Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Eucatastrophe in Harry Potter, Part 4

Harry Potter never expects the Triwizard Cup to be a portkey in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He never expects to be instantly transported to a dark graveyard, to watch Cedric Diggory die beside him, to be tied to a tombstone, to witness Voldemort's reappearance in a new body, to see the Death Eaters grovel before their lord, or especially to duel with Voldemort one-on-one. 

There seems to be no way out. How can a fourteen-year-old boy defeat the most powerful dark wizard of all time? How can he even have a chance? Harry is sure he will die in that graveyard. He doesn't see any other way. But he vows to die fighting. He will not just give in and die crouching and cowering; he will die standing as a man, like his father did. 

So he faces Voldemort and shouts “Expelliarmus!” just as Voldemort screams out his killing curse. 

And eucatastrophe strikes again. 

The jets of light from the two wands meet, and the light unexpectedly, miraculously explodes into a golden web that lifts Harry and Voldemort into the air. Harry holds on for dear life, willing the beads of light back toward Voldemort. Unearthly music resounds, filling Harry with hope and strength. He watches, amazed, as each bead meets the tip of Voldemort's wand and forms into the shade of a person the Dark Lord killed. Cedric appears, then Frank Bryce and Bertha Jorkins, and finally Harry's own parents. The shades encourage the awestruck Harry, telling him to hold on and giving him instructions on how to escape. Finally, Harry, following his father's direction, breaks the web, summons the portkey, and with only a split second to spare, returns to Hogwarts. 

Only then can Harry, and readers along with him, catch his breath. 

The story is not quite over, of course, and Harry is not yet safe, but by another sudden joyous turn, by a miraculous grace, he is still alive. He has once again escaped from Voldemort and once again experienced the wonder of eucatastrophe.

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