Harry Potter Relationships - Life and Loss

Welcome to World of Soundtracks, a monthly podcast where we explore storytelling aspects in films and TV through music. Whether it is comparing book adaptations, observing themes over a series, or micro analyzing the choice of instruments, we look at how the story is told and moves us. I am your host Ruth Mudge and today we will be looking at relationship themes from the Harry Potter series.

Welcome to all of you who are new listeners. It’s been exciting to see this grow especially from so many countries and to have you join our journey through the film music of Harry Potter.

This is the second podcast in a series focusing on different themes and ideas throughout the 8 Harry Potter films based on the book series by J.K. Rowling. While there is a lot of music, I want to focus on the subject of life and loss primarily through relationships whether it is finding love through family and friends, or with losing family, mentors and friends.

When Harry’s journey begins in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” he is an orphan taken in rather reluctantly by his aunt and uncle. It isn’t until he is invited to Hogwarts that he discovers the sadness of his past with his parents dying to protect him while fighting Voldemort as well as the joy of becoming part of a world with magic, making friends and finding a home where he belongs. Much of that is heard through Hedwig’s theme as well as his family theme that I talked about in the first podcast. I will return to the family theme in a bit but it does highlight the back and forth throughout the 8 films, the joy and the grief as he continues on the journey of growing up, not only being the boy who survived but being crucial to the defeat once more of Voldemort in the battle of good and evil.

Let’s start with some of the joy from the beginning as we begin with “Harry’s Wondrous World” first introduced in the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, with the music by John Williams. This is one of the most famous themes from the film and is also one of the ones that was in his Children’s Suite. The track heard on the soundtrack is from this version which is also a concert version and not how it is fully heard in the first movie. There is both a joy and sweetness to it, being in major unlike Hedwig’s Theme. However, like Hedwig’s Theme, this theme is in 3 so Williams can combine the two seamlessly if he chose. This theme is used both for Harry’s joy in finding a place of home, a joy in magic, and also increasingly used for his friendship with Ron and Hermione. “Harry’s Wondrous World”

For such an iconic theme, it is interesting that it takes awhile to be heard. It first appears when Harry wins the Quidditch game part-way through the first movie. There is a joy in winning but also a sense of belonging, finding a joy in the game of Quidditch and flying, winning for his house, as well as seeing his friends rejoice. The music is played in lower violins, giving it a warmth, followed by the fanfare aspect in the brass.“The Quidditch match” (7:47)

Harry’s Wondrous World plays twice more in this film, the first as he is reunited with Ron and Hermione in the hospital after they overcame the various trials to protect the stone, and again when it is revealed that Gryffindor wins the house cup after Dumbledore awards various points to the trio and Neville for their actions, with hats being sent into the air. Both are moments of belonging and rejoicing.

While not as prominent in the first film, the second one, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, uses it a lot more now that sense of friendship and belonging has become more established.

The first time it plays is when the Weasley twins and Ron helps Harry escape from the Dursleys in their Dad’s flying car on his birthday. It is a mixture of joy and a little mischief as well. This version uses the celeste and flute for the fanfare as well as the flute flitting around as they fly. “Escape from the Dursleys” (2:49). On a side note, John Williams writes amazing flying music in his films. This idea of the flying car and the joy of it (before a problematic crash) returns as Ron and Harry fly in it to school. However, it didn’t begin with a great start so there are a few moments of dissonance in the first few notes. “The Flying Car” (1:11) Once they get it going and are able to fly without problems, then it soars in the French Horns (2:53)

On the reunion side of things, the theme plays in the flute and English Horn as Harry and Hermione reunite after the summer in Knockturn Alley, giving it a very sweet sound matching their friendship. “Knockturn Alley” (1:10)

This use of the flute with the melody in the violins is used at the end when Hermione is reunited with Harry and Ron after being frozen by the Basilisk, hugging Harry and awkwardly shaking hands with Ron. “Reunion of Friends” (0:27) It returns a little bit later in the French Horn, an instrument often used for heroes as Hagrid returns back the Great Hall after being in prison, to the delight of the Trio. Hagrid, Hermione and Ron are Harry’s closest friends and family throughout the series so it seems to be appropriate to use this theme in bringing them all back together in the end. “Reunion of Friends” (2:16). “Harry’s Wondrous World” is also used for the credits of the 2nd film. This is the last time this music is used in the series.

In the previous episode, I explored how Harry’s family theme was used in the first film: being a sad and lonely theme as Harry is alone on his birthday, seeing his parents in the mirror of Erised, and being transformed at the end to represent finding family in his friends and Hogwarts as he leaves and looks forward to returning.

This theme does appear a handful of times in the second film outside of the end reunion, notably when Harry explores the Weasley home for the first time, a place that will become a second home and his second family, looking at the clock that changes the boys location to home. The rhythm is changed a little, turning it into 4 instead of 3 by holding the last note of each measure longer as it brings Harry much delight before Molly Weasley starts scolding the boys.

It also played when Harry tells petrified Hermione that they need her later on.

While this particular theme does not continue, the idea of family especially in regards to Harry’s parents comes back in the 3rd movie, Harry and Prisoner of Azkaban. This theme ‘Window from the past” is both a little lonely and wistful throughout the film as Harry learns more of his parents through coming to know Professor Lupin and through him, more about his parents, particularly his father. It is finding family in those who knew his family and also learning more about the betrayal made by one of his father’s closest friends. The theme is in minor and 6/8 which has a lilting quality to it. It is first introduced in the celeste as Harry looks at the picture of his parents after Aunt Marge said horrible things about them.

The full theme plays in the recorder, an instrument featured a lot more in this 3rd movie along with other older instruments from the Renaissance and Baroque. It gives a slightly older sound fitting with looking back to the past. There is both a very slow and faster version played. It plays as he is able to talk about his fears with Professor Lupin after encountering boggarts and then again when Lupin shares how his mother had been kind to him while his father had a predisposition for trouble. “A window from the past”

Later on, it returns in the clarinet as Harry asks Lupin why Dementors seem to affect him more and Lupin responds that it could be due to the horrors of his past. (2:32)

In the climax of the movie, it is revealed that Peter Pettigrew was both alive and had been the one to betray James and Lily Potter instead of Harry’s godfather Sirius. Both Lupin and Sirius were ready to kill Peter but Harry stopped them. After this, Sirius stood outside with Harry looking forward to being a free man as the solo French Horn plays the the theme, applauding Harry for doing a noble thing despite the fact that Peter didn’t deserve it while Harry responds that he didn’t think his Dad would want his best friends to become killers. Sirius tells Harry that he was named his godfather and gives him the offer of living with him instead of his aunt and uncle, while the violins take the melody.

Unfortunately, things go south from there with Lupin transforming, Peter escaping, dementors attacking and so Harry and Hermione go back in time. The recorder takes the theme as Harry sees the same conversation from a distance.

It is when Harry saves both himself and Sirius from the Dementors that the French Horns plays a brief part of the theme in major with pauses between each phrase over a dissonant cacophony of voices for the dementors and using his patronus to send them away. “Dementors Converge” (1:52) (2:00 in Finale - Patronus - beautiful voices)

The recorder plays the melody over harpsichord and harp one last time as Sirius tells Harry that he sees Harry’s parents in Him. The French Horn takes over as Sirius also says that Harry will always have them in his heart before escaping on Buckbeak. (2:03)

Two things change with the 4th film: there is a new composer, and teenagers starting to have crushes. To reflect this, Harry has a young romantic theme in the theme “Harry in Winter.” First heard in the violins and flute over harp as he asks Cho to the ball but then the clarinet takes the melody as she turns him down, telling him that she is going with Cedric. The composer Patrick Doyle is very good at writing themes in the style of Italian opera composer Puccini, who always aimed to move the audience’s heart strings with his arias regardless of the subject, such as “O Mio Babbino Caro” which is also about a teenager in young love where everything is felt intensely. Here is a version featuring Joshua Bell playing the aria on violin as it matches more of the sound of this soundtrack. “O Mio Babbino Caro” (1:24). Now here is “Harry in Winter” which is a concert version of the track, just the way John Williams did for “Hedwig’s Theme” and “Harry’s Wondrous World” instead of what is just in the film. “Harry in Winter”

However, this theme isn’t just used for young love and crushes but also for his deep emotional moments in this film. It’s not just for physically in winter but emotionally in winter as well. The darker and colder moments at the end use this theme for Harry. Take out the harp, add in some cymbal rolls and low cello scales and the theme can become one of deep longing and emotional turmoil especially at the end as he duels Voldemort. Since their wands share the same core, it releases the most recent killing spells of Voldemort’s wand, which give glimpses of his parents, telling him to run as well as Cedric who asks Harry to bring back his body to his father. It is in this fight of life and death that he briefly hears and sees those he had lost in death, encouraging him what to do next to live. “Voldemort” (8:50)

However, it is in the mourning of Cedric’s death that the theme is transformed from a sweet romantic theme to a tragic theme in the strings in a similar vein to Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” one of the most famous American string pieces often played in grieving events, such as the death of John F. Kennedy or 9/11. “Adagio for Strings” (5:10)

This is the first death Harry has witnessed himself, a friend and fellow student, and we hear the grief of both him and Cedric’s father as well as the teachers and students who are also grieving and in shock. This becomes a turning point for not only with the return of Voldemort but also a turn in Harry’s journey to a deeper sense of loss, anger, and a new trajectory towards fighting Voldemort. “Death of Cedric” (0:58)

This film doesn’t have very much for the group of friends as a theme throughout but it does end with a sense of hope as the trio comes together while watching the Tournament teams leave to go back to their schools. Hermione asks the boys to write and talks about how things will change in a bittersweet and slightly anxious way. In the midst of a lot of grief and tragedy, the film ends with a sense of hope and possibility, friendship and even family. “Another year ends” (1:10)

The end of the fourth film is a turning point for Harry and his friends as there is an extra layer of danger and the beginnings of a war. That means that we have similar ideas and themes that run through the later 4 films. Part of that is due to the fact that films 5 and 6 have the same composer in Nicholas Hooper and 7 and 8 are a two-parter under the composer Alexander Desplat, but it does make it easier to follow ideas in the second half, even though the themes of family and friends is one that carries throughout the series.

The first of these themes in regards to relationship is the idea of allies, both amongst the adults and the students in their various preparations for battles against Voldemort. Many of allies are close to Harry both in the adults and students as family, mentors, and those he trusts. This begins with the “Order of the Phoenix” - the adults banding together to protect Harry and fight Voldemort. Considering it is the title of the 5th film, it makes sense that they have their own theme as they pick up Harry from his home in the summer to their new headquarters at Sirius’ old home. This is another fantastic flying theme as they fly away on brooms, heard especially in flutes, violins, harp glisses and horns with drums for the heroic nature. “Flight of the Order of the Phoenix” (0:41)

The students themselves create a group called Dumbledore’s Army at school when Hermione decides that they need to know how to defend themselves against Voldemort and his death Eaters instead of receiving just book knowledge. It begins with minor flute as he tells the interested group that this is real life they are dealing with, evident with death of Cedric. “Dumbledore’s Army”

The music for the actual learning is happy as they find hope and joy in this group together. There is an enthusiastic quality between the major string patterns and the winds playing the melody first by clarinet followed by the French horns and flutes. It plays twice in the film, first when the students sign the paper to join the group and but also when the are learning how to produce the patronus spell, a spell of remembering something happy in the moment of darkness and despair. “Dumbledore’s army” (1:00)

This theme used again in film 6 but instead is used during the Quidditch tryouts as Ron does badly and Hermione does a spell to make the other person fail. There is less of a need for Dumbledore’s Army in film 6 so it provides a happy moment in the school year for these students.

However, the idea of having a theme for the Order and Dumbledore’s Army is provided in a new theme for the last two films. It is known in the Deathly Hallow’s Part 1 as the “Band of Brothers” and then Neville’s theme in part 2 but the reality is that the line between the adults and the children in fighting darkness has disappeared. This is the theme of friends through both groups, all actively fighting together against Voldemort and his Death Eaters now. In a similar way to film 5, it is introduced as a group of both adults and older teenagers arrive to escort Harry away from his home to safety, this time as many of them become Harry with the polyjuice potion as a diversion. It’s a theme of seeing close friends and family again such as Ron, Hermione, and Lupin, who almost tells him that he and Tonks are expecting a baby when the clarinet and Mad-eye comes in. This theme is a heroic theme heard in the strings, horns and solo trumpet but with also a hint of melancholy. “Polyjuice Potion”

The theme returns as Harry tries to leave after Mad-Eye is killed and Fred is injured, feeling guilty and trying to protect everyone else from getting hurt. Ron finds him and stops him, telling him that leaving would give Voldemort a favor. This version is in minor and has a melancholy feel to it. “At the burrow” (0:19)

In a similar way, the solo piano plays the a variation of this theme when Harry and Ginny get ready for the wedding, Harry preparing to leave and Ginny knowing it while she asks him to zip up her dress. They both recognize that it may seem silly to have a wedding when everything is so dangerous and yet it is good to be reminded of the good things. The solo piano gives an intimate quality to the theme. It also makes sense that it is a slower minor variation of the theme having been friends, falling in love, and once again having to say goodbye soon. “Harry and Ginny”

As the trio becomes separated from both groups for the rest of the film, it isn’t until they see Neville in part 2, that the theme returns, as he appears through the secret tunnel from Aberforce’s place back into Hogwarts. It is again that sounds of greeting an old friend with a little more danger as he prepares them for what they will see and what has been going on. “Neville” (0:31)

Since the theme does start to follow Neville specifically in the second part, it also briefly plays in the French Horn in triumph after he destroys the bridge and it looks like he also was gone, only for him to pull himself up to the relief of the friends and Dumbledore’s Army standing there. “Battlefield”

It also plays when Neville wakes up after being stunned following his speech of defiance to Voldemort and sees the sword of Gryffindor next to him. “Showdown” (0:50)

Returning to the 5th film with the teenagers, there is of course a bit of young love and high emotions. Beginning with Harry’s continued crush on Cho, they have a sad but also romantic moment as she is grieving Cedric but also liking Harry. As they kiss under the mistletoe, a bittersweet melody plays in the strings and celeste. “The Kiss”

This music continues as Harry shares about this moment with Ron and Hermione afterwards and returns latter in the film as Cho tries to apologize to Dumbledore’s Army for being responsible for them being caught, even though it was under truth serum.

Angsty teenage love continues in film 6 with Harry now pining for Ginny (who also likes him but dating Dean) and Hermione pining for Ron. This is heard again with the oboe and harp, first when Harry arrives at the burrow and Ginny notices his stuff, asking if he is there. “Ginny”

The motif and idea returns in the solo harp as Hermione runs off to herself after seeing Ron kiss Lavender. Harry goes after her and they talk about how it feels watching Ginny and Dean, sharing how hard it is to pretend that everything is alright when it hurts. “Harry & Hermione” (0:29)

This theme returns once more but in the classical guitar, an unusual instrument in the world of Harry Potter, but giving the moment between Harry and Ginny a special intimate sound, especially with the little pauses and rests. Classical guitar is also the instrument of the composer, Nicholas Hooper. It plays as Ginny helps Harry get rid of the Book of the Half-Blood Prince after he almost kills Draco Malfoy with a spell from there. She takes it from him, asking him to close his eyes, and hides it n the Room of Requirement while also kissing him. “When Ginny Kissed Harry”

We return once more to Film 5, looking at the relationship of Harry and the adults who meant so much as family or mentors. There is a bittersweet theme for Sirius and Harry as Sirius gets to share more about his past and the first Order of the Phoenix, first heard in the oboe, flute, and strings as Sirius shows a picture of the first order including Neville’s parents, saying that “it feels like it did before” with a war coming. “A Journey to Hogwarts” (1:18)

This returns later at Christmas time as Sirius shows Harry the Black family tree where he was burned out of it by his mother, sharing that it was James Potter and his family that took him in and felt like true family. He Promises to Harry that they will be a family when this is all over, reassuring him that Harry is a good person and not turning into Voldemort, despite Harry’s concerns regarding the dreams where he sees Voldemort at work.

This theme also plays in film 6 when Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback set the Burrow on fire at Christmas-time after luring Harry and Ginny out to fight them. It does become a theme of loss and the cost of fighting as everyone watches the house burn. “Into the Rushes” (2:02)

Unfortunately, it is the connection with Voldemort’s mind that deceives Harry into thinking that Sirius was captured and tortured, so he races with several friends to save him only to find it a trap. The Order of the Phoenix comes to the rescue over fun string patterns but then Sirius is killed by his cousin Bellatrix and disappears through the doorway, with choir and brass arriving at the climax. The music is heard in the strings but holding notes instead of the movement that they had during the fighting as Lupin holds Harry back from trying to get Sirius. “Death of Sirius” (2:50)

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We can hear the slower chords in the strings with a horn filling in the melody before motion is added near the end for a content conclusion to that film with the friends together. “Loved Ones and Leaving” (1:50)

While this works very nicely for bringing that to a conclusion for the audience as well as Harry and his friends, it doesn’t actually fit where Harry’s emotional state is after Sirius’ death which is angry and grieving. Especially with minimal contact with friends over the summer and finding out that the newspapers are printing that he is lying. The music at the beginning of film 6 is almost more tragic than the death of Sirius himself, which often happens in movies, with the grief of those living being more poignant than the moment of death. This theme in heard in the lower strings and choir is what sets the tone for the entire film. “Opening” (0:30)

This then becomes one of the two main themes used for Harry and Dumbledore’s journey throughout film 6 as Dumbledore is heading towards death and they seek to learn more about Voldemort’s decisions to avoid death in creating Horcruxes. Just the way that the movie focuses on solving several mysteries, there are several different themes and motifs that carry through. Unfortunately, the main moment of bringing these ideas together is in the children’s choral piece ‘In Noctem” which was taken out of the film, which is a shame as this contains one of the main themes for Dumbledore throughout as well as a theme used with his death. It is found in the deleted scenes or extended edition, as Dumbledore and Harry prepare to come back from finding a horcux, Snape looks out the window, and Draco lets in Death Eaters into Hogwarts through the cabinet in the Room of Requirement. The middle chanting portion is what appears in almost every Dumbledore scene. “In Noctem” (0:36). However, it is the first part of the melody portion that will be combined with the opening tragic strings from the opening of the movie that is used for the grieving of Dumbledore’s death. “In Noctem”

Not only are the opening chords used for the death of Sirius but the music is the foreshadowing for Dumbledore’s death and used at the end as Harry and the schools grieves his death. It is in essence a bookend for his character as well as Harry’s journey with grief in losing another mentor so soon. The solo cello takes the opening of “In Noctem” combined with the opening chords of the movie and turns it into a haunting lament as Harry grieves again, with the students and faculty sending up lights into the sky that sends away the Dark mark in the sky. ‘Dumbledore’s Farewell” (0:32)

This theme is used one last time in film 8 as Harry sees through the pensive that Snape was the one looking out for him near the end as well as being horrified that they were protecting Harry only for him to die. Snape reveals to Dumbledore that everything he did was for the love he had for Lily, Harry’s mother, interspersed with the grief and flashbacks of Snape finding Lily murdered. It is here when he says his famous word “always” for always loving Lily. Again, a theme of deep grief that changed the trajectory of Harry’s life, finding that he and Snape were intertwined both through Dumbledore and Lily. While we will come back to Lily, Snape, and Harry later, this theme of grief is perhaps the most heart-wrenching of all the grief themes.

The part of “In Noctem” that includes the choir chant, repeating celeste pattern, as well as bass drum appears several times including Dumbledore’s opening speech to Hogwarts telling the students that Tom Riddle was a student like them and their greatest weapon against the dark forces is the students themselves. Later on, it plays as he tells Harry that Slughorn’s memory has been tampered with and that he needs Harry to get the real one so they can gain knowledge about Tom who turned into Voldemort. “Dumbledore’s Foreboding” (0:10)

It returns as Harry and Dumbledore go to the cave to find a horcrux which they learn of once they get the real memory from Slughorn. Dumbledore gives Harry clear instructions to do what he says regardless of what happens. “Journey to the Cave” (0:52)

It also plays as Harry chases down Snape after Snape killed Dumbledore, trying to use a spell that is revealed to be one of Snape’s own. Harry doesn’t know yet that it was at Dumbledore’s request and is trying avenge the teacher and mentor who had helped him so much.

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For Harry, he is holding onto the memories of those he loves to fight back because he knows love and friendship. Voldemort doesn’t understand that importance or the power that love contains and so Harry says that he feels sorry for Voldemort while Voldemort says that Harry is a fool and will lose. “Possession” (1:55)

This returns as Harry and Dumbledore find one of the horcruxes, revealed to be parts of Voldemort’s soul preserved in different objects. Dumbledore is the one in pain, fighting off things in his mind due to a poison he needs to drink in order to be able to grab this Horcrux. Harry being the one having to continue to give him the poison while Dumbledore is suffering is a mirror to Dumbledore watching unable to help Harry when fighting Voldemort in his mind. There is also little hints of voices screaming here in there over a timpani roll. “The Drink of Despair” (0:39)

It also returns a lot faster as Harry is rescued by Dumbledore from the Inferi in the water, a trap by Voldemort to prevent any from succeeding, this time with the addition of choir and brass. (1:10) “Inferi in the Firestorm’

A version of this theme comes back as Harry, hidden by his invisibility cloak, sees Draco threaten and try to kill Dumbledore, watching as Dumbledore tries to talk him out of it. Dumbledore is aware that Draco has been tasked by Voldemort to kill him which is why he asked Snape to do it instead, both for the sake of Draco and being aware that he was dying and didn’t have much time left. But as he stalls for time, there are extra string patterns in the violin to add to the tension and dissonance before Snape kills him in silence. (0:46 or 2:00) “the Killing of Dumbledore”

It is in the 8th movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, where much of the information about Snape and Dumbledore come out. It also features a theme which is called “Lily’s theme”, the primary theme throughout the movie, reflecting the love that Lily sacrificed to Harry with the idea of sacrifice and the power of love throughout the whole movie.

In fact, it is the opening theme…the only movie that does not contain a version of Hedwig’s theme at the beginning. The movie opens with seeing Dementors over the school, Snape being the headmaster before transitioning to Harry at Dobby’s grave stone as the violins take the melody. “Lily’s Theme”

The most triumphant version of this theme is when Harry, Ron, and Hermione fly away on the dragon, turning this sad theme into a soaring flying theme with high violins, trumpet and moving flutes. They have gotten a Horcrux in the vault which is one step on their way to defeating Voldemort. After so many loses or a long time of waiting, it feels good to have accomplished the next step after a dangerous mission. “Dragon Flight” (0:53)

However, most of the appearances of this theme are at the end, the first in low flute, with echoes in electronics as Harry tries to stop the bleeding on Snape’s neck after Voldemort orders his death to the snake, and Harry collects a tear to put in the pensive before Snape dies saying “you have your mother’s eye” as the female voice returns. “Snape’s Demise” (1:03)

One of the key moments in the entire series is when Harry opens up the snitch before he dies and the Resurrection Stone appears. Through that he sees his mother, father, Sirius, and Lupin - all the adults who were parents or parent-like figures to him who had died. It is intimate in the voice and harp when Lily tells him that they never left him. Harry asks if dying hurts and apologizes that they had to die for him as the piano joins in, followed by asking them to stay with him to which his mother replies “always.” As Harry prepares to lay down his life and sacrifice it so that Voldemort can be defeated, he seeks the comfort of those who had done the same for him. “The Resurrection Stone” (1:52)

One would expect it to be Hedwig/Harry’s theme that would be the theme during the final duel and defeat of Voldemort but instead it is a variation on Lily’s theme. In many ways, this feels an appropriate bookend thematically even though it might not be musically. Lily’s love protected Harry from Voldemort as a baby but with the curse rebounding, it left a bit of Voldemort’s soul attached to Harry. Now that the Horcurx in Harry has died and all the Horcurxes destroyed, Harry can now finish off that last battle. Love protected him and now has won. “Voldemort’s End” (1:13)

While it might seem appropriate to end this podcast with the defeat of Voldemort, I wanted to end with the journey of the three best friends for the last few films. This is the core family from the very beginning and while Ron and Hermione are included with Dumbledore’s army in film 5, the end of 6 shows them unwilling to let Harry go on his own, realizing that they won’t be returning to Hogwarts for school the following year. It is bittersweet as they realize this, saying goodbye to what is home, while watching Fawkes the Phoenix fly by them after Dumbledore’s death. In many ways, the tone is very similar to the end of 5, which makes sense since it is by the same composer and setting a very similar tone of grief and hope. “The Friends” (1:00)

I think it’s important to note that the films need to end on a more hopeful note. While the beginnings of 4-8 are darker and reflect the danger and grief of losing friends and family, it is important to leave the audience and characters with a sense of hope, especially if you have to wait another year for the next film. After all, good does win in the end and if that hope is not balanced with the dark, then the audience is left feeling weighed down when they leave in the grief of losing beloved characters and the fight against Voldemort and those on his side. That being said, it does give us a bit of whiplash if you listen to the end of one and then the beginning of the next one right in a row!

Film 7 really highlights the relationship of Ron, Hermione and Harry as well as tensions that arise as they try to find and destroy Horcruxes with very little guidance. In particular, this is the film that is the crucible for Ron and Hermione in being separated from their families. Some have called the main motif a loss of innocence theme, which works better for these two as Harry has already gone through a bit of this in the past several films. We first hear it as they all prepare to leave: Hermione erasing herself from her parents memories with the solo cello playing the melody over repeated string patterns, Harry’s relatives the Dursleys leave, Ron stares out outside of his home and then each one walks away or sees family drive away. They are trying to protect their families but that doesn’t take away the heartbreak of saying goodbye, especially for Hermione. “Obliviate” (1:45)

This returns when Ron asks Hermione to wipe the memories of the Death Eaters who came after them since she is the best at spells, but it harkens back to the time she had to do the same for her parents especially in using the same theme. “Death Eaters”

The French Horn plays this motif over different string patterns giving a sense of movement and excitement as the Trio plans to disguise themselves to get into the Ministry in order to grab the locket/Horcrux from Umbridge. “Dobby” (2:40)

It is important to note that the majority of the time that the Trio tries to destroy the locket while wandering in the woods is left in silence. That amplifies both the sense of wandering, isolation, and the toll it is taking on them as they carry this locket with a little bit of Voldemort’s soul attached. Unfortunately, this wears the most on Ron, believing he is seeing things happening between Hermione and Harry, worried about what might be happening with his family, and not knowing how, where, or what they are doing. While not using their motif, this sound of increasing unrest and isolation is clearly heard in the harmonics of the violin that doesn’t match the key of the bass clarinet and harmonies underneath, giving a sound of unreality and being disconnected. “The Exodus” (0:55)

Ron eventually leaves after fighting with Harry, asking Hermione to go with him and the solo violin plays their motif once again before switching to a new theme in the violins and horns that becomes a theme for Ron and Hermione and her grief over his leaving. “Ron Leaves” (0:50)

When Hermione brings Harry to the Forest of Dean to hide after their run-in with Nagini the snake hiding as Mathilda Bagshot, she speaks of how her parents wouldn’t remember any of the times they had spent there as a family. The flute plays a haunting version of the Trio/loss theme, again harkening back to when she had to erase their memories. “Hermione’s Parents” (0:46)

Later on, Harry is guided by a Patronus to the sword of Gryiffindor in a near-by lake but is almost drowned by the Horcurx locket. As he bangs on the ice and then is rescued, low cellos play the theme hinting at who saves him, although it takes a moment for both audience and Harry to see that it is Ron who rescued him. When the reveal happens, it takes this motif and turns into major, both heroic and a restoration, which is also the beginning notes of Ron and Hermione’s theme. “Hermione’s Parents” (5:17)

Ron and Hermione’s theme fully comes back in the violins over shimmering strings and harp, as he describes the light coming into his heart, hearing her voice, which helped him to find them again. It is both sweet and gentle in muted strings as he shares his heart, the first step in restoration with Hermione, who is both angry with him and yet missed him dreadfully. “Ron’s Speech” (0:28)

This theme does come back very briefly when they kiss near the end of the second film.

The low Trio cello theme returns over a slow repeated beat in drums and flutes over violin tremolo plays as the three of them are captured in the woods by Snatchers, Harry’s face disfigured by Hermione so that he wouldn’t be recognized. ‘Captured and Tortured” (1:33)

It also returns for a last time in a solo violin as Ron and Harry escape the dungeon to rescue Hermione to see Mudblood written on her arm in her torture from Bellatrix. Dobby helps to rescue them and in the process is killed by Bellatrix. While the music for Dobby’s death is Harry’s theme or Hedwig’s theme, the music following the grief and aftermath is heard in the solo cello as it plays a sad theme slightly based on the Trio theme but then ends hopefully as Harry chooses to bury Dobby without magic. It is a softer sound, most likely with the strings being muted, being bittersweet to finish the film with these friends grieving and yet having escaped. This continues the sound of remaining grieved to lose a loyal friend but also in a place where they can find refuge and heal. They survived to continue the fight but not without cost. “Farewell to Dobby” (1:10)

In a similar way to the end of the 4th-7th films, the last film ends the present journey with Ron, Hermione and Harry at Hogwarts with a bittersweet melody. Even though they won the battle, they all seem weary and hard to believe it is all over. This is not a triumphant melody…that is saved for the flash-forward epilogue 19 years later. Instead, it focuses on this family and best-friends, with Harry breaking and throwing away the Elder wand and then all three of them holding hands in silence looking out into the distance. The music is both quiet and yet rings of new beginnings with the harp, low flute, and strings. It is important that the celeste is present at the end as that it the sound of magic associated with Harry and Hogwarts. Even at the end, it still is present as an important aspect of that world that they can now build anew together. “A New Beginning” (0:32)

I touched on this in the previous episode but one of the reasons the track of “Leaving Hogwarts” is even more impactful at the epilogue is that after all these bittersweet and grieving moments, there is a joy in seeing the Trio happy with their families. After seeing Hogwarts in a destroyed state, there is joy in seeing kids of a new generation excited to experience Hogwarts and getting on the train echoing the beginning of Harry’s journey. Just as the present ending focuses on the Trio of friends, the ending of the epilogue zooms in on these three, providing a satisfying and joyful conclusion. “Leaving Hogwarts” (1:40)

This brings us to the conclusion of following the various relationships that Harry had with friends and family, mentors and even a little romance thrown in there. We can hear musically how death and life were intertwined in his journey with a mixture of hope and grief that occurred throughout the series. Ultimately, it is his friends and love that helped Harry not only survive but helped him to win against evil and death.

Next month, I will be focusing on specific character themes outside of Harry himself from Dobby to Dumbledore to Voldemort with a few of the quirky ones in-between.

You can join in on discussing all the musical moments regarding your favorite relationship, life or loss theme or any other of your favorites themes and tracks in the Harry Potter films in the Facebook group “World of Soundtracks” or on Twitter and Instagram at WoSoundtracks. Please like and subscribe, share with friends, or even leave a review on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon. I highly recommend subscribing so you don’t miss when the next episode comes out.

Until next time, Happy Listening!

A special thanks to all those involved to make this podcast happen especially Edith Mudge for the title music and Lindsey Bergmsa for the graphics. This is World of Soundtracks.

WoS 9 - Relationships in Harry Potter - Life and loss

Welcome to World of Soundtracks, a monthly podcast where we explore storytelling aspects in films and TV through music. Whether it is comparing book adaptations, observing themes over a series, or micro analyzing the choice of instruments, we look at how the story is told and moves us. I am your host Ruth Mudge and today we will be looking at relationship themes from the Harry Potter series.

Welcome to all of you who are new listeners. It’s been exciting to see this grow especially from so many countries and to have you join our journey through the film music of Harry Potter.

This is the second podcast in a series focusing on different themes and ideas throughout the 8 Harry Potter films based on the book series by J.K. Rowling. While there is a lot of music, I want to focus on the subject of life and loss primarily through relationships whether it is finding love through family and friends, or with losing family, mentors and friends.

When Harry’s journey begins in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” he is an orphan taken in rather reluctantly by his aunt and uncle. It isn’t until he is invited to Hogwarts that he discovers the sadness of his past with his parents dying to protect him while fighting Voldemort as well as the joy of becoming part of a world with magic, making friends and finding a home where he belongs. Much of that is heard through Hedwig’s theme as well as his family theme that I talked about in the first podcast. I will return to the family theme in a bit but it does highlight the back and forth throughout the 8 films, the joy and the grief as he continues on the journey of growing up, not only being the boy who survived but being crucial to the defeat once more of Voldemort in the battle of good and evil.

Let’s start with some of the joy from the beginning as we begin with “Harry’s Wondrous World” first introduced in the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, with the music by John Williams. This is one of the most famous themes from the film and is also one of the ones that was in his Children’s Suite. The track heard on the soundtrack is from this version which is also a concert version and not how it is fully heard in the first movie. There is both a joy and sweetness to it, being in major unlike Hedwig’s Theme. However, like Hedwig’s Theme, this theme is in 3 so Williams can combine the two seamlessly if he chose. This theme is used both for Harry’s joy in finding a place of home, a joy in magic, and also increasingly used for his friendship with Ron and Hermione. “Harry’s Wondrous World”

For such an iconic theme, it is interesting that it takes awhile to be heard. It first appears when Harry wins the Quidditch game part-way through the first movie. There is a joy in winning but also a sense of belonging, finding a joy in the game of Quidditch and flying, winning for his house, as well as seeing his friends rejoice. The music is played in lower violins, giving it a warmth, followed by the fanfare aspect in the brass.“The Quidditch match” (7:47)

Harry’s Wondrous World plays twice more in this film, the first as he is reunited with Ron and Hermione in the hospital after they overcame the various trials to protect the stone, and again when it is revealed that Gryffindor wins the house cup after Dumbledore awards various points to the trio and Neville for their actions, with hats being sent into the air. Both are moments of belonging and rejoicing.

While not as prominent in the first film, the second one, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, uses it a lot more now that sense of friendship and belonging has become more established.

The first time it plays is when the Weasley twins and Ron helps Harry escape from the Dursleys in their Dad’s flying car on his birthday. It is a mixture of joy and a little mischief as well. This version uses the celeste and flute for the fanfare as well as the flute flitting around as they fly. “Escape from the Dursleys” (2:49). On a side note, John Williams writes amazing flying music in his films. This idea of the flying car and the joy of it (before a problematic crash) returns as Ron and Harry fly in it to school. However, it didn’t begin with a great start so there are a few moments of dissonance in the first few notes. “The Flying Car” (1:11) Once they get it going and are able to fly without problems, then it soars in the French Horns (2:53)

On the reunion side of things, the theme plays in the flute and English Horn as Harry and Hermione reunite after the summer in Knockturn Alley, giving it a very sweet sound matching their friendship. “Knockturn Alley” (1:10)

This use of the flute with the melody in the violins is used at the end when Hermione is reunited with Harry and Ron after being frozen by the Basilisk, hugging Harry and awkwardly shaking hands with Ron. “Reunion of Friends” (0:27) It returns a little bit later in the French Horn, an instrument often used for heroes as Hagrid returns back the Great Hall after being in prison, to the delight of the Trio. Hagrid, Hermione and Ron are Harry’s closest friends and family throughout the series so it seems to be appropriate to use this theme in bringing them all back together in the end. “Reunion of Friends” (2:16). “Harry’s Wondrous World” is also used for the credits of the 2nd film. This is the last time this music is used in the series.

In the previous episode, I explored how Harry’s family theme was used in the first film: being a sad and lonely theme as Harry is alone on his birthday, seeing his parents in the mirror of Erised, and being transformed at the end to represent finding family in his friends and Hogwarts as he leaves and looks forward to returning.

This theme does appear a handful of times in the second film outside of the end reunion, notably when Harry explores the Weasley home for the first time, a place that will become a second home and his second family, looking at the clock that changes the boys location to home. The rhythm is changed a little, turning it into 4 instead of 3 by holding the last note of each measure longer as it brings Harry much delight before Molly Weasley starts scolding the boys.

It also played when Harry tells petrified Hermione that they need her later on.

While this particular theme does not continue, the idea of family especially in regards to Harry’s parents comes back in the 3rd movie, Harry and Prisoner of Azkaban. This theme ‘Window from the past” is both a little lonely and wistful throughout the film as Harry learns more of his parents through coming to know Professor Lupin and through him, more about his parents, particularly his father. It is finding family in those who knew his family and also learning more about the betrayal made by one of his father’s closest friends. The theme is in minor and 6/8 which has a lilting quality to it. It is first introduced in the celeste as Harry looks at the picture of his parents after Aunt Marge said horrible things about them.

The full theme plays in the recorder, an instrument featured a lot more in this 3rd movie along with other older instruments from the Renaissance and Baroque. It gives a slightly older sound fitting with looking back to the past. There is both a very slow and faster version played. It plays as he is able to talk about his fears with Professor Lupin after encountering boggarts and then again when Lupin shares how his mother had been kind to him while his father had a predisposition for trouble. “A window from the past”

Later on, it returns in the clarinet as Harry asks Lupin why Dementors seem to affect him more and Lupin responds that it could be due to the horrors of his past. (2:32)

In the climax of the movie, it is revealed that Peter Pettigrew was both alive and had been the one to betray James and Lily Potter instead of Harry’s godfather Sirius. Both Lupin and Sirius were ready to kill Peter but Harry stopped them. After this, Sirius stood outside with Harry looking forward to being a free man as the solo French Horn plays the the theme, applauding Harry for doing a noble thing despite the fact that Peter didn’t deserve it while Harry responds that he didn’t think his Dad would want his best friends to become killers. Sirius tells Harry that he was named his godfather and gives him the offer of living with him instead of his aunt and uncle, while the violins take the melody.

Unfortunately, things go south from there with Lupin transforming, Peter escaping, dementors attacking and so Harry and Hermione go back in time. The recorder takes the theme as Harry sees the same conversation from a distance.

It is when Harry saves both himself and Sirius from the Dementors that the French Horns plays a brief part of the theme in major with pauses between each phrase over a dissonant cacophony of voices for the dementors and using his patronus to send them away. “Dementors Converge” (1:52) (2:00 in Finale - Patronus - beautiful voices)

The recorder plays the melody over harpsichord and harp one last time as Sirius tells Harry that he sees Harry’s parents in Him. The French Horn takes over as Sirius also says that Harry will always have them in his heart before escaping on Buckbeak. (2:03)

Two things change with the 4th film: there is a new composer, and teenagers starting to have crushes. To reflect this, Harry has a young romantic theme in the theme “Harry in Winter.” First heard in the violins and flute over harp as he asks Cho to the ball but then the clarinet takes the melody as she turns him down, telling him that she is going with Cedric. The composer Patrick Doyle is very good at writing themes in the style of Italian opera composer Puccini, who always aimed to move the audience’s heart strings with his arias regardless of the subject, such as “O Mio Babbino Caro” which is also about a teenager in young love where everything is felt intensely. Here is a version featuring Joshua Bell playing the aria on violin as it matches more of the sound of this soundtrack. “O Mio Babbino Caro” (1:24). Now here is “Harry in Winter” which is a concert version of the track, just the way John Williams did for “Hedwig’s Theme” and “Harry’s Wondrous World” instead of what is just in the film. “Harry in Winter”

However, this theme isn’t just used for young love and crushes but also for his deep emotional moments in this film. It’s not just for physically in winter but emotionally in winter as well. The darker and colder moments at the end use this theme for Harry. Take out the harp, add in some cymbal rolls and low cello scales and the theme can become one of deep longing and emotional turmoil especially at the end as he duels Voldemort. Since their wands share the same core, it releases the most recent killing spells of Voldemort’s wand, which give glimpses of his parents, telling him to run as well as Cedric who asks Harry to bring back his body to his father. It is in this fight of life and death that he briefly hears and sees those he had lost in death, encouraging him what to do next to live. “Voldemort” (8:50)

However, it is in the mourning of Cedric’s death that the theme is transformed from a sweet romantic theme to a tragic theme in the strings in a similar vein to Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” one of the most famous American string pieces often played in grieving events, such as the death of John F. Kennedy or 9/11. “Adagio for Strings” (5:10)

This is the first death Harry has witnessed himself, a friend and fellow student, and we hear the grief of both him and Cedric’s father as well as the teachers and students who are also grieving and in shock. This becomes a turning point for not only with the return of Voldemort but also a turn in Harry’s journey to a deeper sense of loss, anger, and a new trajectory towards fighting Voldemort. “Death of Cedric” (0:58)

This film doesn’t have very much for the group of friends as a theme throughout but it does end with a sense of hope as the trio comes together while watching the Tournament teams leave to go back to their schools. Hermione asks the boys to write and talks about how things will change in a bittersweet and slightly anxious way. In the midst of a lot of grief and tragedy, the film ends with a sense of hope and possibility, friendship and even family. “Another year ends” (1:10)

The end of the fourth film is a turning point for Harry and his friends as there is an extra layer of danger and the beginnings of a war. That means that we have similar ideas and themes that run through the later 4 films. Part of that is due to the fact that films 5 and 6 have the same composer in Nicholas Hooper and 7 and 8 are a two-parter under the composer Alexander Desplat, but it does make it easier to follow ideas in the second half, even though the themes of family and friends is one that carries throughout the series.

The first of these themes in regards to relationship is the idea of allies, both amongst the adults and the students in their various preparations for battles against Voldemort. Many of allies are close to Harry both in the adults and students as family, mentors, and those he trusts. This begins with the “Order of the Phoenix” - the adults banding together to protect Harry and fight Voldemort. Considering it is the title of the 5th film, it makes sense that they have their own theme as they pick up Harry from his home in the summer to their new headquarters at Sirius’ old home. This is another fantastic flying theme as they fly away on brooms, heard especially in flutes, violins, harp glisses and horns with drums for the heroic nature. “Flight of the Order of the Phoenix” (0:41)

The students themselves create a group called Dumbledore’s Army at school when Hermione decides that they need to know how to defend themselves against Voldemort and his death Eaters instead of receiving just book knowledge. It begins with minor flute as he tells the interested group that this is real life they are dealing with, evident with death of Cedric. “Dumbledore’s Army”

The music for the actual learning is happy as they find hope and joy in this group together. There is an enthusiastic quality between the major string patterns and the winds playing the melody first by clarinet followed by the French horns and flutes. It plays twice in the film, first when the students sign the paper to join the group and but also when the are learning how to produce the patronus spell, a spell of remembering something happy in the moment of darkness and despair. “Dumbledore’s army” (1:00)

This theme used again in film 6 but instead is used during the Quidditch tryouts as Ron does badly and Hermione does a spell to make the other person fail. There is less of a need for Dumbledore’s Army in film 6 so it provides a happy moment in the school year for these students.

However, the idea of having a theme for the Order and Dumbledore’s Army is provided in a new theme for the last two films. It is known in the Deathly Hallow’s Part 1 as the “Band of Brothers” and then Neville’s theme in part 2 but the reality is that the line between the adults and the children in fighting darkness has disappeared. This is the theme of friends through both groups, all actively fighting together against Voldemort and his Death Eaters now. In a similar way to film 5, it is introduced as a group of both adults and older teenagers arrive to escort Harry away from his home to safety, this time as many of them become Harry with the polyjuice potion as a diversion. It’s a theme of seeing close friends and family again such as Ron, Hermione, and Lupin, who almost tells him that he and Tonks are expecting a baby when the clarinet and Mad-eye comes in. This theme is a heroic theme heard in the strings, horns and solo trumpet but with also a hint of melancholy. “Polyjuice Potion”

The theme returns as Harry tries to leave after Mad-Eye is killed and Fred is injured, feeling guilty and trying to protect everyone else from getting hurt. Ron finds him and stops him, telling him that leaving would give Voldemort a favor. This version is in minor and has a melancholy feel to it. “At the burrow” (0:19)

In a similar way, the solo piano plays the a variation of this theme when Harry and Ginny get ready for the wedding, Harry preparing to leave and Ginny knowing it while she asks him to zip up her dress. They both recognize that it may seem silly to have a wedding when everything is so dangerous and yet it is good to be reminded of the good things. The solo piano gives an intimate quality to the theme. It also makes sense that it is a slower minor variation of the theme having been friends, falling in love, and once again having to say goodbye soon. “Harry and Ginny”

As the trio becomes separated from both groups for the rest of the film, it isn’t until they see Neville in part 2, that the theme returns, as he appears through the secret tunnel from Aberforce’s place back into Hogwarts. It is again that sounds of greeting an old friend with a little more danger as he prepares them for what they will see and what has been going on. “Neville” (0:31)

Since the theme does start to follow Neville specifically in the second part, it also briefly plays in the French Horn in triumph after he destroys the bridge and it looks like he also was gone, only for him to pull himself up to the relief of the friends and Dumbledore’s Army standing there. “Battlefield”

It also plays when Neville wakes up after being stunned following his speech of defiance to Voldemort and sees the sword of Gryffindor next to him. “Showdown” (0:50)

Returning to the 5th film with the teenagers, there is of course a bit of young love and high emotions. Beginning with Harry’s continued crush on Cho, they have a sad but also romantic moment as she is grieving Cedric but also liking Harry. As they kiss under the mistletoe, a bittersweet melody plays in the strings and celeste. “The Kiss”

This music continues as Harry shares about this moment with Ron and Hermione afterwards and returns latter in the film as Cho tries to apologize to Dumbledore’s Army for being responsible for them being caught, even though it was under truth serum.

Angsty teenage love continues in film 6 with Harry now pining for Ginny (who also likes him but dating Dean) and Hermione pining for Ron. This is heard again with the oboe and harp, first when Harry arrives at the burrow and Ginny notices his stuff, asking if he is there. “Ginny”

The motif and idea returns in the solo harp as Hermione runs off to herself after seeing Ron kiss Lavender. Harry goes after her and they talk about how it feels watching Ginny and Dean, sharing how hard it is to pretend that everything is alright when it hurts. “Harry & Hermione” (0:29)

This theme returns once more but in the classical guitar, an unusual instrument in the world of Harry Potter, but giving the moment between Harry and Ginny a special intimate sound, especially with the little pauses and rests. Classical guitar is also the instrument of the composer, Nicholas Hooper. It plays as Ginny helps Harry get rid of the Book of the Half-Blood Prince after he almost kills Draco Malfoy with a spell from there. She takes it from him, asking him to close his eyes, and hides it n the Room of Requirement while also kissing him. “When Ginny Kissed Harry”

We return once more to Film 5, looking at the relationship of Harry and the adults who meant so much as family or mentors. There is a bittersweet theme for Sirius and Harry as Sirius gets to share more about his past and the first Order of the Phoenix, first heard in the oboe, flute, and strings as Sirius shows a picture of the first order including Neville’s parents, saying that “it feels like it did before” with a war coming. “A Journey to Hogwarts” (1:18)

This returns later at Christmas time as Sirius shows Harry the Black family tree where he was burned out of it by his mother, sharing that it was James Potter and his family that took him in and felt like true family. He Promises to Harry that they will be a family when this is all over, reassuring him that Harry is a good person and not turning into Voldemort, despite Harry’s concerns regarding the dreams where he sees Voldemort at work.

This theme also plays in film 6 when Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback set the Burrow on fire at Christmas-time after luring Harry and Ginny out to fight them. It does become a theme of loss and the cost of fighting as everyone watches the house burn. “Into the Rushes” (2:02)

Unfortunately, it is the connection with Voldemort’s mind that deceives Harry into thinking that Sirius was captured and tortured, so he races with several friends to save him only to find it a trap. The Order of the Phoenix comes to the rescue over fun string patterns but then Sirius is killed by his cousin Bellatrix and disappears through the doorway, with choir and brass arriving at the climax. The music is heard in the strings but holding notes instead of the movement that they had during the fighting as Lupin holds Harry back from trying to get Sirius. “Death of Sirius” (2:50)

itish composer from the early: 1900

We can hear the slower chords in the strings with a horn filling in the melody before motion is added near the end for a content conclusion to that film with the friends together. “Loved Ones and Leaving” (1:50)

While this works very nicely for bringing that to a conclusion for the audience as well as Harry and his friends, it doesn’t actually fit where Harry’s emotional state is after Sirius’ death which is angry and grieving. Especially with minimal contact with friends over the summer and finding out that the newspapers are printing that he is lying. The music at the beginning of film 6 is almost more tragic than the death of Sirius himself, which often happens in movies, with the grief of those living being more poignant than the moment of death. This theme in heard in the lower strings and choir is what sets the tone for the entire film. “Opening” (0:30)

This then becomes one of the two main themes used for Harry and Dumbledore’s journey throughout film 6 as Dumbledore is heading towards death and they seek to learn more about Voldemort’s decisions to avoid death in creating Horcruxes. Just the way that the movie focuses on solving several mysteries, there are several different themes and motifs that carry through. Unfortunately, the main moment of bringing these ideas together is in the children’s choral piece ‘In Noctem” which was taken out of the film, which is a shame as this contains one of the main themes for Dumbledore throughout as well as a theme used with his death. It is found in the deleted scenes or extended edition, as Dumbledore and Harry prepare to come back from finding a horcux, Snape looks out the window, and Draco lets in Death Eaters into Hogwarts through the cabinet in the Room of Requirement. The middle chanting portion is what appears in almost every Dumbledore scene. “In Noctem” (0:36). However, it is the first part of the melody portion that will be combined with the opening tragic strings from the opening of the movie that is used for the grieving of Dumbledore’s death. “In Noctem”

Not only are the opening chords used for the death of Sirius but the music is the foreshadowing for Dumbledore’s death and used at the end as Harry and the schools grieves his death. It is in essence a bookend for his character as well as Harry’s journey with grief in losing another mentor so soon. The solo cello takes the opening of “In Noctem” combined with the opening chords of the movie and turns it into a haunting lament as Harry grieves again, with the students and faculty sending up lights into the sky that sends away the Dark mark in the sky. ‘Dumbledore’s Farewell” (0:32)

This theme is used one last time in film 8 as Harry sees through the pensive that Snape was the one looking out for him near the end as well as being horrified that they were protecting Harry only for him to die. Snape reveals to Dumbledore that everything he did was for the love he had for Lily, Harry’s mother, interspersed with the grief and flashbacks of Snape finding Lily murdered. It is here when he says his famous word “always” for always loving Lily. Again, a theme of deep grief that changed the trajectory of Harry’s life, finding that he and Snape were intertwined both through Dumbledore and Lily. While we will come back to Lily, Snape, and Harry later, this theme of grief is perhaps the most heart-wrenching of all the grief themes.

The part of “In Noctem” that includes the choir chant, repeating celeste pattern, as well as bass drum appears several times including Dumbledore’s opening speech to Hogwarts telling the students that Tom Riddle was a student like them and their greatest weapon against the dark forces is the students themselves. Later on, it plays as he tells Harry that Slughorn’s memory has been tampered with and that he needs Harry to get the real one so they can gain knowledge about Tom who turned into Voldemort. “Dumbledore’s Foreboding” (0:10)

It returns as Harry and Dumbledore go to the cave to find a horcrux which they learn of once they get the real memory from Slughorn. Dumbledore gives Harry clear instructions to do what he says regardless of what happens. “Journey to the Cave” (0:52)

It also plays as Harry chases down Snape after Snape killed Dumbledore, trying to use a spell that is revealed to be one of Snape’s own. Harry doesn’t know yet that it was at Dumbledore’s request and is trying avenge the teacher and mentor who had helped him so much.

f Sorrowful Songs, written in: 1976

For Harry, he is holding onto the memories of those he loves to fight back because he knows love and friendship. Voldemort doesn’t understand that importance or the power that love contains and so Harry says that he feels sorry for Voldemort while Voldemort says that Harry is a fool and will lose. “Possession” (1:55)

This returns as Harry and Dumbledore find one of the horcruxes, revealed to be parts of Voldemort’s soul preserved in different objects. Dumbledore is the one in pain, fighting off things in his mind due to a poison he needs to drink in order to be able to grab this Horcrux. Harry being the one having to continue to give him the poison while Dumbledore is suffering is a mirror to Dumbledore watching unable to help Harry when fighting Voldemort in his mind. There is also little hints of voices screaming here in there over a timpani roll. “The Drink of Despair” (0:39)

It also returns a lot faster as Harry is rescued by Dumbledore from the Inferi in the water, a trap by Voldemort to prevent any from succeeding, this time with the addition of choir and brass. (1:10) “Inferi in the Firestorm’

A version of this theme comes back as Harry, hidden by his invisibility cloak, sees Draco threaten and try to kill Dumbledore, watching as Dumbledore tries to talk him out of it. Dumbledore is aware that Draco has been tasked by Voldemort to kill him which is why he asked Snape to do it instead, both for the sake of Draco and being aware that he was dying and didn’t have much time left. But as he stalls for time, there are extra string patterns in the violin to add to the tension and dissonance before Snape kills him in silence. (0:46 or 2:00) “the Killing of Dumbledore”

It is in the 8th movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, where much of the information about Snape and Dumbledore come out. It also features a theme which is called “Lily’s theme”, the primary theme throughout the movie, reflecting the love that Lily sacrificed to Harry with the idea of sacrifice and the power of love throughout the whole movie.

In fact, it is the opening theme…the only movie that does not contain a version of Hedwig’s theme at the beginning. The movie opens with seeing Dementors over the school, Snape being the headmaster before transitioning to Harry at Dobby’s grave stone as the violins take the melody. “Lily’s Theme”

The most triumphant version of this theme is when Harry, Ron, and Hermione fly away on the dragon, turning this sad theme into a soaring flying theme with high violins, trumpet and moving flutes. They have gotten a Horcrux in the vault which is one step on their way to defeating Voldemort. After so many loses or a long time of waiting, it feels good to have accomplished the next step after a dangerous mission. “Dragon Flight” (0:53)

However, most of the appearances of this theme are at the end, the first in low flute, with echoes in electronics as Harry tries to stop the bleeding on Snape’s neck after Voldemort orders his death to the snake, and Harry collects a tear to put in the pensive before Snape dies saying “you have your mother’s eye” as the female voice returns. “Snape’s Demise” (1:03)

One of the key moments in the entire series is when Harry opens up the snitch before he dies and the Resurrection Stone appears. Through that he sees his mother, father, Sirius, and Lupin - all the adults who were parents or parent-like figures to him who had died. It is intimate in the voice and harp when Lily tells him that they never left him. Harry asks if dying hurts and apologizes that they had to die for him as the piano joins in, followed by asking them to stay with him to which his mother replies “always.” As Harry prepares to lay down his life and sacrifice it so that Voldemort can be defeated, he seeks the comfort of those who had done the same for him. “The Resurrection Stone” (1:52)

One would expect it to be Hedwig/Harry’s theme that would be the theme during the final duel and defeat of Voldemort but instead it is a variation on Lily’s theme. In many ways, this feels an appropriate bookend thematically even though it might not be musically. Lily’s love protected Harry from Voldemort as a baby but with the curse rebounding, it left a bit of Voldemort’s soul attached to Harry. Now that the Horcurx in Harry has died and all the Horcurxes destroyed, Harry can now finish off that last battle. Love protected him and now has won. “Voldemort’s End” (1:13)

While it might seem appropriate to end this podcast with the defeat of Voldemort, I wanted to end with the journey of the three best friends for the last few films. This is the core family from the very beginning and while Ron and Hermione are included with Dumbledore’s army in film 5, the end of 6 shows them unwilling to let Harry go on his own, realizing that they won’t be returning to Hogwarts for school the following year. It is bittersweet as they realize this, saying goodbye to what is home, while watching Fawkes the Phoenix fly by them after Dumbledore’s death. In many ways, the tone is very similar to the end of 5, which makes sense since it is by the same composer and setting a very similar tone of grief and hope. “The Friends” (1:00)

I think it’s important to note that the films need to end on a more hopeful note. While the beginnings of 4-8 are darker and reflect the danger and grief of losing friends and family, it is important to leave the audience and characters with a sense of hope, especially if you have to wait another year for the next film. After all, good does win in the end and if that hope is not balanced with the dark, then the audience is left feeling weighed down when they leave in the grief of losing beloved characters and the fight against Voldemort and those on his side. That being said, it does give us a bit of whiplash if you listen to the end of one and then the beginning of the next one right in a row!

Film 7 really highlights the relationship of Ron, Hermione and Harry as well as tensions that arise as they try to find and destroy Horcruxes with very little guidance. In particular, this is the film that is the crucible for Ron and Hermione in being separated from their families. Some have called the main motif a loss of innocence theme, which works better for these two as Harry has already gone through a bit of this in the past several films. We first hear it as they all prepare to leave: Hermione erasing herself from her parents memories with the solo cello playing the melody over repeated string patterns, Harry’s relatives the Dursleys leave, Ron stares out outside of his home and then each one walks away or sees family drive away. They are trying to protect their families but that doesn’t take away the heartbreak of saying goodbye, especially for Hermione. “Obliviate” (1:45)

This returns when Ron asks Hermione to wipe the memories of the Death Eaters who came after them since she is the best at spells, but it harkens back to the time she had to do the same for her parents especially in using the same theme. “Death Eaters”

The French Horn plays this motif over different string patterns giving a sense of movement and excitement as the Trio plans to disguise themselves to get into the Ministry in order to grab the locket/Horcrux from Umbridge. “Dobby” (2:40)

It is important to note that the majority of the time that the Trio tries to destroy the locket while wandering in the woods is left in silence. That amplifies both the sense of wandering, isolation, and the toll it is taking on them as they carry this locket with a little bit of Voldemort’s soul attached. Unfortunately, this wears the most on Ron, believing he is seeing things happening between Hermione and Harry, worried about what might be happening with his family, and not knowing how, where, or what they are doing. While not using their motif, this sound of increasing unrest and isolation is clearly heard in the harmonics of the violin that doesn’t match the key of the bass clarinet and harmonies underneath, giving a sound of unreality and being disconnected. “The Exodus” (0:55)

Ron eventually leaves after fighting with Harry, asking Hermione to go with him and the solo violin plays their motif once again before switching to a new theme in the violins and horns that becomes a theme for Ron and Hermione and her grief over his leaving. “Ron Leaves” (0:50)

When Hermione brings Harry to the Forest of Dean to hide after their run-in with Nagini the snake hiding as Mathilda Bagshot, she speaks of how her parents wouldn’t remember any of the times they had spent there as a family. The flute plays a haunting version of the Trio/loss theme, again harkening back to when she had to erase their memories. “Hermione’s Parents” (0:46)

Later on, Harry is guided by a Patronus to the sword of Gryiffindor in a near-by lake but is almost drowned by the Horcurx locket. As he bangs on the ice and then is rescued, low cellos play the theme hinting at who saves him, although it takes a moment for both audience and Harry to see that it is Ron who rescued him. When the reveal happens, it takes this motif and turns into major, both heroic and a restoration, which is also the beginning notes of Ron and Hermione’s theme. “Hermione’s Parents” (5:17)

Ron and Hermione’s theme fully comes back in the violins over shimmering strings and harp, as he describes the light coming into his heart, hearing her voice, which helped him to find them again. It is both sweet and gentle in muted strings as he shares his heart, the first step in restoration with Hermione, who is both angry with him and yet missed him dreadfully. “Ron’s Speech” (0:28)

This theme does come back very briefly when they kiss near the end of the second film.

The low Trio cello theme returns over a slow repeated beat in drums and flutes over violin tremolo plays as the three of them are captured in the woods by Snatchers, Harry’s face disfigured by Hermione so that he wouldn’t be recognized. ‘Captured and Tortured” (1:33)

It also returns for a last time in a solo violin as Ron and Harry escape the dungeon to rescue Hermione to see Mudblood written on her arm in her torture from Bellatrix. Dobby helps to rescue them and in the process is killed by Bellatrix. While the music for Dobby’s death is Harry’s theme or Hedwig’s theme, the music following the grief and aftermath is heard in the solo cello as it plays a sad theme slightly based on the Trio theme but then ends hopefully as Harry chooses to bury Dobby without magic. It is a softer sound, most likely with the strings being muted, being bittersweet to finish the film with these friends grieving and yet having escaped. This continues the sound of remaining grieved to lose a loyal friend but also in a place where they can find refuge and heal. They survived to continue the fight but not without cost. “Farewell to Dobby” (1:10)

In a similar way to the end of the 4th-7th films, the last film ends the present journey with Ron, Hermione and Harry at Hogwarts with a bittersweet melody. Even though they won the battle, they all seem weary and hard to believe it is all over. This is not a triumphant melody…that is saved for the flash-forward epilogue 19 years later. Instead, it focuses on this family and best-friends, with Harry breaking and throwing away the Elder wand and then all three of them holding hands in silence looking out into the distance. The music is both quiet and yet rings of new beginnings with the harp, low flute, and strings. It is important that the celeste is present at the end as that it the sound of magic associated with Harry and Hogwarts. Even at the end, it still is present as an important aspect of that world that they can now build anew together. “A New Beginning” (0:32)

I touched on this in the previous episode but one of the reasons the track of “Leaving Hogwarts” is even more impactful at the epilogue is that after all these bittersweet and grieving moments, there is a joy in seeing the Trio happy with their families. After seeing Hogwarts in a destroyed state, there is joy in seeing kids of a new generation excited to experience Hogwarts and getting on the train echoing the beginning of Harry’s journey. Just as the present ending focuses on the Trio of friends, the ending of the epilogue zooms in on these three, providing a satisfying and joyful conclusion. “Leaving Hogwarts” (1:40)

This brings us to the conclusion of following the various relationships that Harry had with friends and family, mentors and even a little romance thrown in there. We can hear musically how death and life were intertwined in his journey with a mixture of hope and grief that occurred throughout the series. Ultimately, it is his friends and love that helped Harry not only survive but helped him to win against evil and death.

Next month, I will be focusing on specific character themes outside of Harry himself from Dobby to Dumbledore to Voldemort with a few of the quirky ones in-between.

You can join in on discussing all the musical moments regarding your favorite relationship, life or loss theme or any other of your favorites themes and tracks in the Harry Potter films in the Facebook group “World of Soundtracks” or on Twitter and Instagram at WoSoundtracks. Please like and subscribe, share with friends, or even leave a review on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon. I highly recommend subscribing so you don’t miss when the next episode comes out.

Until next time, Happy Listening!

A special thanks to all those involved to make this podcast happen especially Edith Mudge for the title music and Lindsey Bergmsa for the graphics. This is World of Soundtracks.

WoS 9 - Relationships in Harry Potter - Life and loss

Welcome to World of Soundtracks, a monthly podcast where we explore storytelling aspects in films and TV through music. Whether it is comparing book adaptations, observing themes over a series, or micro analyzing the choice of instruments, we look at how the story is told and moves us. I am your host Ruth Mudge and today we will be looking at relationship themes from the Harry Potter series.

Welcome to all of you who are new listeners. It’s been exciting to see this grow especially from so many countries and to have you join our journey through the film music of Harry Potter.

This is the second podcast in a series focusing on different themes and ideas throughout the 8 Harry Potter films based on the book series by J.K. Rowling. While there is a lot of music, I want to focus on the subject of life and loss primarily through relationships whether it is finding love through family and friends, or with losing family, mentors and friends.

When Harry’s journey begins in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” he is an orphan taken in rather reluctantly by his aunt and uncle. It isn’t until he is invited to Hogwarts that he discovers the sadness of his past with his parents dying to protect him while fighting Voldemort as well as the joy of becoming part of a world with magic, making friends and finding a home where he belongs. Much of that is heard through Hedwig’s theme as well as his family theme that I talked about in the first podcast. I will return to the family theme in a bit but it does highlight the back and forth throughout the 8 films, the joy and the grief as he continues on the journey of growing up, not only being the boy who survived but being crucial to the defeat once more of Voldemort in the battle of good and evil.

Let’s start with some of the joy from the beginning as we begin with “Harry’s Wondrous World” first introduced in the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, with the music by John Williams. This is one of the most famous themes from the film and is also one of the ones that was in his Children’s Suite. The track heard on the soundtrack is from this version which is also a concert version and not how it is fully heard in the first movie. There is both a joy and sweetness to it, being in major unlike Hedwig’s Theme. However, like Hedwig’s Theme, this theme is in 3 so Williams can combine the two seamlessly if he chose. This theme is used both for Harry’s joy in finding a place of home, a joy in magic, and also increasingly used for his friendship with Ron and Hermione. “Harry’s Wondrous World”

For such an iconic theme, it is interesting that it takes awhile to be heard. It first appears when Harry wins the Quidditch game part-way through the first movie. There is a joy in winning but also a sense of belonging, finding a joy in the game of Quidditch and flying, winning for his house, as well as seeing his friends rejoice. The music is played in lower violins, giving it a warmth, followed by the fanfare aspect in the brass.“The Quidditch match” (7:47)

Harry’s Wondrous World plays twice more in this film, the first as he is reunited with Ron and Hermione in the hospital after they overcame the various trials to protect the stone, and again when it is revealed that Gryffindor wins the house cup after Dumbledore awards various points to the trio and Neville for their actions, with hats being sent into the air. Both are moments of belonging and rejoicing.

While not as prominent in the first film, the second one, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, uses it a lot more now that sense of friendship and belonging has become more established.

The first time it plays is when the Weasley twins and Ron helps Harry escape from the Dursleys in their Dad’s flying car on his birthday. It is a mixture of joy and a little mischief as well. This version uses the celeste and flute for the fanfare as well as the flute flitting around as they fly. “Escape from the Dursleys” (2:49). On a side note, John Williams writes amazing flying music in his films. This idea of the flying car and the joy of it (before a problematic crash) returns as Ron and Harry fly in it to school. However, it didn’t begin with a great start so there are a few moments of dissonance in the first few notes. “The Flying Car” (1:11) Once they get it going and are able to fly without problems, then it soars in the French Horns (2:53)

On the reunion side of things, the theme plays in the flute and English Horn as Harry and Hermione reunite after the summer in Knockturn Alley, giving it a very sweet sound matching their friendship. “Knockturn Alley” (1:10)

This use of the flute with the melody in the violins is used at the end when Hermione is reunited with Harry and Ron after being frozen by the Basilisk, hugging Harry and awkwardly shaking hands with Ron. “Reunion of Friends” (0:27) It returns a little bit later in the French Horn, an instrument often used for heroes as Hagrid returns back the Great Hall after being in prison, to the delight of the Trio. Hagrid, Hermione and Ron are Harry’s closest friends and family throughout the series so it seems to be appropriate to use this theme in bringing them all back together in the end. “Reunion of Friends” (2:16). “Harry’s Wondrous World” is also used for the credits of the 2nd film. This is the last time this music is used in the series.

In the previous episode, I explored how Harry’s family theme was used in the first film: being a sad and lonely theme as Harry is alone on his birthday, seeing his parents in the mirror of Erised, and being transformed at the end to represent finding family in his friends and Hogwarts as he leaves and looks forward to returning.

This theme does appear a handful of times in the second film outside of the end reunion, notably when Harry explores the Weasley home for the first time, a place that will become a second home and his second family, looking at the clock that changes the boys location to home. The rhythm is changed a little, turning it into 4 instead of 3 by holding the last note of each measure longer as it brings Harry much delight before Molly Weasley starts scolding the boys.

It also played when Harry tells petrified Hermione that they need her later on.

While this particular theme does not continue, the idea of family especially in regards to Harry’s parents comes back in the 3rd movie, Harry and Prisoner of Azkaban. This theme ‘Window from the past” is both a little lonely and wistful throughout the film as Harry learns more of his parents through coming to know Professor Lupin and through him, more about his parents, particularly his father. It is finding family in those who knew his family and also learning more about the betrayal made by one of his father’s closest friends. The theme is in minor and 6/8 which has a lilting quality to it. It is first introduced in the celeste as Harry looks at the picture of his parents after Aunt Marge said horrible things about them.

The full theme plays in the recorder, an instrument featured a lot more in this 3rd movie along with other older instruments from the Renaissance and Baroque. It gives a slightly older sound fitting with looking back to the past. There is both a very slow and faster version played. It plays as he is able to talk about his fears with Professor Lupin after encountering boggarts and then again when Lupin shares how his mother had been kind to him while his father had a predisposition for trouble. “A window from the past”

Later on, it returns in the clarinet as Harry asks Lupin why Dementors seem to affect him more and Lupin responds that it could be due to the horrors of his past. (2:32)

In the climax of the movie, it is revealed that Peter Pettigrew was both alive and had been the one to betray James and Lily Potter instead of Harry’s godfather Sirius. Both Lupin and Sirius were ready to kill Peter but Harry stopped them. After this, Sirius stood outside with Harry looking forward to being a free man as the solo French Horn plays the the theme, applauding Harry for doing a noble thing despite the fact that Peter didn’t deserve it while Harry responds that he didn’t think his Dad would want his best friends to become killers. Sirius tells Harry that he was named his godfather and gives him the offer of living with him instead of his aunt and uncle, while the violins take the melody.

Unfortunately, things go south from there with Lupin transforming, Peter escaping, dementors attacking and so Harry and Hermione go back in time. The recorder takes the theme as Harry sees the same conversation from a distance.

It is when Harry saves both himself and Sirius from the Dementors that the French Horns plays a brief part of the theme in major with pauses between each phrase over a dissonant cacophony of voices for the dementors and using his patronus to send them away. “Dementors Converge” (1:52) (2:00 in Finale - Patronus - beautiful voices)

The recorder plays the melody over harpsichord and harp one last time as Sirius tells Harry that he sees Harry’s parents in Him. The French Horn takes over as Sirius also says that Harry will always have them in his heart before escaping on Buckbeak. (2:03)

Two things change with the 4th film: there is a new composer, and teenagers starting to have crushes. To reflect this, Harry has a young romantic theme in the theme “Harry in Winter.” First heard in the violins and flute over harp as he asks Cho to the ball but then the clarinet takes the melody as she turns him down, telling him that she is going with Cedric. The composer Patrick Doyle is very good at writing themes in the style of Italian opera composer Puccini, who always aimed to move the audience’s heart strings with his arias regardless of the subject, such as “O Mio Babbino Caro” which is also about a teenager in young love where everything is felt intensely. Here is a version featuring Joshua Bell playing the aria on violin as it matches more of the sound of this soundtrack. “O Mio Babbino Caro” (1:24). Now here is “Harry in Winter” which is a concert version of the track, just the way John Williams did for “Hedwig’s Theme” and “Harry’s Wondrous World” instead of what is just in the film. “Harry in Winter”

However, this theme isn’t just used for young love and crushes but also for his deep emotional moments in this film. It’s not just for physically in winter but emotionally in winter as well. The darker and colder moments at the end use this theme for Harry. Take out the harp, add in some cymbal rolls and low cello scales and the theme can become one of deep longing and emotional turmoil especially at the end as he duels Voldemort. Since their wands share the same core, it releases the most recent killing spells of Voldemort’s wand, which give glimpses of his parents, telling him to run as well as Cedric who asks Harry to bring back his body to his father. It is in this fight of life and death that he briefly hears and sees those he had lost in death, encouraging him what to do next to live. “Voldemort” (8:50)

However, it is in the mourning of Cedric’s death that the theme is transformed from a sweet romantic theme to a tragic theme in the strings in a similar vein to Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” one of the most famous American string pieces often played in grieving events, such as the death of John F. Kennedy or 9/11. “Adagio for Strings” (5:10)

This is the first death Harry has witnessed himself, a friend and fellow student, and we hear the grief of both him and Cedric’s father as well as the teachers and students who are also grieving and in shock. This becomes a turning point for not only with the return of Voldemort but also a turn in Harry’s journey to a deeper sense of loss, anger, and a new trajectory towards fighting Voldemort. “Death of Cedric” (0:58)

This film doesn’t have very much for the group of friends as a theme throughout but it does end with a sense of hope as the trio comes together while watching the Tournament teams leave to go back to their schools. Hermione asks the boys to write and talks about how things will change in a bittersweet and slightly anxious way. In the midst of a lot of grief and tragedy, the film ends with a sense of hope and possibility, friendship and even family. “Another year ends” (1:10)

The end of the fourth film is a turning point for Harry and his friends as there is an extra layer of danger and the beginnings of a war. That means that we have similar ideas and themes that run through the later 4 films. Part of that is due to the fact that films 5 and 6 have the same composer in Nicholas Hooper and 7 and 8 are a two-parter under the composer Alexander Desplat, but it does make it easier to follow ideas in the second half, even though the themes of family and friends is one that carries throughout the series.

The first of these themes in regards to relationship is the idea of allies, both amongst the adults and the students in their various preparations for battles against Voldemort. Many of allies are close to Harry both in the adults and students as family, mentors, and those he trusts. This begins with the “Order of the Phoenix” - the adults banding together to protect Harry and fight Voldemort. Considering it is the title of the 5th film, it makes sense that they have their own theme as they pick up Harry from his home in the summer to their new headquarters at Sirius’ old home. This is another fantastic flying theme as they fly away on brooms, heard especially in flutes, violins, harp glisses and horns with drums for the heroic nature. “Flight of the Order of the Phoenix” (0:41)

The students themselves create a group called Dumbledore’s Army at school when Hermione decides that they need to know how to defend themselves against Voldemort and his death Eaters instead of receiving just book knowledge. It begins with minor flute as he tells the interested group that this is real life they are dealing with, evident with death of Cedric. “Dumbledore’s Army”

The music for the actual learning is happy as they find hope and joy in this group together. There is an enthusiastic quality between the major string patterns and the winds playing the melody first by clarinet followed by the French horns and flutes. It plays twice in the film, first when the students sign the paper to join the group and but also when the are learning how to produce the patronus spell, a spell of remembering something happy in the moment of darkness and despair. “Dumbledore’s army” (1:00)

This theme used again in film 6 but instead is used during the Quidditch tryouts as Ron does badly and Hermione does a spell to make the other person fail. There is less of a need for Dumbledore’s Army in film 6 so it provides a happy moment in the school year for these students.

However, the idea of having a theme for the Order and Dumbledore’s Army is provided in a new theme for the last two films. It is known in the Deathly Hallow’s Part 1 as the “Band of Brothers” and then Neville’s theme in part 2 but the reality is that the line between the adults and the children in fighting darkness has disappeared. This is the theme of friends through both groups, all actively fighting together against Voldemort and his Death Eaters now. In a similar way to film 5, it is introduced as a group of both adults and older teenagers arrive to escort Harry away from his home to safety, this time as many of them become Harry with the polyjuice potion as a diversion. It’s a theme of seeing close friends and family again such as Ron, Hermione, and Lupin, who almost tells him that he and Tonks are expecting a baby when the clarinet and Mad-eye comes in. This theme is a heroic theme heard in the strings, horns and solo trumpet but with also a hint of melancholy. “Polyjuice Potion”

The theme returns as Harry tries to leave after Mad-Eye is killed and Fred is injured, feeling guilty and trying to protect everyone else from getting hurt. Ron finds him and stops him, telling him that leaving would give Voldemort a favor. This version is in minor and has a melancholy feel to it. “At the burrow” (0:19)

In a similar way, the solo piano plays the a variation of this theme when Harry and Ginny get ready for the wedding, Harry preparing to leave and Ginny knowing it while she asks him to zip up her dress. They both recognize that it may seem silly to have a wedding when everything is so dangerous and yet it is good to be reminded of the good things. The solo piano gives an intimate quality to the theme. It also makes sense that it is a slower minor variation of the theme having been friends, falling in love, and once again having to say goodbye soon. “Harry and Ginny”

As the trio becomes separated from both groups for the rest of the film, it isn’t until they see Neville in part 2, that the theme returns, as he appears through the secret tunnel from Aberforce’s place back into Hogwarts. It is again that sounds of greeting an old friend with a little more danger as he prepares them for what they will see and what has been going on. “Neville” (0:31)

Since the theme does start to follow Neville specifically in the second part, it also briefly plays in the French Horn in triumph after he destroys the bridge and it looks like he also was gone, only for him to pull himself up to the relief of the friends and Dumbledore’s Army standing there. “Battlefield”

It also plays when Neville wakes up after being stunned following his speech of defiance to Voldemort and sees the sword of Gryffindor next to him. “Showdown” (0:50)

Returning to the 5th film with the teenagers, there is of course a bit of young love and high emotions. Beginning with Harry’s continued crush on Cho, they have a sad but also romantic moment as she is grieving Cedric but also liking Harry. As they kiss under the mistletoe, a bittersweet melody plays in the strings and celeste. “The Kiss”

This music continues as Harry shares about this moment with Ron and Hermione afterwards and returns latter in the film as Cho tries to apologize to Dumbledore’s Army for being responsible for them being caught, even though it was under truth serum.

Angsty teenage love continues in film 6 with Harry now pining for Ginny (who also likes him but dating Dean) and Hermione pining for Ron. This is heard again with the oboe and harp, first when Harry arrives at the burrow and Ginny notices his stuff, asking if he is there. “Ginny”

The motif and idea returns in the solo harp as Hermione runs off to herself after seeing Ron kiss Lavender. Harry goes after her and they talk about how it feels watching Ginny and Dean, sharing how hard it is to pretend that everything is alright when it hurts. “Harry & Hermione” (0:29)

This theme returns once more but in the classical guitar, an unusual instrument in the world of Harry Potter, but giving the moment between Harry and Ginny a special intimate sound, especially with the little pauses and rests. Classical guitar is also the instrument of the composer, Nicholas Hooper. It plays as Ginny helps Harry get rid of the Book of the Half-Blood Prince after he almost kills Draco Malfoy with a spell from there. She takes it from him, asking him to close his eyes, and hides it n the Room of Requirement while also kissing him. “When Ginny Kissed Harry”

We return once more to Film 5, looking at the relationship of Harry and the adults who meant so much as family or mentors. There is a bittersweet theme for Sirius and Harry as Sirius gets to share more about his past and the first Order of the Phoenix, first heard in the oboe, flute, and strings as Sirius shows a picture of the first order including Neville’s parents, saying that “it feels like it did before” with a war coming. “A Journey to Hogwarts” (1:18)

This returns later at Christmas time as Sirius shows Harry the Black family tree where he was burned out of it by his mother, sharing that it was James Potter and his family that took him in and felt like true family. He Promises to Harry that they will be a family when this is all over, reassuring him that Harry is a good person and not turning into Voldemort, despite Harry’s concerns regarding the dreams where he sees Voldemort at work.

This theme also plays in film 6 when Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback set the Burrow on fire at Christmas-time after luring Harry and Ginny out to fight them. It does become a theme of loss and the cost of fighting as everyone watches the house burn. “Into the Rushes” (2:02)

Unfortunately, it is the connection with Voldemort’s mind that deceives Harry into thinking that Sirius was captured and tortured, so he races with several friends to save him only to find it a trap. The Order of the Phoenix comes to the rescue over fun string patterns but then Sirius is killed by his cousin Bellatrix and disappears through the doorway, with choir and brass arriving at the climax. The music is heard in the strings but holding notes instead of the movement that they had during the fighting as Lupin holds Harry back from trying to get Sirius. “Death of Sirius” (2:50)

itish composer from the early: 1900

We can hear the slower chords in the strings with a horn filling in the melody before motion is added near the end for a content conclusion to that film with the friends together. “Loved Ones and Leaving” (1:50)

While this works very nicely for bringing that to a conclusion for the audience as well as Harry and his friends, it doesn’t actually fit where Harry’s emotional state is after Sirius’ death which is angry and grieving. Especially with minimal contact with friends over the summer and finding out that the newspapers are printing that he is lying. The music at the beginning of film 6 is almost more tragic than the death of Sirius himself, which often happens in movies, with the grief of those living being more poignant than the moment of death. This theme in heard in the lower strings and choir is what sets the tone for the entire film. “Opening” (0:30)

This then becomes one of the two main themes used for Harry and Dumbledore’s journey throughout film 6 as Dumbledore is heading towards death and they seek to learn more about Voldemort’s decisions to avoid death in creating Horcruxes. Just the way that the movie focuses on solving several mysteries, there are several different themes and motifs that carry through. Unfortunately, the main moment of bringing these ideas together is in the children’s choral piece ‘In Noctem” which was taken out of the film, which is a shame as this contains one of the main themes for Dumbledore throughout as well as a theme used with his death. It is found in the deleted scenes or extended edition, as Dumbledore and Harry prepare to come back from finding a horcux, Snape looks out the window, and Draco lets in Death Eaters into Hogwarts through the cabinet in the Room of Requirement. The middle chanting portion is what appears in almost every Dumbledore scene. “In Noctem” (0:36). However, it is the first part of the melody portion that will be combined with the opening tragic strings from the opening of the movie that is used for the grieving of Dumbledore’s death. “In Noctem”

Not only are the opening chords used for the death of Sirius but the music is the foreshadowing for Dumbledore’s death and used at the end as Harry and the schools grieves his death. It is in essence a bookend for his character as well as Harry’s journey with grief in losing another mentor so soon. The solo cello takes the opening of “In Noctem” combined with the opening chords of the movie and turns it into a haunting lament as Harry grieves again, with the students and faculty sending up lights into the sky that sends away the Dark mark in the sky. ‘Dumbledore’s Farewell” (0:32)

This theme is used one last time in film 8 as Harry sees through the pensive that Snape was the one looking out for him near the end as well as being horrified that they were protecting Harry only for him to die. Snape reveals to Dumbledore that everything he did was for the love he had for Lily, Harry’s mother, interspersed with the grief and flashbacks of Snape finding Lily murdered. It is here when he says his famous word “always” for always loving Lily. Again, a theme of deep grief that changed the trajectory of Harry’s life, finding that he and Snape were intertwined both through Dumbledore and Lily. While we will come back to Lily, Snape, and Harry later, this theme of grief is perhaps the most heart-wrenching of all the grief themes.

The part of “In Noctem” that includes the choir chant, repeating celeste pattern, as well as bass drum appears several times including Dumbledore’s opening speech to Hogwarts telling the students that Tom Riddle was a student like them and their greatest weapon against the dark forces is the students themselves. Later on, it plays as he tells Harry that Slughorn’s memory has been tampered with and that he needs Harry to get the real one so they can gain knowledge about Tom who turned into Voldemort. “Dumbledore’s Foreboding” (0:10)

It returns as Harry and Dumbledore go to the cave to find a horcrux which they learn of once they get the real memory from Slughorn. Dumbledore gives Harry clear instructions to do what he says regardless of what happens. “Journey to the Cave” (0:52)

It also plays as Harry chases down Snape after Snape killed Dumbledore, trying to use a spell that is revealed to be one of Snape’s own. Harry doesn’t know yet that it was at Dumbledore’s request and is trying avenge the teacher and mentor who had helped him so much.

f Sorrowful Songs, written in: 1976

For Harry, he is holding onto the memories of those he loves to fight back because he knows love and friendship. Voldemort doesn’t understand that importance or the power that love contains and so Harry says that he feels sorry for Voldemort while Voldemort says that Harry is a fool and will lose. “Possession” (1:55)

This returns as Harry and Dumbledore find one of the horcruxes, revealed to be parts of Voldemort’s soul preserved in different objects. Dumbledore is the one in pain, fighting off things in his mind due to a poison he needs to drink in order to be able to grab this Horcrux. Harry being the one having to continue to give him the poison while Dumbledore is suffering is a mirror to Dumbledore watching unable to help Harry when fighting Voldemort in his mind. There is also little hints of voices screaming here in there over a timpani roll. “The Drink of Despair” (0:39)

It also returns a lot faster as Harry is rescued by Dumbledore from the Inferi in the water, a trap by Voldemort to prevent any from succeeding, this time with the addition of choir and brass. (1:10) “Inferi in the Firestorm’

A version of this theme comes back as Harry, hidden by his invisibility cloak, sees Draco threaten and try to kill Dumbledore, watching as Dumbledore tries to talk him out of it. Dumbledore is aware that Draco has been tasked by Voldemort to kill him which is why he asked Snape to do it instead, both for the sake of Draco and being aware that he was dying and didn’t have much time left. But as he stalls for time, there are extra string patterns in the violin to add to the tension and dissonance before Snape kills him in silence. (0:46 or 2:00) “the Killing of Dumbledore”

It is in the 8th movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, where much of the information about Snape and Dumbledore come out. It also features a theme which is called “Lily’s theme”, the primary theme throughout the movie, reflecting the love that Lily sacrificed to Harry with the idea of sacrifice and the power of love throughout the whole movie.

In fact, it is the opening theme…the only movie that does not contain a version of Hedwig’s theme at the beginning. The movie opens with seeing Dementors over the school, Snape being the headmaster before transitioning to Harry at Dobby’s grave stone as the violins take the melody. “Lily’s Theme”

The most triumphant version of this theme is when Harry, Ron, and Hermione fly away on the dragon, turning this sad theme into a soaring flying theme with high violins, trumpet and moving flutes. They have gotten a Horcrux in the vault which is one step on their way to defeating Voldemort. After so many loses or a long time of waiting, it feels good to have accomplished the next step after a dangerous mission. “Dragon Flight” (0:53)

However, most of the appearances of this theme are at the end, the first in low flute, with echoes in electronics as Harry tries to stop the bleeding on Snape’s neck after Voldemort orders his death to the snake, and Harry collects a tear to put in the pensive before Snape dies saying “you have your mother’s eye” as the female voice returns. “Snape’s Demise” (1:03)

One of the key moments in the entire series is when Harry opens up the snitch before he dies and the Resurrection Stone appears. Through that he sees his mother, father, Sirius, and Lupin - all the adults who were parents or parent-like figures to him who had died. It is intimate in the voice and harp when Lily tells him that they never left him. Harry asks if dying hurts and apologizes that they had to die for him as the piano joins in, followed by asking them to stay with him to which his mother replies “always.” As Harry prepares to lay down his life and sacrifice it so that Voldemort can be defeated, he seeks the comfort of those who had done the same for him. “The Resurrection Stone” (1:52)

One would expect it to be Hedwig/Harry’s theme that would be the theme during the final duel and defeat of Voldemort but instead it is a variation on Lily’s theme. In many ways, this feels an appropriate bookend thematically even though it might not be musically. Lily’s love protected Harry from Voldemort as a baby but with the curse rebounding, it left a bit of Voldemort’s soul attached to Harry. Now that the Horcurx in Harry has died and all the Horcurxes destroyed, Harry can now finish off that last battle. Love protected him and now has won. “Voldemort’s End” (1:13)

While it might seem appropriate to end this podcast with the defeat of Voldemort, I wanted to end with the journey of the three best friends for the last few films. This is the core family from the very beginning and while Ron and Hermione are included with Dumbledore’s army in film 5, the end of 6 shows them unwilling to let Harry go on his own, realizing that they won’t be returning to Hogwarts for school the following year. It is bittersweet as they realize this, saying goodbye to what is home, while watching Fawkes the Phoenix fly by them after Dumbledore’s death. In many ways, the tone is very similar to the end of 5, which makes sense since it is by the same composer and setting a very similar tone of grief and hope. “The Friends” (1:00)

I think it’s important to note that the films need to end on a more hopeful note. While the beginnings of 4-8 are darker and reflect the danger and grief of losing friends and family, it is important to leave the audience and characters with a sense of hope, especially if you have to wait another year for the next film. After all, good does win in the end and if that hope is not balanced with the dark, then the audience is left feeling weighed down when they leave in the grief of losing beloved characters and the fight against Voldemort and those on his side. That being said, it does give us a bit of whiplash if you listen to the end of one and then the beginning of the next one right in a row!

Film 7 really highlights the relationship of Ron, Hermione and Harry as well as tensions that arise as they try to find and destroy Horcruxes with very little guidance. In particular, this is the film that is the crucible for Ron and Hermione in being separated from their families. Some have called the main motif a loss of innocence theme, which works better for these two as Harry has already gone through a bit of this in the past several films. We first hear it as they all prepare to leave: Hermione erasing herself from her parents memories with the solo cello playing the melody over repeated string patterns, Harry’s relatives the Dursleys leave, Ron stares out outside of his home and then each one walks away or sees family drive away. They are trying to protect their families but that doesn’t take away the heartbreak of saying goodbye, especially for Hermione. “Obliviate” (1:45)

This returns when Ron asks Hermione to wipe the memories of the Death Eaters who came after them since she is the best at spells, but it harkens back to the time she had to do the same for her parents especially in using the same theme. “Death Eaters”

The French Horn plays this motif over different string patterns giving a sense of movement and excitement as the Trio plans to disguise themselves to get into the Ministry in order to grab the locket/Horcrux from Umbridge. “Dobby” (2:40)

It is important to note that the majority of the time that the Trio tries to destroy the locket while wandering in the woods is left in silence. That amplifies both the sense of wandering, isolation, and the toll it is taking on them as they carry this locket with a little bit of Voldemort’s soul attached. Unfortunately, this wears the most on Ron, believing he is seeing things happening between Hermione and Harry, worried about what might be happening with his family, and not knowing how, where, or what they are doing. While not using their motif, this sound of increasing unrest and isolation is clearly heard in the harmonics of the violin that doesn’t match the key of the bass clarinet and harmonies underneath, giving a sound of unreality and being disconnected. “The Exodus” (0:55)

Ron eventually leaves after fighting with Harry, asking Hermione to go with him and the solo violin plays their motif once again before switching to a new theme in the violins and horns that becomes a theme for Ron and Hermione and her grief over his leaving. “Ron Leaves” (0:50)

When Hermione brings Harry to the Forest of Dean to hide after their run-in with Nagini the snake hiding as Mathilda Bagshot, she speaks of how her parents wouldn’t remember any of the times they had spent there as a family. The flute plays a haunting version of the Trio/loss theme, again harkening back to when she had to erase their memories. “Hermione’s Parents” (0:46)

Later on, Harry is guided by a Patronus to the sword of Gryiffindor in a near-by lake but is almost drowned by the Horcurx locket. As he bangs on the ice and then is rescued, low cellos play the theme hinting at who saves him, although it takes a moment for both audience and Harry to see that it is Ron who rescued him. When the reveal happens, it takes this motif and turns into major, both heroic and a restoration, which is also the beginning notes of Ron and Hermione’s theme. “Hermione’s Parents” (5:17)

Ron and Hermione’s theme fully comes back in the violins over shimmering strings and harp, as he describes the light coming into his heart, hearing her voice, which helped him to find them again. It is both sweet and gentle in muted strings as he shares his heart, the first step in restoration with Hermione, who is both angry with him and yet missed him dreadfully. “Ron’s Speech” (0:28)

This theme does come back very briefly when they kiss near the end of the second film.

The low Trio cello theme returns over a slow repeated beat in drums and flutes over violin tremolo plays as the three of them are captured in the woods by Snatchers, Harry’s face disfigured by Hermione so that he wouldn’t be recognized. ‘Captured and Tortured” (1:33)

It also returns for a last time in a solo violin as Ron and Harry escape the dungeon to rescue Hermione to see Mudblood written on her arm in her torture from Bellatrix. Dobby helps to rescue them and in the process is killed by Bellatrix. While the music for Dobby’s death is Harry’s theme or Hedwig’s theme, the music following the grief and aftermath is heard in the solo cello as it plays a sad theme slightly based on the Trio theme but then ends hopefully as Harry chooses to bury Dobby without magic. It is a softer sound, most likely with the strings being muted, being bittersweet to finish the film with these friends grieving and yet having escaped. This continues the sound of remaining grieved to lose a loyal friend but also in a place where they can find refuge and heal. They survived to continue the fight but not without cost. “Farewell to Dobby” (1:10)

In a similar way to the end of the 4th-7th films, the last film ends the present journey with Ron, Hermione and Harry at Hogwarts with a bittersweet melody. Even though they won the battle, they all seem weary and hard to believe it is all over. This is not a triumphant melody…that is saved for the flash-forward epilogue 19 years later. Instead, it focuses on this family and best-friends, with Harry breaking and throwing away the Elder wand and then all three of them holding hands in silence looking out into the distance. The music is both quiet and yet rings of new beginnings with the harp, low flute, and strings. It is important that the celeste is present at the end as that it the sound of magic associated with Harry and Hogwarts. Even at the end, it still is present as an important aspect of that world that they can now build anew together. “A New Beginning” (0:32)

I touched on this in the previous episode but one of the reasons the track of “Leaving Hogwarts” is even more impactful at the epilogue is that after all these bittersweet and grieving moments, there is a joy in seeing the Trio happy with their families. After seeing Hogwarts in a destroyed state, there is joy in seeing kids of a new generation excited to experience Hogwarts and getting on the train echoing the beginning of Harry’s journey. Just as the present ending focuses on the Trio of friends, the ending of the epilogue zooms in on these three, providing a satisfying and joyful conclusion. “Leaving Hogwarts” (1:40)

This brings us to the conclusion of following the various relationships that Harry had with friends and family, mentors and even a little romance thrown in there. We can hear musically how death and life were intertwined in his journey with a mixture of hope and grief that occurred throughout the series. Ultimately, it is his friends and love that helped Harry not only survive but helped him to win against evil and death.

Next month, I will be focusing on specific character themes outside of Harry himself from Dobby to Dumbledore to Voldemort with a few of the quirky ones in-between.

You can join in on discussing all the musical moments regarding your favorite relationship, life or loss theme or any other of your favorites themes and tracks in the Harry Potter films in the Facebook group “World of Soundtracks” or on Twitter and Instagram at WoSoundtracks. Please like and subscribe, share with friends, or even leave a review on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon. I highly recommend subscribing so you don’t miss when the next episode comes out.

Until next time, Happy Listening!

A special thanks to all those involved to make this podcast happen especially Edith Mudge for the title music and Lindsey Bergmsa for the graphics. This is World of Soundtracks.