount of time.
Rone and Hermione are a unique type of character foil, unlike Achilles and Hector of the Iliad, whose differences lead to a bloody conclusion, but more like Fogg and Passepartout from Around the World in Eighty Days. Passepartout is a penniless, extroverted, and absent-minded Frenchman with a quick wit and propensity for trouble, who sees each new location that the pair visits as an irreplaceable opportunity to experience as much culture as possible. Fogg is an Englishman possessing ample monetary resources and a keen sense of focus, with the journey to him representing only the fulfillment of a bet for a large sum of money. This coldness is then shown to be merely an exterior, as he goes out of his way to save an Indian woman from a ritual sacrifice, to protect the honor of an American woman, and to rescue passengers from a train who were kidnapped by native Americans. Their differences in expressiveness, honor, and perspective on the value of an experience do not hinder their friendship, but rather help to strengthen it as they must rely on each other to overcome the challenges they face on their journey. Beyond forming a friendship, Fogg and Passepartout's diverse perspectives help further emphasize the author's message on the world's cultural diversity. Similarly, Ron and Hermione's distinct approaches to the magical world help broaden the reader's understanding of the magic. At the same time, their personalities and skill sets are complementary in a way that brings Ron and Hermione into a relationship even closer than their respective friendships with Harry. By the end of the series, Hermione is willing to break wizarding law, while at one time she was not willing to break school rules, and Ron goes from a lazy student to knowing Gamp's laws of transfiguration, as well as changing from apathy about house elves to caring about their safety. This osmosis of traits is more satisfying than when Fogg inherited Passepartout's enthusiasm, or when Passepartout gained a sliver of Fogg's responsibility. The personalities of Harry, Ron, and Hermione are arguably more foundational to the series' success than the magic itself, with the three characters' dynamic relationship and vivid dialogue filling the space between plot points. Within a novel, not every chapter can have a complete bearing on the plot, as that would demystify the characters' status as living beings in the reader's mind. As a result of this need, the idea of a filler chapter is born. A filler chapter is a narrative device used to develop characters and their relationships, providing a break from the main plot while still contributing to the overall story. One in particular that relies on the trio’s dynamic comes to mind: The Midnight Duel. The Midnight Duel displays Ron's impulsiveness in immediately accepting Malfoy's goading, Hermione's famous line about dedication to school, "You could have died, or worse, been expelled," and Harry's lightning-fast adaptation to flying a broomstick. It even develops the reader's perception of Malfoy, even though he doesn't play a significant role in the story until later in the series. The midnight duel is thus a potent example of the density of Rowling's filler chapters (I consider this chapter filler despite the newly gained knowledge about Fluffy, because the information is not the main point of the chapter, and merely sets up future plot chapters).
There is one more character who deserves recognition (I am saving Dumble and Volde for later). Hagrid is a boisterous man with a tender heart for humans and animals alike. His dialogue displays how personable he is, and as a result, he is critical to Harry's first view of the magical world, being inviting rather than frightening, as both Hagrid and the magical world could seem to an unknowledgeable observer. A simultaneous source of both inspirational ideals and comedy, Hagrid is a physical representation of the magical world's appeal to Harry.
The ornamentation that truly completes a masterpiece is the moral interwoven with the conflict. In Harry Potter, that moral is an interplay of death, life, and love. First, death. There is an overarching villain who is introduced, named Lord Voldemort. In the first novel, Voldemort casts his shadow from the past, having killed Harry's parents before disappearing. This cold-blooded killer is the first portrayal of Voldemort, but at the end of the book, we see a more Mephistophelian side of him. He is shown to be able to corrupt the weak mind of Quirrel with visions of power, and he tries to use a similar deception on Harry, targeting his desires in an attempt to trick him. This shows a duality of Voldemort's power and guile, which makes Harry and the reader very glad that he is merely a black vapor at this point in the story. When he threatens to regain corporality, the idea is as threatening to Harry, Ron, and Hermione as the idea of death knocking on the door, dulling all warmth and comfort Harry once found in Hogwarts. Ultimately, Voldemort is thwarted from regaining his strength, but just as surviving a near-death experience gives rise to a new dread associated with death, this encounter with Voldemort serves as a reminder that both death and Voldemort must inevitably return in their own time. Second, life. In his old age, Dumbledore represents someone who has a sagely knowledge of what life is. In the final chapter of the first novel, after the events in the Chamber of the Philosopher's Stone, Dumbledore has a conversation with Harry in the hospital wing. Dumbledore lays a foundation in Harry's mind about the fear of death, which finds fruition in Harry's ultimate sacrifice in the final book. He discusses Nicholas Flamel's destruction of the Sorcerer's Stone, which seals Flamel's fate, another death. Harry sees this as irrational, but Dumbledore states that Nicholas Flamel was okay with that as a result of how full of love his life was. This is a segue into a conversation about love, which is symbolized in Harry's parents. Their sacrifice is a tangible thing that guards Harry's soul and binds him, giving him the capability to love those around him to the same degree. His strongest desire is built on the foundation of that love, which is made evident to Harry via the mirror of Erised. Ultimately, love overcomes death and is integral to life functioning. Mourning and death. Life and joy. Love and sacrifice. These are the things that adorn Rowling’s series.