The End of The Wizarding Era

The muggle world has been taken by storm this week as the spectacular finale of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 graces cinemas worldwide.  Already breaking box office records after its first weekend release, the film is a must-see.  Having split the seventh book into two films, the story is able to incorporate fast action with narrative accuracy in possibly its best representation yet.

It is the most serious of the films, what with the omnipresent threat of Voldemort and his deatheaters added to the deaths of popular characters.  At the same time, brief moments of humour offer respite from the gloom and add poignancy to the last performances of favourite jokers such as Ron, Neville and ‘Loony Lovegood’.

For almost a decade the cast of Harry Potter have formed an integral part of the yearly cinematic experience and it is truly the end of an era not only for fans but for the actors and actresses themselves who have brought J. K. Rowling’s fantasy septet to life.

The adult actors of Harry Potter have delivered solidly stunning performances throughout each film: Michael Gambon, Dame Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane and Julie Walters comprise just a few of these.

Conversely, the initially child actors have received less consistent approbation over the years.  However, the most apparent development of the core three – Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint – is an achievement they can be proud of.  Emma Watson expressed in one interview her doubt that she will ever play a character she loves so much as Hermione Granger, despite the knowledge that she will be challenged as much in future.  The entire cast have spent a generation together, and clearly have made lifelong friends along the way.

To compare the first film – where the pre-teens are hesitant and shy as first year Hogwarts students should be – with the last, is to see just how far they have matured.  Their journey from relative inexperience to confident stardom outside the films conveys a certain realism to Rowling’s quest narrative of good versus evil.  Every aspect reflects this, from the increasingly expressive special effects to the great music score; the familiar opening melody of Hogwarts bells is replaced in the eighth film by a more sombre and melancholy choral voice that echoes through the most adult gloom in Harry’s world so far.  The increasingly serious themes of death, pain and selflessness create a maturational tale following a child-adolescent-adulthood trajectory.  This distinguishes it from other fantasy series purely aimed at younger children, such as the Narnia chronicles, or the completely adult trilogy, The Lord of the Rings.  Besides Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, J. K. Rowling’s series is unique in this way, perhaps explaining Harry Potter’s universal appeal.

The timely unveiling of J. K. Rowling’s new website, Pottermore.com, is a welcome addition to the Hogwarts fan base now that the books and films are complete.  The site aims to draw in new and old readers alike, as a way of sustaining the Harry Potter community. Our illustrious author will also be sharing her secrets and histories of familiar characters that she has been ‘hoarding’ these last thirteen years, as a way of thanking readers she describes as being exceptionally ‘loyal’.  The idea of loyalty is one which reaches its zenith in the second part of the Deathly Hallows, where the bravery and kinship demonstrated by Hogwarts students is sure to make a lasting impression on those who have followed Harry Potter from his inception.

Phoebe Linton