Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 releases on July 15’ 2011. And with it, ends one of the grandest obsessions of our times.
No, I’m not mocking it. Far from it. I am an unabashed member of the PotterBrigade. I have read the entire series more times than I can count. I have caught the movies when they hit the theatres (and cribbed about the disparities in plot). I have scoured through exquisite FanArt and imaginative FanFiction. I have followed the wise homilies of the great Dumbledore and treated him as my Spiritual Guru. I have rooted for Hermione and Ron’s almost-there-but-not-quite-yet love story. I have lusted after Sirius and loathed Umbridge, both in equal measures. I have attempted to make ButterBeer (and succeeded). I have done a spot of wishful thinking and hoped that Hogwarts has misplaced my letter (well, not really...but yes). And yes.............I have stuck with Harry till the very end.
So obviously, with the end in sight, I HAD to reread the series. And when I reached ‘Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire’, I realized that alas....alackk....and also, ERK!....I hadn’t written a review on it! *shock* *horror* *convincing Victorian swoon*. Soon I recovered from the fiendish blow and penned down a wholly biased review. Here goes:
The Quidditch World Cup followed by The Triwizard Tournament form the backdrop for the fourth instalment. As The Quidditch Finals culminate in the sudden appearance of THE DARK MARK, a wave of panic spreads through the wizarding world. The Mark is the sign of ‘He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’; a mark that heralds the return of pure, undiluted evil. Our wee Potter isn’t feeling too uppity either. The scar on his forehead has been ailing him; another indication that ol’Voldy is either very near or he is feeling particularly murderous. Sirius (in hiding) is worried and sends comforting owl mail at regular intervals. Hermione is worried and races to the library at regular intervals. Ron is worried and turns an unbecoming shade of red at regular intervals.
So when Harry is chosen by the magical ‘Goblet of Fire’ as one of the contenders for The Triwizard Tournament, it’s only natural that everyone starts having kittens; left, right and center. The tournament which claims to be an attempt to improve relationships in the Wizarding Community is no game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. Past history reveals that the tasks are dangerous and injurious to health in every sense of the word.
Soon, Harry is battling dragons, merpeople, unexpected jinxes, hexes and the odd Blast-Ended Skrewt. But it’s the end that decides it all. In a startling twist, Harry will soon face a task that will make The Hungarian Horntail Dragon look like a mild-mannered lapdog.
Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire can adequately be summed up in one word : DRAMATIC.
Whether it’s the sporting fervour whipped up at The Quidditch World Cup or the wave of excitement and danger that holds together The Triwizard Tournament, J.K.Rowling is the Mother Monster of Event-Managers. A host of enticing new characters make their entry : Cedric Diggory, Mad-Eye Moody, Barty Crouch (Sr. & Jr.), Ludo Bagman, Madame Maxime, Viktor Krum, Karkaroff, Rita Skeeter and.....The Dark Lord himself.
Despite being a fairly heavy book, the pace never wanes. One endearing quality of Rowling’s writing is that no fact or seemingly odd bit of trivia is ever merely that. Somewhere, somehow, she will dip into her Pensieve, extract the miniscule detail and entwine it with the plot. So while reading her books, remember to be in a state of (as Mad-Eye Moody would term it) “CONSTANT VIGILANCE”.
Endearing sub plots are the fledgling romances: Harry and Cho, Ron and Hermione and Krum and ofcourse, Hagrid and Madame Maxime. Snape continues his reign of unabated nastiness. Malfoy is his usual charming self. Cedric (the future Mr.Edward Cullen) is a wholly likeable character who stays with you till the end. Dumbledore is pitching his perfect performance as usual : whether it’s turning a blind eye to the never ending pranks, or giving a fair listening to an improbable tale or doling out wisdom in his unique way or standing tall, eyes ablaze in the face of dark times.
Tight storyline, shocking twists and throat-clogging moments. In all, a magnificent read.
