engaging sequel. Fortunately, she did just that,
bringing back all the familiar characters, major and
minor, and introducing a new and slightly darker
danger to the halls of Hogwarts Academy. Shortly
after arriving for the new term, and in a most un-
conventional and exciting fashion, Harry discovers
something has changed. There is a voice in the
walls that speaks only to him, an odd, inhuman
voice filled with menace.
There are dark rumors about the Chamber of
Secrets, a room hidden somewhere within the
building complex that houses a terrible monster.
There are strange attacks that leave the victims
turned into statues, alive but rigid and unaware.
Eventually, Hermione herself is stricken, and Ron
Weasley’s younger sister disappears. Harry solves
the current mystery and thwarts yet another plan
by the villain Voldemort, who has this time placed
his essence inside a magical book. He also battles
and defeats the monster, the terrfying basilisk, in
the closing chapters. Although the story reaches a
satisfying conclusion, the underlying plot becomes
even more intriguing as Harry learns more details
about his parents and their fatal encounter with
Voldemort.
In the first title in the series Harry is insecure
and uncertain of himself, but by his second year at
school he has gained confidence both in himself
physically and in his use of his magical talents, al-
though in that regard he still appears to be less
consistent than is, for example, Hermione. The
Malfoy family begins to evolve into a more
formidable enemy as well, a trend that continues
in the third volume in the series, HARRY POTTER
AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN(1999). It also be-
comes more apparent that the headmaster, Dumb-
ledore, has more than a casual affection for Harry
and is quietly manipulating things on his behalf. As
with the first in the series, the book was transferred
with remarkable loyalty to the screen in 2002.
Rowling’s fans were already clamoring for the third
in the series before it had even been announced.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
J. K. Rowling(2000)
The fourth of J. K. ROWLING’s Harry Potter books
is so much longer than the previous ones that it
raised fresh questions about whether her younger
readers could deal with a single book of such an un-
usual size, and once again her readers surprised the
doubters. As before, Harry is living among the ordi-
nary people, or “muggles,” when he is alarmed by a
frightening dream, although he remains enthusias-
tic over the prospect of watching the Quidditch
World Cup. But Voldemort and his minions are on
the move again, still plotting Harry’s death and
Voldemort’s restoration. Harry visits the Weasleys,
planning to accompany them to the Quidditch
meet, where they run into various characters new
and old, including the Malfoys. Mysteries abound,
including the theft of Harry’s wand and its use to
summon a frightening creature.
At Hogwarts Harry learns that a great compe-
tition among the various rival schools of wizardry
will take place, although he is too young to com-
pete. The contestants begin to arrive, their names
chosen from the goblet of the title. Much to every-
one’s surprise, including Harry’s, his name is se-
lected, even though that appears to be a breach of
the rules. Most suspect he found a way to cheat
the system, even his best friend Ron Weasley.
There are hints of a sinister conspiracy among cer-
tain members of the faculty, as Harry pays a visit to
the merpeople and defeats a dragon. During a sub-
sequent competition he crosses through a portal
and is involuntarily involved in the rising, once
again, of Voldemort.
In the course of developing the main plot,
Rowling adds detail to the background of her other
characters, particularly Snape, one of the instruc-
tors whose loyalties have not always been clear in
the past, and Hagrid, the ever-faithful jack of all
trades who works at Hogwarts. As Rowling ages
her characters, she also seems to be writing more
consciously for an older audience, and much of
what takes place in this fourth volume is even
darker and more frightening than what has gone
before. If there was any doubt that Voldemort was
irredeemably evil in the past, Rowling dispels that
uncertainty now. Likeable characters can die, we
discover, and no end is entirely happy.
The Goblet of Firewon the Hugo Award as
best novel of the year. The film version is sched-
uled to be released sometime during 2005 and will
necessarily be somewhat truncated, given theHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 153