Are we having fun?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 80615

Looking at those who are feeling let down by the darkness of OOTP, I 
think this is one of those "darkness hour is just before the dawn" 
scenarios.

How often in a story does the outlook seem completely bleak and then 
something turns up.....

A quote from a book which has for many years been one of my 
favourites: "To serve them all my days" by R F Delderfield which is 
about the life of a schoolmaster at a boarding school on Exmoor (the 
area in which I now live).

"So often had it happened that way, a sudden closing in of baleful 
influences that threatened to overwhelm him and then a single fissure 
that offered an escape route and, once exploited, presented a variety 
of alternative new courses...."

I also think of one of my other great favourites - LOTR. The darkest 
moment is perhaps in Volume 3 when Sam discovers that Frodo is avlive 
and in the hands of the Orcs of Cirith Ungol. At that moment, Sam 
hits bottom. "His fear of the orcs, forgotten for a while in his 
wrath an depression, now returned. As far as he could see, there was 
only one course for him to take: he must go on..... but his knees 
felt weak and he found that he was trembling." And later... "In that 
hour of trial, it was the love of his master that helped most to hold 
him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain 
hobbit-sense..."

Isn't this a parallel with Harry. On several occasions, he has felt 
that the only way to go is on... with his knees trembling; and often 
it is because the thought of his friends (and also their support) 
that has kept him firm.

I believe that heroes arise out of the moment - my mind went back a 
day or so ago to those folk who brought down the fourth hi-jacked 
airliner on 11th September 2001 (in Virginia?) because they weren't 
going to let the terrorists win knowing that the attack on the Twin 
Towers had already happened. They didn't look in their bathroom 
mirrors that morning and say "I am going to be a hero today". They 
set out on what was expected to be an ordinary working day. Harry is 
like this. He went through the trapdoor (as did HG and RW) because he 
saw it as the only way forward. It was necessary. I believe he 
realised the danger he was in. He may have only been 11 but children 
are often more perceptive than we are prepared to see; they will see 
through people and pick up on lack of sincerity etc. It has been 
interesting to talk to some of the young people in my church about HP 
and find myself surprised with how they can grasp the depth of 
something like OOTP when they are only 12 or 13.

OOTP may be dark but it is a pivotal book. I first found it 
depressing but after reading it five times, I appreciate it more and, 
every time, I find something I have missed. From hre the only way has 
got to be upwards if Voldemort isn't going to rule the wizarding 
world.