J.K. Rowling | Nicholas Dale Taylor's Blog

Of the seven, a favorite for a huge number of fans is J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It is this volume that proves most amazing to revisit as no translation to film could hope to contain all the fantastic detail presented in these spanning 734 pages all leading to an uncelebrated rebirth and the Triwizard Tournament.

Harry Potter

Here Harry’s reputation and name are plunged into darkness with no light in sight. After a murderous introduction, post portkey, we are taken to the fields of the Quidditch World Cup. The victory camaraderie is destroyed by a Death Eater assault branded by the dark mark itself which first brings Harry into question by the ever suspecting Barty Crouch, the man who sentenced his own son to Azkaban imprisonment.

Aside from smaller details such as with the fun Omnioculars, there are glaring omissions and many liberties taken regarding the film version of this installment. The importance of Winky a house-elf under the Crouch name comes to mind and Dobby (not Neville) being the one to give Potter the gillyweed prior to the second challenge of the tournament. As everyone has their “I can’t believe they left that out of the movie” moment, mine concerns the sphinx riddle within the maze of the final challenge:

“First think of the person who lives in disguise,

Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.

Next, tell me what’s always the last thing to mend,

The middle of middle and end of end?

And finally give me the sound often heard

During the search for a hard-to-find word.

Now string them together, and answer me this,

Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?” (pg. 629)

Nonetheless, this article isn’t meant to throw stones at the film version or drag involved parties through the mud; that later task is left to the despicable Rita Skeeter. Once Harry’s name bursts forth from the Goblet of Fire, this scamp of a reporter makes of mockery of our young Triwizard Champion and his companions. She is a constant perturbation not unlike a beetle (which is, incidentally, her unregistered form as an animagus and preferred form of eavesdropping). Yet even she can only speculate as to how this underage wizard’s name ended up inside of the goblet. The most obvious suspect appears with the introduction of the Hogwarts’ guests from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

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Respected heads Madame Maxime and Igor Karkaroff arrive with students to participate as Triwizard Champions. Among those selected are Fleur Delacour of Beauxbaton, Viktor Krum of Durmstrang and Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts. The addition of the fourth champion, Harry, creates a more than hairy dilemma. He could die. Yet, someone always acts as guide for the lucky competitor, chief among which is new dark arts instructor, Alastor “Mad Eye” Moody who shamelessly introduces the student body to the unforgivable curses. It remains not only within this man’s best interest but Ludo Bagman’s as well for Harry to win.

Facing dragons, a sea of underwater life and unforgettable aftermath awaits our competitors. Little does the victorious know that deathly grounds follow as we are transported to a scene bearing witness to the return of the dark lord in the flesh, as predicted. Upon Voldemorts return Harry learns the vicious, summoned faces behind the masks of the Death Eaters which include none other than Lucious Malfoy. In a great clash of heroism and courage versus corruption and fear, the brotherly wands of the boy who lived and he who must not be named collide in a magical spectacle known as Priori Incantatem.

Returning victorious from the ends of the tournament are far from sweet. He has returned. Nothing will ever be the same in this world of fantasy for the young hero in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Truths come out, friends are petrified and lessons learned as our unsuspecting hero returns to Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry Potter

Dobby, a house elf, attempts to foil Harry at every corner insisting it is for Harry’s own good. His good falls into question as his return is stained with negative happenings. First, he and Ron miss the train only to commandeer the Weasly’s flying car, smash it into the whomping willow and nearly face expulsion. Next, students become petrified as word spreads about the mysterious chamber and the monster which dwells therein. Rumor of the heir to Slytherin’s return leaves Harry falls highly suspect after he unknowingly reveals his parseltounge gift. Polyjuice potions allows for the team to further their investigation; Ron, Hermione and Harry infiltrate Malfoy’s circle, discover Hagrid’s involvement and after Hermione is taken out of the equation the two young men follow the spiders towards the gigantic Aragog.

Dumbledore is more than aware of Harry’s distress and has reminded him that help will come to those who ask for it. He asks the young man if there is anything he needs to share. Potter is found at the scene of nearly every attack due to his following voices which only he can hear. His friends warn that this is never a good sign. Reluctantly, he ventures on without telling the headmaster a word of troubles.

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Troubles once again surround the position for Defense Against the Dark Arts as celebrity and pseudo-hero Gilderoy Lockheart takes his place among the staff. While most useless, he is the first to enter the chamber itself where (after a backfiring memory charm) our young protagonist continues alone. Finding Ginny victim to a mysterious power he himself has witnessed, a highly important item’s dark energy is revealed to be a diary. Surreptiticiously placed in Ginny’s possession by Malfoy’s Father, Lucious, during the traditional trip to the bookstore which so happens to be Gilderoy’s signing, it proves a journey of vital importance.

Sadly, not many bookstores are left in our muggle world, making it less of a magical place. I know of no better ice-breaker spell than seeing a familiar cover on the bus. “Didn’t you love that series?” I ask. “Oh, yes, I’m rereading them all. Year two is the best one.” And so I am comfortable talking with a complete stranger. As magical as they are I’ve never looked at someone reading their kindle and been moved to say, “Hey isn’t that a good book; sorry, I can’t see what you’re reading, but I thought it would be nice to just chat.” They would look at me like I was crazy, which I am.

Platform 9 and 3/4, memories of Davis-Kidd bookstore

Crazy for books. Opening this book for the first time in, I don’t know maybe seven years, lead to my discovering some secret hiding places of my own. Within the pages I found a ticket marked “Davis-Kidd to Hogwarts for ONE WAY travel Platform 9 and 3/4.” I also found the program to an old show I did with Mary Hollis Inboden (of The New Colony) called The Last Five Years. After we finished this performance in Memphis we both went our separate ways with the wind to only wind up reunited by a tornado filled deluge under an awning of protection here in the windy city. Funny how our perception defines such an event as fate, coincidence or in my case synchronicity.

While dwelling will never prove the best route, revisiting our past can lead to powerful realizations and reverberations through our own magical journeys. For Harry, his unraveling the mystery of Tom Riddle leads into his questioning similarities between himself and the dark lord, Voldemort. Dumbledore offering the ever priceless wisdom reminds Harry that he is in exactly the right place as only true valor and loyalty could have summoned Fawkes the Phoenix to aid during the battle with the Basilisk. Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that sword out of the hat.

Now at rest, Harry leaves for the summer to return to his horrible relations, the Dursleys. And we are left to wonder or, in this instance, reminiscence as to what these next years will bring following Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling.