The Significance of Place and Space in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series
D i p l o m a r b e i t
zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades
einer Magistra der Philosophie
an der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
vorgelegt von Stefanie KOTHGASSER
01310624
am Institut für Anglistik
Begutachter: Ao.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr.phil. Martin Löschnigg
Graz, 2018
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. (J. K. Rowling)
ii Declaration
I hereby confirm that this diploma thesis entitled
The Significance of Place and Space in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series is the result of my own independent academic work. All sources are cited correctly in this thesis; quotations and paraphrases are acknowledged. No material other than that listed has been used. I also certify that this thesis or parts thereof have not been used previously as examination material (by myself or anyone else) at this or any other university.
______
Graz, 4th June 2018
iii Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents. Because of you my life is so wonderful, and I owe it all to you. You are my safe haven and there is nothing more precious than knowing that there are people you can rely on no matter what. Words can’t express how grateful I am to have you. I love you!
To my granny whom I really admire: I should tell you more often how much I love you. To my grandpa who will unfortunately never read these words anymore: Thank you for all that you’ve taught me. I will always keep my memories of you in my heart. To the rest of my family: Thank you for everything. It’s so wonderful to have you in my life!
Another big thanks to my friends: Thank you so much for always supporting me. Thanks for always listening to me. Thanks for making my life so much better. I wouldn’t be the same without you and my life wouldn’t be half as much fun. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have you and I’ll love you – ALWAYS.
I’d like to address additional words of thanks to Ili, Moni, Kathi, Thesi, and my cousin Teresa who supported me in various ways during my “diploma-thesis-writing-phase”. I wouldn’t have managed it without you! Thank you!
I also want to thank all those people that have made my time at university so unforgettable, including fellow students as well as professors. I can wholeheartedly say that the past five years have been the best time of my life.
Last but not least, my gratitude shall be addressed to Professor Martin Löschnigg. You inspired me throughout my studies and you always gave me the feeling that you believed in me. Thank you for your support, for arousing my interest in literature even further, and that your door and ears were always open when I needed help while writing this thesis.
iv Table of Cont ents
Table of Figures ...... I
List of Abbreviations ...... II
1 Introduction ...... 1
2 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature ...... 3
2.1 The Triadic Model of Literary Settings ...... 5
2.1.1 Atmospheric Setting ...... 6
2.1.2 Scene of Action ...... 8
2.1.3 Field of Vision ...... 9
2.1.4 The Interaction and Interrelation of ‘Atmospheric Setting’, ‘Scene of Action’, and ‘Field of Vision’ ...... 10
2.2 Borders ...... 12
2.2.1 Liminality and Transgression ...... 13
2.3 Place and Space in the Harry Potter Series ...... 14
2.3.1 Time, Landscapes and Nature in the Harry Potter Series ...... 17
2.4 The Harry Potter Novels as Gothic Literature? ...... 19
3 Settings within the Muggle World ...... 22
3.1 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey – The Dursleys’ Place ...... 26
3.2 The Zoo ...... 37
3.3 Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea ...... 38
4 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World ...... 43
4.1 London ...... 46
4.1.1 St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries ...... 47
4.1.2 The Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley ...... 48
4.1.3 King’s Cross Station, Platform 9 ¾, and the Hogwarts Express ...... 53
4.2 Borders and Entries into Different Worlds in Harry Potter Compared to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ...... 59
4.3 Modes of Travelling within the Magical and Muggle World ...... 61
5 The Magical World of Harry Potter ...... 67
5.1 Hogwarts ...... 69
5.1.1 The Great Hall ...... 80
5.1.2 Gryffindor Tower: Common Room and Dormitories ...... 82
5.1.3 Other Common Rooms ...... 83
5.1.4 Classrooms ...... 84
5.1.5 The Hospital Wing ...... 87
5.1.6 Dumbledore’s Study ...... 87
5.1.7 The Room of Requirement ...... 90
5.1.8 The School Grounds ...... 92
5.2 Hogsmeade ...... 96
5.3 The Burrow ...... 99
5.4 12 Grimmauld Place – Sirius Black’s Home ...... 100
5.5 The Ministry of Magic ...... 103
6 Conclusion ...... 107
Bibliography ...... 109
Primary Sources ...... 109
Secondary Sources ...... 110
Other Sources ...... 112
Table of Figures
Table of Figures
Figure 1: The Triadic Model of Settings (Haupt 2004: 72) ...... 6
I List of Abbreviations
List of Abbreviations
PS Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
CS Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
PA Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
GF Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
OP Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
HBP Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
DH Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
II Introduction
1 Introduction J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series can be considered to be one of the most successful books series that have ever been published (cf. Sims n.d.: Online; cf. Rusli 2017: Online). The reason for this may lie in Rowling’s creation of a universe, which is dominated by adventures which take place in the setting of a boarding school (Eccleshare 2002: 47; Nel 2001: 27-28). Combined with the creation of a “fantasy world” (Eccleshare 2002: 63), of which magic, danger, and the conflict between good and evil are essential parts, the Harry Potter novels cater to a diverse readership. By introducing the protagonist Harry Potter, as well as his friends Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and other students of Hogwarts school, Rowling allows the recipients to observe different characters in their process of developing into mature persons in the course of the seven novels.
The reader accompanies Harry, his friends, his family, his acquaintances, and also his enemies for seven schoolyears, and in total for more than thirty years when the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and the final chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, entitled “Nineteen Years Later”, are taken into consideration. A total number of more than 3,400 pages1 allow J. K. Rowling to describe numerous settings and to take the readers to different locations in different worlds. These places are focused on in the thesis at hand and their essential role for the novels shall be examined. The locations described in the Harry Potter novels form the basis of any plot development and often provide actions with additional pieces of information or with certain atmospheres. Many places in the Harry Potter series represent certain emotions, such as Hogwarts as Harry’s first real home or Privet Drive as a setting which depicts the negative side of the non-magical world. Many of the settings in the Harry Potter novels and their corresponding associations undergo changes in the progression of the plot. Moreover, all of these different places are part of Harry’s attempt to create a better world in which his enemy Lord Voldemort is finally defeated. All of these aspects shall be analysed in the analytical chapters three, four, and five.
The different settings of the Harry Potter series can be divided into three major groups. Firstly, there is the ‘Muggle2 world’. At the beginning of the first novel Harry Potter and the
1 This number refers to the Bloomsbury editions published in 2013 which are listed in the chapter “Primary Sources”. 2 A Muggle is a non-magical person. Examples for this can be found in the Harry Potter’s remaining family or Hermione Granger’s parents. 1 Introduction
Philosopher’s Stone Harry is a member of this non-magical world. He lives with his cold- hearted relatives in a town called Little Whinging in Surrey in England. An analysis of the non- magical places in the Harry Potter series is presented in chapter three.
As the story of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone unfolds, the protagonist learns that he is a wizard and has been accepted at Hogwarts, a school for witchcraft and wizardry. For this reason, a new and different world is introduced to him: the magical one. In order to become a member of this world, a transition from the non-magical into the magical one takes place. These processes are often accompanied by crossing physical borders between the magical and the non-magical world, including settings such as the Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley or King’s Cross Station in London. These thresholds form the second type of locations represented in the Harry Potter novels and are presented in chapter four which is entitled ‘Borders’.
After visiting Diagon Alley, which is not accessible for and hidden from the non-magical community, Harry returns to his relatives in the Muggle world again, before the third type of settings, the magical world, is finally fully revealed to him. Harry encounters another transition device in the Hogwarts Express, which is the train that takes Harry and his fellow students from London to Hogwarts. After this journey Harry and the other students finally arrive at Hogwarts. In in the course of the Harry Potter series this place becomes much more than only Harry’s school, it becomes the first place where the protagonist feels at home. Hogwarts is the most prominent setting of the magical world and is described in detail in chapter five. Apart from Hogwarts, analyses of magical settings such as the town of Hogsmeade, Grimmauld Place or the Burrow can also be found in this chapter.
Before a thorough analysis of the different places in the Harry Potter series can be presented, a general introduction to the concept of literary settings and places is needed. Chapter two presents corresponding approaches and theories, such as Birgit Haupt’s triadic model, and forms the basis of the analytical chapters three, four, and five.
2 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature
2 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature This chapter provides an overview of different theoretical approaches to define the concept of settings, i.e. what should be taken into consideration in the analyses of literary landscapes, places and spaces. For this, relevant theoretical aspects shall be introduced and connected to the topic of this thesis, the Harry Potter novels. Furthermore, this theoretical introduction shall showcase reasons why settings are of importance for literary analyses and how they might even have an immediate impact on the plot development as well as on the characters within a narrative.
Nünning (2008b: 604) defines literary space as the conception, structure and representation of objects, such as settings, landscapes, natural phenomena and items in narrative texts and also in other genres. However, before one can focus on literary settings, the term ‘setting’ needs to be further defined. A ‘setting’ is a “[…] place at which the action of a play, novel, etc. takes place” (OLD: online). Haupt (2004: 69) states that the term indicates that space and places in narrative texts are artificial and constructed. In addition, she mentions that literary settings do not only exist in order to provide a basis for the plot, but that they can be considered an integral part of its development.
Another aspect introduced by Nünning (2008b: 605) is that literary settings are considered to be part of a fictional reality model. Even though similarities between fictional and external reality, which is what is considered the real world in which we are living, exist, the fictional reality is not considered to be part of the real world. Therefore, literary settings only belong to the fictional world of a literary text, even though references to the external, real world are necessary for its comprehensibility, as it is not possible to create a completely new fictional world in which no familiar elements occur. (cf. Nünning 2008b: 605).
In general, a setting in literature is defined by Hawthorn (1992: 102) as a “[…] relationship between characters and action on the one hand and the context within which these take place on the other”. His text also introduces other general aspects about settings. One of these is that it might be interesting to focus on the questions of why an author decided to choose a certain location for their narrative. It is also mentioned that authors often write in such a way that they show their strengths rather than their weaknesses and that this could be observed in how they design specific settings. In addition, Hawthorn (1992: 102-104) mentions that settings might also be of relevance when it comes to the creation of certain atmospheres within a novel.
3 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature
This last aspect is highly relevant for the Harry Potter series. J. K. Rowling’s novels have captured young as well as adult readers, and one of the main reasons for this might lie in Rowling’s talent for creating a magical world and describing its details and especially atmospheres in an authentic way so that it evokes a clear image in the recipient’s mind. The setting of the Harry Potter series can be divided into two major parts. The plot partly takes place in the non-magical world, which represents contemporary England, but there is also the magical world, which is also located in England, but is separated from the non-magical one. This division is often created by barriers or borders which have to be crossed. Especially the magical settings are described in great detail. Elements such as locations or weather phenomena often reflect the current mood of the plot or indicate a character’s mental state. Detailed analyses of these aspects can be found in subchapter 2.3, as well as in in chapters three, four and five of the thesis at hand.
With regard to settings, Würzbach (2001: 121) describes the function of space in literature as a texturing one. She argues that settings are essential for the plot itself, as well as for the relations between characters within the fictional world and for the topics represented in a narrative text. Furthermore, it is stated that literary settings are a research area which still lacks systematic theorising. There is no agreement on how to analyse or categorise literary space. This results in an inconsistent terminology used in describing settings and aspects connected to this research area. According to Würzbach, there is also no agreement on the relevance of place for the core statement(s) of narrative texts.
In general, the depiction of settings depends on the writer. In narrative texts, the author tries to present a setting in a way that it evokes a certain perception in its recipients. Literary space consists of the depiction of its aspects, as well as of how it is perceived by characters within the narrative. It is possible also to integrate the aspect of time when analysing literary settings, which might result in different perceptions of the same setting at different moments of a narrative. In addition, the impressions gained while reading a text might vary between recipients. (cf. Haupt 2004: 7)
Bode (2011: 236) goes so far as to argue that an analysis of a setting is not possible without including this aspect of time, as “[…] [a]ction always and without exception occurs in time, and narrative represents this sequence […]”. This aspect will be taken into consideration for the analyses of many of the settings of the Harry Potter novels.
4 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature
Moreover, it is mentioned that in addition to the aspect of time, objects within a certain space are of importance for the setting, as they always carry meanings or functions. Bode (2011: 233) concludes that a narrative text “[…] can simply choose not to mention anything that it doesn’t consider especially meaningful”. In addition, he explains that texts do not have to focus on the aspect of space themselves, but that descriptions of details are sufficient in order to create a certain image of a setting. Even if an author decides not to describe the setting in detail, this might also carry a certain meaning. Finally, he adds that every literary place carries certain connotations and mentions that settings are omnipresent in a narrative text. (cf. Bode 2011: 233-239)
To conclude, one can observe that there are numerous definitions of ‘literary settings’ and that there are different approaches to analysing places and space in literature. There seems to be no agreement on how to approach this research area. For this reason, the following subchapter attempts to introduce a model which is suitable for the analysis of the Harry Potter novels.
2.1 The Triadic Model of Literary Settings The philosopher Ströker (1965) analysed the concept of space in a general way and introduced three different types of space: gestimmter Raum, Aktionsraum and Anschauungsraum. As there are no formal English translations for these terms, Haupt (2004: 70) suggests referring to them as ‘atmospheric setting’, ‘scene of action’ and ‘field of vision’. These different types of space are closely associated with the ways in which a setting can be perceived. For the analysis of the Harry Potter novels this model is highly suitable and has therefore been chosen as the basis for the analytical chapters.
In short, the ‘atmospheric setting’ is influenced by a subject’s feelings and their experience of the atmosphere of a place. The ‘field of vision’ is defined by what a subject can see and the ‘scene of action’ revolves around a subject’s actions and their moving around within a setting. The perception of space is always subjective and does, therefore, depend on the perceiver. The three types of space are shown in Figure 1. (cf. Haupt 2004: 70-71)
5 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature
Figure 1: The Triadic Model of Settings (Haupt 2004: 72)
2.1.1 Atmospheric Setting Firstly, Ströker’s (1965: 22) gestimmter Raum, which shall be referred to as ‘atmospheric setting’ in the thesis at hand, describes space as perceived with regard to atmosphere and emotions. This atmosphere of a place can only be perceived on a subjective level. This means, that the ‘atmospheric setting’ is closely connected to the subject experiencing it. The subject’s associations with a certain place and situations that might occur in this place are what creates the ‘atmospheric setting’. Furthermore, the subject’s psychological state influences their perception of a setting. It is possible that associations with and atmospheres of settings alter due to a subject’s change of mind. Haupt (2004: 70) presents the example of a church which might represent positive feelings when a wedding is taking place there opposed to negative feelings when it is the location of a funeral.
It is, however, not the case that the ‘atmospheric setting’ only represents a subjective perspective. Hoffmann (1978: 55-56) argues that there is also a certain objectivity connected to an ‘atmospheric setting’, as the place itself is not within the perceiving subject but surrounds them. This phenomenon of an ‘atmospheric setting’s’ subjectivity and objectivity, is an integral aspect when it is used to carry a certain meaning. Moreover, the author argues that the ‘atmospheric setting’ could even be used in order to foreshadow events and according to him,
6 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature objects within a specific setting serve as representations of the ambience of a place. Examples for this can be an object’s form, colour, size, and other ‘objective’ characteristics. Furthermore, the aspects of sounds, as well as light and shadow, brightness and darkness, and their contrasting nature are considered to be determining factors of ‘atmospheric settings’.
Buchholz (2003: 88-91) states that the ‘atmospheric setting’ can be associated with the perception of one character or more than one character, depending on the narrative situation of a narrative text. It is, therefore, of major importance to be aware of the perceiver, the subject experiencing a literary setting. Moreover, the narrative situation and a potential focalization3 must be taken into consideration when analysing the ‘atmospheric setting’ of a narrative. The atmosphere of a setting may vary according to the character’s perspective, the perspective of other characters within the plot, and the recipient. Furthermore, it can also change for a character in the course of a narration. If a setting undergoes a change of atmosphere, this might happen without an actual change of the setting itself. A character’s development, or a change of their emotional state might lead to a different perception of a place they’ve been to before. (cf. Haupt 2004: 73)
This aspect will be of major relevance for the analytical chapters of the thesis at hand. In the Harry Potter novels, many places occur more than once and often in more than one volume of the series, and the atmosphere of these settings often changes (e.g. Hogwarts or Diagon Alley). Detailed elaborations on this can be found in chapters three to five of the thesis at hand.
‘Atmospheric settings’ may also be influenced by the use of certain words, such as adjectives. In addition, it is possible to assign certain connotations to settings by including weather phenomena (e.g. fog, rain, thunderstorms, sun) or sounds (e.g. twittering of birds). Both of these aspects can be found in the Harry Potter novels. They will be presented in the analytical chapters of the thesis at hand. In addition to those aspects previously mentioned, certain locations, such as castles, rivers or ruins may carry certain meanings and atmospheres themselves. (cf. Haupt 2004: 74)
Furthermore, Hoffmann (1978: 56) emphasises the significance of living things and other human beings within a setting. Their presence might affect the perceiving subject by making a place appear either broader or narrower. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, for
3 A definition of ‘focalization’ can be found in chapter 2.3. 7 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature example, the presence of Harry’s friends creates a warmer and more positive atmosphere in the rather gothic location of Grimmauld Place (cf. OP: 59-61).
2.1.2 Scene of Action Secondly, the ‘scene of action’, which was defined as Aktionsraum by Ströker (1965: 54) depends mainly on a subject’s actions within a certain space. With regard to the example of the church, an action might lie in going to and sitting down on a seat (cf. Haupt 2004: 71).
Haupt (2004: 75-76) explains that the ‘scene of action’ focuses on the acting subject on the plot-level of a narrative text. In this case, the subject can only be a character within and not the author or recipient outside the fictional world of a text. This explanation is also provided by Hoffmann (1978: 80), who states that the ‘scene of action’ can only be applied to a character within a narrative. Haupt (2004: 75) develops her elaboration further by stating that a character can be characterised by how they behave and act within a literary setting. Therefore, the ‘scene of action’ can also to a certain extent serve the purpose of characterisation. For this reason, she states that one could consider whether a character is either contrasted with other figures within a story, or whether their actions do or do not fulfil the recipients’ expectations of how they should behave. Sometimes trivial actions can help to further describe a character’s temper. As an example, it is mentioned that walking around aimlessly might indicate that a literary character tends to be hectic. It can be concluded, that a character’s behaviour within the ‘scene of action’ provides the recipient with further information about their disposition.
Haupt (2004: 75) mentions another noteworthy aspect of the ‘scene of action’, which are the objects within this fictional setting. According to Hoffmann (1978: 79-80) the objects’ appearances are of no relevance for this. The focus lies on their utility and availability. In addition, the author describes the relation between the acting subjects and objects as functional, meaning that certain objects are often only noticed when they are needed and are not of any worth for the image of the settings themselves. He introduces the example of gothic novels, which often describe trapdoors or locked doors, which become obstacles for the acting subject. This phenomenon can also be observed in the Harry Potter novels. As an example, one can refer to a situation in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, where Harry, Ron and Hermione try to escape Peeves, the poltergeist, and also Argus Filch and are then confronted with a locked door (PS: 119). Further information on gothic aspects of the Harry Potter series can be found in chapter 2.4.
8 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature
With regard to this aspect of obstacles, one can conclude that this phenomenon might be relevant for analyses of literary settings. This theory is supported by Haupt (2004: 75-76), who argues that certain objects might aid or prohibit certain actions of a character. This is also described by Greimas (1972: 218-238), who introduces the terms of so-called ‘opponents’ and ‘helpers’ in his Actantial Model, which consists of six criteria that allow for the examination of any action. The ‘opponent’ and ‘helper’ could be objects within a literary setting, such as the previously mentioned locked door. This example clarifies that the setting of a narrative might not only provide a certain space in which a subject can act, but it might even have an immediate impact on the plot itself. Bode (2011: 236) also mentions this and states that “[…] the distribution of objects […] opens up the possibility of movement in that space”. This means that that objects within a setting have a direct effect on what Haupt defined as the ‘scene of action’.
In the case of the Harry Potter series, the phenomenon of ‘opponents’ and ‘helpers’ can be found in numerous passages, starting at Platform 9¾ at Kings Cross, where a concrete barrier serves as an entrance to the magical world (PS: 69), and reaching to closed doors and moving staircases in Hogwarts (e.g. PS: 98). This phenomenon will be further analysed in chapters three to five. In addition to objects, one can also transfer the concept of ‘opponents’ and ‘helpers’ onto certain characters within a narrative. In the Harry Potter novels, this occurs for example in the form of teachers, such as Professor Severus Snape, who often acts as an ‘opponent’ and prohibits that certain actions take place (e.g. GF: 484).
2.1.3 Field of Vision The third type of space, the ‘field of vision’ or Anschauungsraum (cf. Ströker 1965: 93) describes the perception of space through the visual way, i.e. it is everything that can be seen within a certain place. Referring to the example of a church, Haupt (2004: 71) mentions the church’s size, design and decorative elements as factors relevant for its ‘field of vision’. It is argued that this is the most objective element of the triadic model, as objects basically appear similar or even identical for everyone looking at them. However, the aspect of a subject’s view and angle when looking at a setting play an important role (cf. Haupt 2004:71). This means that certain things within a literary setting may be seen by one person, but not by another one due to spatial restraints. As an example, one could imagine a restricted perspective due to a pillar in a church which blocks a subject’s view.
9 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature
Regarded from a literary perspective, the ‘field of vision’ seems, at first glance, to be of minor importance for the plot and the characters within it. Even though a setting might appear to only serve the purpose of providing a place where an action can take place, it is in fact an integral part of any narrative text. The ‘field of vision’ forms the basis for anything that takes place. It is not possible for anything to happen when there is no space in which it can occur. So, there cannot be any action without a setting. Furthermore, a figure cannot exist without a setting, i.e. a place where it can exist. It has already been mentioned that the ‘field of vision’ is the most objective part of the triadic model. This means that by creating settings that are similar to the recipients’ ‘real’ world, readers are enabled to interpret aspects of a literary place appropriately. From the perspective of an author, it is an integral process of writing that they decide on how detailed they want their settings to be described. In the course of history, there have been different approaches by authors reaching from highly detailed to rather limited portrayals of literary settings. (cf. Haupt 2004: 76).
In addition, Hoffmann (1978: 92) argues that objects within the ‘field of vision’ are not reduced to their utility or the atmosphere accompanying them but appear in all their facets and properties. By properties he means the aspects that are already known, as well as the hidden or not yet discovered ones. He describes the ‘field of vision’ as a static model, where the focus lies on the item that is being looked at. The aesthetic realisation of the ‘field of vision’ is characterised by the question of selection and generalisation of details, which has already been referred to in the previous paragraph.
2.1.4 The Interaction and Interrelation of ‘Atmospheric Setting’, ‘Scene of Action’, and ‘Field of Vision’ Haupt (2004: 71) explains that the three types of space which have been explained in the previous paragraphs are not to be seen as unconnected parts of the concept of literary settings. It is stated, that feeling, acting and seeing are processes that normally take place at the same time and might even interact with one another. This might be explained by referring to an example presented by Haupt (2004: 72). It is mentioned that if an object is perceived through the eyes, it belongs to the ‘field of vision’. However, as soon as the seeing subject decides to use this object, for example to sit down on a bench that has already been seen before in a church, an object becomes part of the ‘scene of action’.
10 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature
Within the ‘scene of action’ the acting subject moves around and by doing so, they make distant objects and places, which have been out of reach before, accessible. This process of moving from one ‘field of vision’ to another again indicates that the ‘scene of action’ and the ‘field of vision’ are closely connected and not fully separable. (cf. Haupt 2004: 76)
Hoffmann (1978: 80) states that the movements of a subject within a text indicate a relation between the ‘here’, which is where the acting subject is located and includes everything within its reach, and the ‘there’, the place where a required object can be found. From this he concludes that the ‘there’, which is located outside the ‘scene of action’, forms the border between this type of setting and the ‘field of vision’. An example from the Harry Potter novels might be the Hogwarts Express’ arrival at Hogsmeade and the way from there to Hogwarts castle, which can be seen from a distance, but needs to be accessed by moving closer (PS: 83-84). Hoffmann (1987: 80) also argues that the focus of such a process of moving might either lie on the desired object itself and its utility or on the connection between the object and the different locations within a setting. In other words, the ways themselves, which a subject has to go in order to reach certain objects, are of importance. These connections form the border between a ‘scene of action’ and a ‘field of vision’.
With regard to the ‘atmospheric setting’, one can conclude that by moving from one location to another, changes of atmospheres can take place through an acting subject. As has been mentioned, there is the possibility that a change of atmosphere takes place in one setting, but it is also possible to move from one ‘field of vision’ to another by making it a ‘scene of action’, and this might lead to a different ‘atmospheric setting’. In Harry Potter, moving around is especially relevant for the setting of Hogwarts castle. ‘Fields of vision’ constantly become ‘scenes of action’ and carry certain atmospheres. As an example in Harry Potter, one could refer to the dungeons where the Potions classes take place. The dungeons are described as having a gloomy ambience, which is supported by the Potions teacher, Professor Snape, who appears to be a spiteful character. This atmosphere is strongly reflected by the setting of the dungeons (e.g. PS:101-104, GF: 446-447).
When an author aims at creating suspense, they often use the method of ‘detection’. When a subject starts to move within a setting and starts to explore a place in order to find hidden, new elements, they are often motivated by curiosity. By exploring unknown places, they discover and detect new aspects of a setting. Apart from curiosity, emotions such as fear, or hope might
11 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature trigger a character’s decision to explore a place. As an example, being trapped within a room and exploring it in order to find a way to escape, is mentioned. In this case, the ‘field of vision’ is the result of the ‘atmospheric setting’ combined with the ‘scene of action’, and these two elements then often become the result of the ‘field of vision’, so the three types of settings are interdependent in this scenario. (cf. Hoffmann 1968: 92-93)
2.2 Borders With regard to borders within narrative texts, Haupt (2004: 78) states that they are essential for the creation of different sections within a setting. She adds that borders have different effects on the three different perceptions of space which have been mentioned in chapter 2.1.
The first type of borders Haupt (2004: 78) mentions, is ‘emotional borders’, which can be associated with the ‘atmospheric setting’. They can be perceived on the level of atmosphere. As an example, she mentions fixed seating arrangements in meetings. Emotional borders are not measurable but can be felt. It would be easily feasible to cross these types of borders physically, but it is considered inappropriate to do so and is, therefore, avoided. An exception for this might lie in provocative actions, where a subject decides to defy these conventions on purpose.
Secondly ‘topographical borders’ are mentioned by Haupt (2004: 78). By appearing within the ‘field of vision’ at first and then becoming obstacles within the ‘scene of action’, they form a significant connection between these two types of settings. It is mentioned that ‘topographical borders’ include rivers, mountains, ravines or walls and can only be crossed with great difficulties. These ‘topographic borders’ are presented in and highly relevant for the Harry Potter novels in various contexts and locations and will be presented in chapter four of this thesis.
Thirdly, there are borders within the ‘fields of vision’. They can, for instance, be established by the author, who decides to have the plot take place in a limited setting. The existence of places outside of a certain setting can either be shown by a change of perspective on the level of narrative techniques, or through the recipient and their knowledge. Recipients are often aware of existing borders, for example when a scene takes place within a small ‘field of vision’, such as a room. (cf. Haupt: 78)
12 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature
2.2.1 Liminality and Transgression Nünning (2008a: 423) describes liminality as a phase of passing a threshold. It is, therefore, a transition process. These processes often revolve around changes which result from crossing spatial borders. Three different phases are mentioned by the author: 1. separation from a former place or situation 2. transition from one world to another 3. incorporation of a new situation
These three stages of liminality can also be observed in the Harry Potter novels. Harry has to leave his relatives’ place; he moves from the Muggle into the magical world. Settings such as Diagon Alley or Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station are locations which can be considered as thresholds between the Muggle world and the magical one. After passing these dividing lines, Harry becomes a member of a new world, the magical one.
‘Transgression’ is another essential term when discussing the crossing of thresholds in literature. Nünning (2008c: 725) explains that the crossing of any cultural border can be divided into two aspects. First, there are vertical norms, which can be crossed; as an example upper and lower levels within a social order are mentioned. Secondly, there are horizontal borders which can be crossed. This type of borders distinguishes members of a certain community from others, i.e. they define whether a subject is a member of a group or an outsider. Both these types of cultural divisions can be found in the Harry Potter series. On the one hand, it can be argued that a vertical gap between wizards and Muggles exists, as wizards consider themselves as superior to non-magical persons (see 3). On the other hand, the wizarding community does not consider Muggles as members of their own group and, as a result, one can argue that Harry also has to cross a horizontal border when moving into the world of magic.
Bayne (2008: 264) highlights the significance of numerous hidden places within the magical world which are actually situated in the world of the Muggles. As examples, one can refer to numerous settings such as Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, the Ministry of Magic or Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross, which are essential parts of the magical world and are located within the Muggle world. However, these places can only be accessed by members of the magical community. “There is usually a magic portal or barrier […]”, Bayne (2008: 264) states, and it is only wizards or people who have enough knowledge of how to use them who can cross them. Therefore, transgressive processes of moving from one world of the Harry Potter universe into another by passing barriers or borders is an essential part of the Harry Potter novels.
13 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature
To conclude, Bayne (2008: 267) argues that magical places are not isolated from but can be found within the Muggle world. The author argues that there is always a connection between these two worlds, which seem to exist parallelly, and that magical settings can be seen as parts of the Muggle world. “Portals” is the term Bayne (2008: 268) uses to describe these entrances and exits. The author adds that apart from certain (magical) skills, these portals might also require the mental determination to use them if a subject wants to pass them. Examples for borders can be found in chapter four.
2.3 Place and Space in the Harry Potter Series When Ströker’s concept of atmospheric settings is transferred to literary settings and applied to the Harry Potter novels, it becomes evident that the atmospheric settings of the seven books depend on the main character, which is Harry Potter. It has already been mentioned, that the perception of an atmospheric setting takes place on a subjective level and might be different from one person to another. For the Harry Potter novels, Rowling uses what Stanzel (1979: 16) defines as ‘third-person figural narration’, and the character of Harry Potter functions as a ‘reflector’. According to Genette (1980: 189), this would be an ‘extradiegetic, heterodiegetic narrator’ using Harry Potter as the ‘focalizer’. In other words, the recipients perceive the fictional world of the novels from Harry’s perspective for the majority of the novels (cf. Moore 2008: 275). One sees, feels and knows only the things Harry does, which means that the reader can never be sure whether or not this is what is actually taking place and whether Harry’s assessment of a situation or his perception is flawed. Apart from a small number of chapters, such as the beginnings of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the atmospheric settings, ‘scenes of action’ and ‘fields of vision’ are perceived through Harry Potter’s senses and for this reason the recipient can only refer to Harry’s subjective impressions. Moreover, Rowling creates suspense by using this method and lets the readers jump to the same wrong conclusions as Harry. As the Harry Potter books could be considered seven novels which combined result in a typical plot development of a Bildungsroman, the recipient does not only accompany the reflector Harry in the process of growing up, but can also observe how Harry’s perception of his surroundings changes and how his assessment of certain situations becomes more mature (cf. Nel 2001: 49).
With regard to the idea of Harry Potter being a Bildungsroman, Bayne (2008: 262-263) states that the Harry Potter series can be described as a “coming-of-age-story” and that the conflict
14 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature between powers of light and darkness is underlined by how alike and how unalike aspects of the magical and the Muggle world are. This is another reason for settings being of major importance for the Harry Potter novels. In addition, the author argues that different locations, “[…] such as the Chamber of Secrets, the Little Hangleton graveyard where Tom Riddle, Sr., is buried, the Shrieking Shack, and the Hall of Prophecies and courtroom at the Ministry of Magic are the sites of events […]” (Bayne 2008: 263) which are highly relevant for Harry’s process of developing into a mature person who seeks to destroy Lord Voldemort and save the magical as well as the non-magical world from evil. Places and the exploration of these influence Harry Potter’s process of growing up and finding out who he truly is. Places within the magical world can be considered as determining factors with regard to his maturing process. In the course of the seven novels of the Harry Potter series, Harry explores the magical, as well as the Muggle world and constantly discovers new places. These settings serve different purposes, represent various atmospheres and actions, and are highly diverse in their visual representations. To conclude, it can be observed that settings also seem to be of relevance for the development and maturing of the protagonist of the Harry Potter novels.
It is remarkable that the Harry Potter universe seems to be dominated by contrasting elements and characters. Ehgartner (2002: 72) lists numerous examples for this. Firstly, the Dursleys represent the opposite of the Weasleys. While the former consider normality, money, and material goods as important, the latter can be described as depicting an immaterial lifestyle, as they are described as rather poor. The trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione demonstrates what true friendship looks like, whereas Draco Malfoy seems to dominate his ‘friends’ Crabbe and Goyle without displaying any true affection for them. Another example can be found in the contrast between the mysterious and evil Professor Severus Snape who contrasts sharply with the good- natured and simple figure of Rubeus Hagrid. With regard to the contrast of light and dark, and good and evil one can clearly refer to the powerful wizards Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle who is better known as Lord Voldemort. What is of major importance, however, is the contrast between the time Harry spends at school which is located in the magical world and his life at the Dursleys’ place in Little Whinging in the Muggle world. These two settings contrast sharply, not only with regard to the ‘fields of vision’, but especially with regard to the atmospheres and moods of these settings. As it has already been described, Harry feels more comfortable at Hogwarts which he considers his home. He even prefers staying at his friend Ron’s house the Burrow, or the gloomy location of Grimmauld Place to spending time in Little Whinging with his relatives. Moreover, Ehgartner (2002: 72) argues that even though the
15 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature magical and the non-magical world seem to be contrasting elements, one can also find good and evil aspects within both of these worlds. It is, therefore, not only contrasts between these two different universes within Harry Potter, but also within each of the worlds that opposites can be found. This aspect of juxtaposing elements is also mentioned by Eccleshare (2002: 70): However, for the central emotional core of Harry’s unhappy life to be juxtaposed with the happiness that is life at Hogwarts or for him to grow sufficiently in wizarding powers to fulfil his destiny in contrast with his lowly status with the Dursleys, separation between the two worlds remains vital.
As a setting which only depends on contrasts might appear inflexible and static, Rowling decided to create a background for the Harry Potter novels, which also depends on additional features such as nature, other spatial surroundings and objects within a setting. As an example, one can mention temperatures and the weather itself. It can be observed that a change of temperatures often foreshadows the plot development. Numerous examples for this will be presented in the analytical chapters. In general, one can observe the trend of heat accompanying the protagonist when he is feeling angry or embarrassed, while feeling cold represents fear and dangerous situations. Especially the presence of Lord Voldemort is accompanied by the feeling of coldness and even his voice is described as sounding “[…] strangely high-pitched, and cold as a sudden blast of icy wind” (GF: 12). Besides Voldemort, dementors are also associated with the feeling of being cold: “An intense cold swept over them all. […] The cold went deeper than his skin.” (PA: 66). The association between ‘cold’ and ‘evil’ is repeatedly used by Rowling in order to assign characters and settings with certain atmospheres. Igor Karkaroff’s “[…] smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold […]” (GF: 217) can be used as another example of this. (cf. Ehgartner 2002: 73)
Furthermore, Ehgartner (2002: 73-74) describes Harry and Voldemort’s special connection within the Harry Potter universe and mentions Harry’s scar as an element presenting this. The scar reacts to the coldness that surrounds Voldemort with a soaring and hot pain. So, one can again observe the aspect of opposites and contrasts within the Harry Potter novels. Harry and Voldemort’s connection reaches its climax within the descriptions of their physical appearances. While Voldemort’s eyes are red after his resurrection in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry’s are described as green. With regard to the theory of colour, red and green are considered as complimentary, which again indicates the presence of opposites in the Harry Potter series.
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2.3.1 Time, Landscapes and Nature in the Harry Potter Series In this chapter a general overview of the magical world in which the Harry Potter novels are set shall be provided. The magical world depicted in the series shares many similarities with what is considered the ‘real’ world. However, the magical world reminds the recipients more of ancient times of the ‘real’ world than that of contemporary England. In general, it appears that the magical world has a long history, which is indicted on various levels and in different settings. As an example, one can refer to Hogwarts, which is a more than one thousand-year- old boarding school (cf. CS: 114). In Diagon Alley one can visit Ollivanders, which have been “[…] Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC.” (PS: 63). The impression of the magical world of the Harry Potter novels as being ancient is also represented by technical devices, which are used by Muggles and are also of relevance for the recipients in the contemporary real world. Apart from the fact that objects such as cars are not necessary in the magical world, as they prefer to travel on brooms, use the Floo-network, Portkeys or Apparition, the malfunctioning of technical devices within Hogwarts might be an explanation. Arthur Weasley’s Ford Anglia, for example stops working as soon as it enters the Hogwarts school grounds. The setting seems to have a direct impact on technical gadgets. This might explain why it is usual to use quills and parchment for taking notes or writing letters at Hogwarts. Another example of old- fashioned objects within the magical world is the Hogwarts Express, which resembles a steam engine from Victorian times. (cf. Bürvenich 2001: 61)
The concrete settings of the Harry Potter novels are described in chapters three, four and five. However, some aspects which underline the theoretical elaborations shall already be introduced in this theoretical introduction. Diagon Alley (see 4.1.2), for example, is a shopping street, which can only be entered by wizards and which is located, but hidden from the Muggles, in London and so is Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross station (see 4.1.3), where the Hogwarts Express leaves at the beginning of every new school year. This already shows that the magical world seems to coexist with the magical one and they even sometimes overlap. Apart from London, Little Whinging, a fictional town in Surrey, is the only non-magical location that is depicted in a detailed way in the Harry Potter series. In addition, a wider panorama of rural England is provided in the seventh novel of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Harry, Hermione, and to a certain extent Ron journey are searching for the remaining Horcruxes4. (cf. Bürvenich 2001: 56-59)
4 “A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul.” (HBP: 464). In order to create a Horcrux, one has to kill another person (cf. HBP: 456). 17 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature
It seems to be the magical world of Harry Potter that is so fascinating and compelling for the recipients of the series. Diagon Alley, as well as Hogsmeade (see 5.2) and especially Hogwarts (see 5.1) are places which are dominated by magic and which enable the reader to escape into the fictional magical world. Hogwarts is the most prominent setting of the Harry Potter series and is referred to as a magical world within the magical world by Bürvenich (2001: 59). It does not only provide a clear image of what Hogwarts looks like, but one can also observe how important the setting is with regard to the plot development. As the following excerpt shows, the descriptions itself often indicate that certain occurrences might take place. In this case one can conclude that by being flexible, dynamic and also spacious, Hogwarts might be a place where one can easily get lost and encounter numerous adventurous situations: There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn’t open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren’t really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other and Harry was sure the coats of armour could walk. (PS: 98)
The world of Harry Potter is a complex construct. Within the magical world, there are creatures, such as dragons, elves, unicorns, giants or ghosts. Led by the Minister of Magic, who is the head of the Ministry of Magic (cf. PS: 51), the community of witches, wizards, and other magical creatures is also ruled by the magical bank Gringotts, which is run by goblins (cf. PS: 50). There is a special currency within the magical world of Harry Potter including Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts (PS: 58). All these aspects and elements within the magical world are relevant with regard to the settings in which the plot takes place. In addition, these features often carry connotations or atmospheres and as a result they provide various locations with additional layers of meaning. By adding more creatures, elements, and places Rowling can constantly expand the world of Harry Potter further. By combining non-magical and magical elements within the magical world, the latter is given a concrete appearance in which actions can take place.
It can be concluded that the magical world seems to be depicted in more detail and, therefore, appears more fascinating than the Muggle world in the Harry Potter series. Nevertheless, the magical world is basically integrated into the non-magical world, and the dividing lines between the two are drawn in different ways and are often blurred as shown in chapter four. Moore (2008: 277) states that Rowling adapts nature as a signifier of the gloomy and shadowy moods and atmospheres. It is remarkable how evident the difference between the Muggle world
18 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature and the magical world is represented by how nature and landscapes are depicted in a different way according to which world is being described. The sharp contrast between the Dursleys’ perfectly mown lawn contrasts extensively with the chaotic depiction of the Weasleys’ garden at the Burrow (see 5.3), for example. Another example lies in the journey on the Hogwarts Express which also represent a changing landscape and is further analysed in chapter 4.1.2.
With regard to the significance of nature in the Harry Potter series, Moore (2008: 277) also mentions Hagrid who can be seen as a connector between the element of wildlife and landscape on the one hand and the mystical on the other hand, as he himself represents a partly human and partly supernatural ‘creature’: he is half giant and half human. The author describes Hagrid’s first meeting with Harry on the deserted island as a remarkable one. At first it appears as if Hagrid were dangerous, an aspect which is underlined by a raging storm, thunder and lightning (cf. PS: 37-39). However, it soon becomes obvious that Hagrid’s appearance (big, hairy, rough) does not match his soft and sensitive character (cf. PS: 41). Magical creatures, “[…] such as centaurs, hippogriffs, werewolves, and Animagi” (Moore 2008: 276) cannot be controlled and are, therefore, symbolic of the randomness of nature and elements thereof. The Whomping Willow, for example, also represents this dangerous aspect of nature in the Harry Potter novels. When Harry and Ron land on it in Ron’s dad’s enchanted car, this magical tree hits them (cf. CS: 59-60). There are also other dangerous elements which are part of the magical world; as examples Moore (2008: 277-278) lists the Mandrakes, which are plants that can kill a person with their screams, as well as gnomes and Blast-Ended Skrewts, which are lobster-like poisonous creatures (cf. GF: 173). All of these mentioned elements are repeatedly part of the protagonist’s scenes of action and fields of vision and have an impact on the atmospheres of settings.
2.4 The Harry Potter Novels as Gothic Literature? Murphy’s (1996: 417) definition of a gothic setting as being “[…] characterized by horror, violence, supernatural effects, and medieval elements”, which are “[…] usually set against a background of gothic architecture, especially a gloomy and isolated castle” are obviously of relevance for analysing Harry Potter as gothic literature. Moore (2008:271) adds that Harry Potter is a young and rather inexperienced character who has not encountered many different places apart from Privet Drive and his school within the Muggle world and these settings with which he is familiar, are not like the new places by which he is surrounded after entering the magical world. There, he is encounters numerous new settings which provide him new magical
19 The Setting: Landscapes, Places, and Space in Literature
‘fields of vision’ and ‘scenes of action’. Some locations within the magical world appear dangerous and gloomy with regard to their atmospheric setting. This leads to the perception of some locations especially within the magical, but also settings within the non-magical world, as potentially dangerous. More information on this can be found in the analytical chapters.
Numerous locations in the Harry Potter universe show typical aspects, which mark it as partly gothic. As examples, Bayne (2008: 264) mentions “[…] caves, hidden rooms, haunted castles, dungeons, and secret passageways”. One could even argue that Hogwarts itself can be considered a gothic place. Moore (2008: 274-275) refers to certain settings within the castle of Hogwarts as gothic. As an example, one can mention the chamber at the end of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, where Professor Quirrell reveals that he is possessed by Lord Voldemort (cf. PS: 207-214). Another example can be found in Professor Snape’s classroom, which is located in the dungeons and is perceived as a gloomy and frightening place and carries a glum atmosphere. It is perceived through Harry and in such a way that it clearly represents a certain negative atmosphere within the Harry Potter series (PS: 101). In addition, Moore (2008: 277-278) also considers the Forbidden Forest and the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade as gothic. It can be concluded that Harry Potter contains elements which are typical of this literary genre from the beginning until the final chapters of the book series.
Moore (2008: 274) states that it is also the element of ‘horror’ which is established by a number of Rowling’s atmospheric settings that is essential if one decides to consider the Harry Potter series as gothic literature. The gloomy moods which are often supported by a field of vision presenting “[…] suggestion, shadows, and unrecognizable shapes” (Moore 2008: 274) and are essential for this. Rowling often creates the impression that something horrible could happen any moment while the recipient does not know what it might be. As an example, the following passage from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone shall be taken into consideration: ‘He lies … He lies ..’ ‘Potter, come back here!’ Quirrell shouted. ‘Tell me the truth! What did you just see?’ The high voice spoke again. ‘Let me speak to him … face to face …’ […] Petrified, he [Harry] watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. What was going on? The turban fell away. Quirrell’s head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot. Harry would have screamed, but he couldn’t make a sound. (PS: 212)
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With regard to this example, Moore’s (2008: 275-276) explanation that the narrative technique of using Harry as a focalizer is crucial in order to create the effect of terror in the Harry Potter novels, can be taken into consideration.
Another final argument for regarding the Harry Potter series as gothic literature is mentioned by Moore (2008: 278). The author states that the typical gothic motif of someone being caught in a gloomy place or lost in a glum environment can be found multiple times within the Harry Potter novels. Moreover, Harry perfectly represents the figure of the lost orphan who is confronted with evil powers and who is not yet familiar with how the world in which he is supposed to live actually works. Furthermore, it appears as if nature were sometimes determined to cross his plans and appear as an opponent. As an example, one could refer to the heavy rain and wind during the Quidditch5 match against Hufflepuff in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (cf. PA: 131-135), which precedes the scene, is present during the game, and reaches its climax when it accompanies the appearance of Dementors after which Harry collapses and the Gryffindor team lose the match.
To conclude, it can be observed that Rowling’s way of writing creates suspense and a feeling of terror. These atmospheric settings are combined with fields of vision, which appear gloomy, dark and mysterious. Linked to various gothic elements, such as being trapped in a room or by introducing shadowy settings, such as the dungeons and the Dark Forest, which are essential scenes of action, some places within the Harry Potter novels can be referred to as being of a gothic nature.
5 Quidditch is a popular sport in the magical world, which is played by flying on broomsticks; it is comparable to soccer in the ‘real’ world. 21 Settings within the Muggle World
3 Settings within the Muggle World Before specific settings within the magical world are presented and analysed in this chapter, a general introduction and relevant aspects of this world shall be presented. Rana (2009: 95) refers to the world of Muggles in the Harry Potter series as “[…] an exotic but most importantly an underdeveloped one”. As an example for this, one can refer to Arthur Weasley’s fascination with Muggle artefacts. With regard to this, it can undoubtedly be argued that Mr. Weasley, who is a pure-blood wizard and grew up within the magical world is fascinated with the non-magical world. He even works for the Ministry of Magic’s department for “Misuse of Muggle Artefacts” (OP: 122). However, besides showing some wizards’ fascination with the non-magical society, Mr. Weasley’s job also indicates that the magical community sometimes jinxes Muggle objects as the example of a “regurgitating toilet” (OP: 123) shows. Mr. Weasley explicitly states that wizards enjoy enchanting Muggles’ items in order to make fun of their non-magical fellows (cf. CS: 34). In addition, Mr Weasley himself is simply fascinated by Muggle technology and mentions this repeatedly. The example of his flying Ford Anglia can be seen as proof for his obsession with collecting and sometimes jinxing non-magical devices (cf. CS: 24). This love for Muggle objects represents a unique connection between the non-magical and the magical world and indicates that the world of non-magical people is considered fascinating by some members of the magical society.
Many wizards within the magical world of the Harry Potter novels consider Muggles as inferior. As examples one can list Harry’s antagonist Draco Malfoy, Draco’s family, and some of Draco’s friends, as well as Lord Voldemort and his followers. An example of Muggles being humiliated by Death Eaters can be found in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (cf. GF: 108). With regard to decrying others it shall be mentioned that wizards are classified according to how pure their blood is. This means that there are families within the magical world, such as the Malfoys and also the Weasleys, who are “pure-blood” (CS: 89) which means that a person’s parents are wizards too. Apart from pure-blood wizards and witches, there are also “half-blood” (CS: 89) and “Muggle-born” (CS: 89) members of the magical community. While wizards and witches who have one magical and one non-magical parent are considered ‘half-bloods’ like Harry Potter, ‘Muggle-born’ witches and wizards have Muggle parents and received their gift of doing magic by chance. An example of a Muggle-born witch is Hermione Granger who can be regarded as representative of someone who grew up in the non-magical world and become part of the magical one, just like the protagonist. Muggle-born witches and wizards often experience the hatred of pure-blood ones. Hermione, for example is insulted as a “Mudblood”
22 Settings within the Muggle World
(CS: 86) by Draco Malfoy in their second year at Hogwarts. While the Weasleys do not consider it important whether a fellow witch or wizard is pure-blood or not, the Malfoys pride themselves on their pure-blooded ancestry. This aspect is again discussed in the introduction to chapter five, where historical references and the impact of the ‘real’ world are mentioned with regard to this.
With regard to these differences in importance of pure blood to wizards and witches, Carroll (2008: 355-357) argues that there is a clearly perceptible gap between the Muggles and the magical community. She highlights that although the Weasleys can be considered to be tolerant members of the magical society, they, nevertheless, seem to be prejudiced against Muggles. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, for example, Mrs. Weasley says that King’s Cross is “[…] packed with Muggles […]” (PS: 69). She decides to make this remark, even though it is no surprise that Muggles can be found within this setting. As Platform 9 ¾, an important place within the magical world, is located at King’s Cross in London, it is no surprise that Muggles are present there. Therefore, this train station can be defined as a setting which forms a border amongst the two worlds and it is logical that members of both societies, magical and non-magical one, can be found in this location. Further information on King’s Cross and Platform 9 ¾ can be found in chapter 4.1.3. Referring back to Molly Weasley’s utterance, Carroll (2008: 355) also argues that her use of the word ‘Muggle’ indicates that wizards do not consider non-magical persons as belonging to the same society as they do. One could refer to Mrs Weasley as a generally tolerant and kind woman. She basically adopts half-blood Harry Potter and to a certain extent she also becomes a motherly figure for Muggle-born Hermione Granger. However, it becomes evident that even those members of the wizarding community who appear tolerant and kind-hearted seem to be strongly biased against non-magical people. With regard to this phenomenon, Nel (2001: 45) states that it appears as if Harry and Hermione find it easier to recognise that prejudice against Muggles seems to exist, as the two of them have not grown up in places within the magical world. They do not hold any stereotypes against Muggles as they believed to be ‘normal’ persons themselves until being informed that this was not the case. Moreover, Carroll (2008: 356-357) argues that Muggles are to a certain degree regarded as being “handicapped” by the magical society. It is also mentioned that non-magical people are represented similar to infants which are protected from evil witches and wizards by other members of the magical society. Furthermore, she mentions that witches and wizards think that Muggles are too ignorant to realise that magical elements and occurrences are surrounding them within their own world. Moreover, one can argue that magical and non-
23 Settings within the Muggle World magical settings sometimes overlap, and that Muggles even seem unaware of this, as the following example in the Knight Bus, where Harry Potter talks to the conductor Stan Shunpike, shows: ‘How come the Muggles don’t hear the bus?’ said Harry. ‘Them!’ said Stan contemptuously. ‘Don’ listen properly, do they? Don’ look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don’.’ (PA: 32)
Considering this assumption that Muggles are ignorant of the magic surrounding them, an essential scene of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince shall also be examined. The first chapter of the sixth Harry Potter novel is entitled “The Other Minister” and takes place in the setting of the Prime Minister’s office, presumably in 10 Downing Street in London. The recipient realises that the Ministry of Magic is in fact able to cooperate with the English government when they decide to do so. By using a portrait within the Prime Minister’s office, meetings between the Minister of Magic and the Muggle Prime Minister are arranged when necessary. Due to the violence of Voldemort, his Death Eaters, and the Dementors who joined him, the Muggle world needs to be contacted by the Minister of Magic before Harry’s sixth schoolyear. The protagonist’s first encounter with the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge starts with the latter’s arrival by using Floo Powder. The readers then learn that he has been under notice of leave and that a new Prime Minister called Rufus Scrimgeour has come into office. Apart from this piece of information, the reader is also informed that Fudge repeatedly visited the Muggle Prime Minister over the last years to inform him about Sirius Black’s escape from Azkaban, the Quidditch World Cup, or the Triwizard Tournament. Located in the non-magical world, this setting of the Prime Minister’s Office could also be seen as a border between the two worlds. However, due to being a mainly non-magical place, it better fits into the context of non-magical settings. By the arrival of the Minister of Magic, the function of this setting can be seen as similar to that of Privet Drive. Both are essentially non-magical places and magic is represented as intruding and often accompanied by bad news or dangers within these settings. The association of wizards with dangers is, therefore, also an indicator for the previously mentioned gap between the magical and the non-magical world.
Another remarkable aspect which is described by Carroll (2008: 356) is that stereotypes against the non-magical community might result from the magical society’s lack of sufficient knowledge about the world and habits of Muggles. As there seems to exist an unspoken agreement amongst witches and wizards not to visit the non-magical world, they appear ignorant and not well-informed about ‘common’ life, i.e. the non-magical daily lives of Muggles. A rather funny example of the wizards’ non-existent understanding of the Muggle 24 Settings within the Muggle World community can be found when Ron Weasley uses the word “fellytone” (PA: 314) in order to refer to a telephone. When Harry is then contacted by Ron using a phone, a typical way of communicating in the Muggle world, it ends in a disaster: When Ron calls the Dursleys’ landline, he is clearly not familiar with the correct use of this medium of communication and shouts into the receiver (cf. PA: 9), which results in this attempt of getting into touch being the first and last of this kind. Instead of calling someone, the magical world uses other modes of communication, such as sending letters by using owls. As the following excerpt shows, the scene of Ron phoning Harry is essential with regard to the depiction of the wizards’ lack of knowledge on how to use Muggle technology and can be seen as another indicator for the gap between the magical and the Muggle world: ‘HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I – WANT – TO – TALK – TO – HARRY – POTTER!’ Ron was yelling so loudly that Uncle Vernon jumped and held the receiver a foot away from his ear, staring at it with an expression of mingled fury and alarm. (PA: 9)
By introducing the subject of “Muggle Studies” (PA: 47) in Harry’s Potter third schoolyear J. K. Rowling develops the idea of an existing gap between the Muggle and wizarding world even further.
With regard to the significance of places within the non-magical world, Rana (2009: 95) describes the world of Muggles as being depicted in a “naïve and silly” way. This aspect further enables the recipient to see Harry Potter as an outsider who is then rescued by becoming a member of the magical community in which he finally finds friends and a place he can call home: Hogwarts. Furthermore, it is stated that it is remarkable that the recipients of the Harry Potter novels might favour the magical and not the non-magical world. This can be explained by J. K. Rowling’s talent of making the magical world appear more common than the non- magical one. The latter depicts a society which resembles that of contemporary Britain and which might appear familiar to the majority of recipients. However, Rowling included so many details and appealing aspects in the depiction of the magical world that readers are more likely to prefer these settings. Another reason for the recipients preferring the magical world might be Harry Potter’s preference of the magical world, as he is not happy within the world of Muggles due to various reasons which will be mentioned in the following subchapters. With regard to preferring the magical world over the ’real’ one, it is interesting to observe that members of the magical community are describe as wearing funny cloaks and hats. However, it is actually the Muggles which are described in such a way that they are considered odd by the readership. Especially Harry’s family members, as well as their house and garden are portrayed in such a stereotypically snobbish way that they seem more alien than the witches and wizards with their 25 Settings within the Muggle World strange appearances and conspicuous clothes. Further elaborations on this topic are presented in chapter 3.1.
The Muggle world can be considered to be a highly relevant part of Harry Potter’s life, as he spends a ten-year-period starting after his parents’ death and lasting until his trip to Diagon Alley as a member of it. However, he never felt fully accepted in this world. Apart from feeling unloved by his relatives, Harry is also not popular at school. Before the protagonist is informed about being a wizard, Rowling describes him as feeling lonely because he does not have any friends: “At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley’s gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley’s gang.” (PS: 27). The explanation for Harry’s isolation can be found in the form of his family, the Dursleys. In this specific case his cousin Dudley is presented as the reason for Harry being deprived of the joy of having friends. It is understandable that Harry feels much better after entering the magical world where he finally seems to find his place where he fits in.
3.1 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey – The Dursleys’ Place The first setting of major importance within the non-magical world is the Dursleys’ house which is located in 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. Moore (2008: 276-277) states that a privet is a particular type of hedge which can often be found in typical English suburban neighbourhoods. J. K. Rowling’s decision to name the street in which the Dursleys’ live after this plant, is therefore not to be considered a coincidence. The name of this particular street can be interpreted as being representative of the Dursleys’ desire of keeping their ‘horrible’ secret that their nephew Harry is a wizard to themselves. The private space of their home, however, is already entered by ‘intruders’ on the very first pages of the first Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It is Professor McGonagall who is present in the form of a cat in front of the Dursleys’ house. In chapter two, ten years after Harry’s arrival at Privet Drive, there are numerous owls appearing at the house in order to deliver letters coming from one of the central settings within the magical world: Hogwarts. There are many more intrusions of magic into Privet Drive. For this reason, only a selected number of examples shall be further described in this chapter.
Ehgartner (2002: 62) states that the first glimpse of Privet Drive, the place to which Harry Potter is brought in the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is an impression which resembles the overture to an opera. Moreover, he argues that general motifs and relations
26 Settings within the Muggle World which characterise the setting of Privet Drive are already introduced in the first chapter of the first Harry Potter book. The second chapter then focuses on Harry himself and his perception of his relatives’ place. The description of Privet Drive in chapter one of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone might at first appear surprising. It is undoubtedly unexpected that the first setting of a book series about magic and wizards is a common suburban English neighbourhood. However, it does make sense that Rowling decided on this location as the first to be presented in the Harry Potter series if one considers the novels’ general conception of places and locations. Starting in the world of Muggles, i.e. the non-magical world, the recipient is introduced to Harry’s remaining family members which are Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Harry’s cousin Dudley. The three of them are Harry’s foster family and are the only remaining relatives after his parents’ death. The previously mentioned first impression of the atmosphere of 4 Privet Drive on the first page, even in the first sentence of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone already presents the recipient with Rowling’s rather negative depiction of this setting within the Muggle world: Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal […]. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense. […] The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. […] Mrs Dursley pretended she didn’t have a sister, because her sister and her good-for- nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. (PS: 7)
Taking this quote into consideration it becomes evident that terms such as ‘wizard’, ‘witch’ or ‘magic’ are the opposite of what Harry Potter’s relatives would consider to be appropriate and desirable. It is explicitly stated that the Dursleys do not approve of anything unusual or uncommon and, therefore, the reader is aware that Harry Potter might not fit into this conservative setting. A concrete example for the discrepancy between the character of Harry Potter and the setting of Privet Drive is reflected in the protagonist’s hair which seems to be unwilling to look normal and tends to appear unkempt at all times (cf. PS: 20). This might seem to be an insignificant detail but due to the fact that Uncle Vernon is so annoyed by it, it can be interpreted as a symbolic representation for the Dursleys’ fear of Harry being recognized as an extraordinary boy. Especially because Harry Potter is unusual due to his magical talents, the Dursleys do not want anyone to know the truth. This includes the protagonist himself who does not realise why he feels so different and does not seem to fit in the setting of Privet Drive until he is informed about being a wizard. The Dursleys’ fear of the extraordinary and unusual is omnipresent at Privet Drive and apart from the setting’s visual representation as a stiff and formal location, for example in the description of the garden, this aspect seems to constantly resonate in anything that takes place there. The Dursleys’ craving for everything to be as
27 Settings within the Muggle World ordinary as possible dominates the atmosphere of Privet Drive and results in Harry constantly feeling out of place. This can be observed in numerous scenes. “If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his [Harry’s] asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn’t […]” (PS: 24), is what Rowling writes in the first Harry Potter novel. By doing so, the author presents this significant attribute of Privet Drive from the beginning of the story on and does so repeatedly in the course of the seven Harry Potter novels.
Despite the Dursleys’ fear of Harry being recognized as a special person, Bürvenich (2001: 74) highlights that nobody seems to be interested in Harry in their neighbourhood in Surrey. This shows that Harry really is a nobody within the non-magical world. At Privet Drive and in all places in which his life as a Muggle takes place, he is domineered by his cousin and does not have the chance of living a happy life with friends and joyful events. Harry does not have anyone who genuinely likes him until his eleventh birthday. However, it is mentioned that Harry has had the impression of random people recognising him from time to time. Harry and the recipient understand that these people must have been wizards and witches after Harry is informed about being a famous member of the magical society. This aspect is further analysed in chapter four. That the protagonist is finally able to find friends within the magical world is described in chapter five.
Bayne (2008: 266) refers to the Dursleys’ major ambition as a “[…] materialistic mania for maintaining the appearance of a perfect middle-class English suburban lifestyle”. This idea can be further developed by referring to a scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in which members of the Order of the Phoenix arrive at Privet Drive in order to take Harry with them. They want to take him to their headquarters at Grimmauld Place in London (see 5.4). For this reason, they send a letter to the Dursleys which informs them about having been “[…] short-listed for the All-England Best Kept Suburban Lawn Competition […]” (OP: 48-49). This can be seen as an ideal example for how much Harry Potter’s family seem to care about their presumably flawless suburban lifestyle. Vernon and Petunia are living a conservative life in which they focus on their neighbours’ opinions on them more than they care about their nephew’s feelings. It appears as if their greatest desire were to appear as ordinary and perfect as possible. This wish, however, is not reflected in the character of their son Dudley who develops from a pampered child into an overweight bullying teenager. Nevertheless, the Dursleys stubbornly remain of the opinion that their son is the loveliest and kindest person in the word. At the same time, Harry, who is characterised in a more pleasant way than his cousin,
28 Settings within the Muggle World remains Vernon and Petunia’s scapegoat. These negative aspects are all reflected in the atmosphere of Privet Drive and are also part of its visual representation.
On the second page of the first part of the Harry Potter novels, magical and un-Muggle-like happenings take place in 4 Privet Drive for the first time. This scene marks the first of many magical occurrences in Little Whinging. As it has been mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, Minerva McGonagall, Hogwarts teacher and Head of house Gryffindor, is sitting in front of the Dursleys’ house disguised as a tabby cat. When Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, arrives in order to entrust infant Harry Potter to the Dursleys, he recognizes Professor McGonagall, addresses her, and she transforms into her human self. This takes place shortly after Harry Potter’s parents Lily and James were killed by Voldemort. Magic becomes even more evident when Hagrid, the “Keeper of Keys” (PS: 41) and “gamekeeper” (PS: 169) of Hogwarts, arrives on a flying motorbike. What happens after McGonagall’s transformation introduces one of the essential scenes of the first chapters of the Harry Potter series. Professor McGonagall is the first character to directly address the existing border between the non- magical Muggle world and the magical world and the aspect is explicitly mentioned by her: “He [Harry]’ll be famous – a legend – I wouldn’t be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in the future – there will be books written about Harry – every child in our world will know his name!” (PS: 15, my emphasis). Apart from the fact that the recipients realise that Harry will be a famous wizard, this scene serves another highly important purpose: It becomes evident that witches and wizards do see themselves as members of a different world, “our world” (PS: 15) as McGonagall refers to it. This aspect has already been described in the introduction to this chapter and provides the setting of Little Whinging, where Harry then spends the next ten years with his spiteful relatives, with an additional connotation: It becomes apparent that Harry Potter might find it difficult to live in this world with his non-magical relatives, as their house is not the place and Muggle England not even the world in which he is supposed to spend his life. That conflicts and disagreements between Harry and his relatives might result from this clash of the two worlds is foreshadowed by McGonagall’s statement at the very beginning of the story of Harry Potter.
In addition to the potentially difficult future of Harry Potter, Hagrid’s arrival in the setting of Privet Drive also marks the moment when the recipients first encounter the protagonist and they are informed about the famous lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. This mark is repeatedly mentioned in the series and serves as a visible reminder of Harry being the only person who
29 Settings within the Muggle World has ever survived the deadly ‘Avada Kedavra’ curse. Moreover, it also presents Harry’s (temporary) victory over Lord Voldemort and reminds the readership of Lily Potter sacrificing herself for the life of her son. Therefore, the scar on Harry’s forehead can also be seen as a symbol for the motherly love which accompanies Harry even after Lily’s death. After Voldemort’s regaining of power, the scar starts to serve the purpose of representing the connection between the “Dark Lord” (OP: 523) and Harry Potter and foreshadows the revelation that Harry is one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. That this piece of information is first mentioned in the setting of Privet Drive assigns this location additional significance. The following excerpt is taken from the scene which takes place in front of the Dursleys’ house and in which little Harry’s scar is mentioned for the first time: “Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning. ‘Is that where-?’ whispered Professor McGonagall. ‘Yes,’ said Dumbledore. ‘He’ll have that scar for ever.’” (PS: 16-17).
After this first encounter with Little Whinging as well as with the first magical persons including the two Hogwarts professors, Hagrid, and Harry Potter, approximately ten years pass before the story continues. The beginning of chapter two of Harry potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, entitled ‘The Vanishing Glass’, is set in Little Whinging. It is described that “Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys’ front door […]” (PS: 19). This excerpt shows that the field of vision as well as what has been described with regard to the atmospheric setting of this place have not changed and the reader still expects that a clash between Harry’s magical nature and his relatives’ conservative and controlled lives might occur. This is indicated by mentioning minor details, such as “tidy front gardens” and “the brass number four”. Both of these elements represent typical items usually found in conservative suburban neighbourhoods and define the mood of this location further. That Harry Potter’s magical background and the Dursleys’ snobbish values do in fact clash, becomes also evident in this chapter.
When the readers get to know that Harry is sleeping in “the cupboard under the stairs” (PS: 20) they realise how badly Harry is treated. Even though the closet is not further described at first, it already evokes a certain impression of the atmosphere in which the protagonist has spent the last ten years of his life. It indicates that he has been treated as an inferior member of the Dursleys’ household and by mentioning that Harry lives in a tiny room which is normally used for storing cleaning utensils and other household articles, the impression of Harry being nothing
30 Settings within the Muggle World but ballast and a waste of space for the Dursleys is evoked in the recipients’ minds. This impression remains until the seventh part of the series. It is only then that Harry realises that his aunt might at least feel some affection for him. Before the Dursleys leave, his cousin even thanks him for saving his life and tells Harry that he has not been “a waste of space” (DH: 39). Uncle Vernon’s dislike for Harry, however, does not even waver when their ways finally part. His dislike is shown throughout the series and as an example in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and is reflected in the following excerpt: “Go – cupboard – stay – no meals” (PS: 26). This extract is taken from in a scene in which Harry is punished by Uncle Vernon. It can be interpreted as assigning the setting of the cupboard with an additional meaning. It becomes a place for punishment. This impression of Harry being maltreated by his family is supported by Rowling writing the following: Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley’s and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. (PS: 20)
In addition to the fact that the protagonist is obviously not provided with any clothes that fit him, it is mentioned that the Dursleys tend to ignore Harry as a member of their household by acting as if he were not there (cf. PS: 22). This further emphasises the first impression of Harry not fitting into the setting of Privet Drive and he does not live according to the values which seem to be of importance there. In addition to being treated badly with regard to the Dursleys’ emotional distance towards their nephew, they obviously also deprive Harry of elementary goods, such as adequate clothes and, even more importantly, food: Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn’t know what time it was and he couldn’t be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn’t risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food. (PS: 27)
The previously mentioned intrusion of magic into this stereotypical suburban English setting marks one of the essential functions of Privet Drive. It is a place which is dominated by the desire of normality and is threatened by magic. The contrast of these two elements results in a chaotic state. The dissimilarity of the two worlds, the magical and the Muggle one, becomes evident in Privet Drive, where the two worlds regularly touch, which often leads to conflict. The chaos begins with the arrival of the first letter from Hogwarts which is addressed to “Mr Harry Potter / The Cupboard under the Stairs / 4 Privet Drive / Little Whinging / Surrey” (PS: 30). It provides Harry with a first glimpse of Hogwarts school when he sees the school’s coat of arms. However, his aunt and uncle do not allow Harry to open his mail and after numerous additional letters which are all gathered up by Uncle Vernon, the family leaves Privet Drive (cf. PS: 33-35). One can interpret their departure as an attempt to flee from the magical world
31 Settings within the Muggle World intruding their home. However, this initiative is not successful and in addition it also highlights the Dursleys’ fear of uncommon events further. Their escape leads the family to different destinations until they finally arrive at a deserted shack on an isolated island. In this setting Harry finally learns the truth, as is further explained in chapter 3.3.
With regard to the field of vision, the Dursleys’ house is explicitly described on numerous occasions. Apart from representing the previously mentioned aspect of a stereotypical suburban household, one can also observe that Rowling often emphasises how badly Harry is treated in her descriptions. She depicts Privet Drive as a setting which would theoretically allow for Harry to feel accepted and loved. However, the Dursleys do not see Harry as part of their family, but rather as an annoying addition to it. This issue can for example be observed in the following sequence: “The Dursleys’ house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors […], one where Dudley slept and one where Dudley kept all his toys and things that wouldn’t fit into his first bedroom.” (PS: 32). From this, one can conclude that it is not a lack of space which is the reason for Harry spending his life in the previously mentioned cupboard under the stairs. It is the Dursleys’ desire to make Harry feel inferior and their rejection of his becoming a fully accepted part of their family which explains why he does not have a room on his own. The following extract also highlights this impression: Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball waring different-coloured bobble hats – but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photograph showed a large, blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a roundabout at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too. (PS: 19)
It seems as if the Dursleys wanted to treat Harry as a less valuable person in order to feel more powerful themselves. This might result from a combination of their fear of Harry being dangerous due to his magical background and of their dislike for uncommon situations combined with Petunia envying Harry’s mother for being a witch while she is not.
After Dumbledore’s letter which was addressed to the tiny room under the stairs, Harry’s aunt and uncle allow their nephew to move into the small bedroom which was used as Dudley’s playroom before. The readers are not explicitly told why Petunia and Vernon decide to grant Harry more space, but one can conclude that it is neither kind-heartedness nor their benevolence, but the fear of others being aware of how they treat Harry which triggers their decision. If anyone would learn about them locking their nephew into a cabinet, it would probably have a negative impact on their reputation as a caring and loving family. As it has
32 Settings within the Muggle World already been mentioned, losing their status as the perfect household is the Dursleys’ greatest fear.
The powerful wizard Albus Dumbledore represents the superiority of the magical world and is introduced as an all-knowing character shown by the fact that the next letter to Harry is addressed to “’Mr. Harry Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive - ‘” (PS: 33). This indicates that Dumbledore is apparently watching over the events which take place at Privet Drive. This means that he might have been observing Harry growing up in this environment. Dumbledore mentions this when he visits Privet Drive in the beginning of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince where he verbally attacks the Dursleys for their cold-hearted behaviour as follows: ‘You did not do as I asked. You have never treated Harry as a son. He has known nothing but neglect and often cruelty at your hands. The best can be said is that he has at least escaped the appalling damage you have inflicted upon the unfortunate boy [Dudley] sitting between you.’ (HBP: 57)
By addressing the Dursleys in such a direct but deliberate manner, Dumbledore emits wisdom and power. The Dursleys are finally told off for their behaviour towards Harry and they are attacked with regard to their failure of educating their son appropriately. Due to Dumbledore’s powerful aura, not even Uncle Vernon is brave enough to reply properly. That all this takes place in the setting of Privet Drive marks the aspect of the magical world’s superiority and the intrusion of magic into this non-magical location.
A considerable number of letters which all look identical, and which Harry realises must come from the same source, arrive at Privet Drive after the first two. However, every single one is thrown away by Vernon Dursley. The image of magic intruding the Muggle setting of Privet Drive can be found in Dumbledore sending the letters in various different ways apart from the standard manner of using owls. This can be observed in the following extract: Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he [Vernon] spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets.” (PS: 35, my emphasis).
Apart from creating a chaotic situation by the delivery of numerous letters, Rowling’s decision to refer to the letter as appearing similar to gunshots reflects the mood which is created during this scene. It is not only the arrival of a myriad of letters, it is more the aspect that they are being sent by a member of the wizarding world that makes the Dursleys, especially Uncle Vernon, feel so uneasy about it. By being physically attacked by elements which originally emerge from a place somewhere in the magical world, the conflict between magical world and
33 Settings within the Muggle World the lives of the Dursleys becomes even more apparent. The setting of Privet Drive is again depicted as a location where these two worlds clash.
It has been mentioned multiple times that Harry Potter has to spend ten years of his life in the rather hostile environment of Privet Drive. Laden with negative attitudes, ignorance, and a lack of love, as well as insufficient nutrition, Privet Drive is not a welcoming setting. For this reason, it is remarkable that Rowling decided to characterise Harry Potter in the way she does. It might have been possible to describe the protagonist as an embittered character, had Rowling wanted to make Harry adapt the characteristics and emotions of the hostile setting of Privet Drive. However, Harry is not as desperate as one might conclude from the place in which he spends his childhood. It appears as if he has accepted his position within the Dursleys’ household. This acceptance changes after learning about his past, his parents, and his ability to do magic. Harry’s opinion on his relatives worsens after realising that the he has not been told the truth. This change takes place in the hut on the island which is introduced in chapter 3.3. After this the atmosphere at Privet Drive becomes even more tense and Harry’s dislike for his relatives intensifies.
After the Dursleys and Harry’s time in this shack on the deserted island and the protagonist’s first visit to Diagon Alley, Harry returns to Privet Drive before finally leaving for Hogwarts. After his first schoolyear, Harry returns to Privet Drive again and he does so for all of his summer holidays. The schema of leaving Privet Drive for a new schoolyear and returning for the summer break is present in all Harry Potter novels apart from the final part Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where the Dursleys as well as Harry leave the setting of Little Whinging forever. When the protagonist returns to King’s Cross with the Hogwarts Express after his first schoolyear he feels sad about leaving Hogwarts, which is the place he considers his new home: “[…] Harry could hardly believe it when he realised that he’d already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive had ever done.” (PS: 126). That a setting in which he has only spent a few months is considered more of a home by the protagonist than his relatives’ place in Little Whinging is another piece of evidence for the incompatibility of Harry Potter, the Dursleys, and the location of Privet Drive. However, after year one at Hogwarts Harry tells his friends that he might be able to spend the best vacation of his life because his relatives might be afraid of him. The recipients accompany Harry’s return to the non-magical world and for the first time the setting of Privet Drive and the Muggle world in general appear in a slightly more positive atmosphere, as the time Harry has to spend there
34 Settings within the Muggle World is limited and a new schoolyear will soon begin. This change of Privet Drive’s atmosphere can be explained by the possibility of threatening the Dursleys with the use of magic, as Harry’s relatives do not yet know about the law that prohibits underage wizards from performing magic outside Hogwarts. In general, the reader can observe that Harry is reluctant to return to Privet Drive and that his dislike for living with the Dursleys only alters in its intensity, but never ceases to exist.
Harry Potter’s dislike for his foster family’s home becomes evident multiple times in the course of the seven parts of the Harry Potter series. As indicators, one can refer to the numerous scenes in which Harry basically flees Privet Drive alone or is rescued by members of the magical world. This phenomenon appears for the first time at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret, where he leaves with the help of Ron, Fred and George, and a bewitched Ford Anglia: “Harry’s mouth fell open as the full impact of what he was seeing hit him. Ron was leaning out of the back window of an old turquoise car, which was parked in mid-air.” (CS: 24). Then, before his third year at Hogwarts starts in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry runs away and is picked up by the Knight Bus and taken to the Leaky Cauldron (cf. PA: 28-36). At the beginning of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire members of the Weasley family arrive at Privet Drive through the fireplace using Floo Powder and Harry leaves for the Burrow by using the Floo network (cf. GF: 42-48). In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, members of the Order arrive at Privet Drive and they leave by using flying Brooms and a Disillusionment Charm6 (cf. OP: 46-59). Then, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry is visited by Albus Dumbledore and they depart by “Apparition” (HBP: 60). The events of Harry leaving Privet Drive in order to spend the rest of his holidays in the magical world are also mentioned by Eccleshare (2002: 69) who refers to Harry’s “[…] emotional plight with the Dursleys” (Eccleshare 2002: 69) as a possible reason for the phenomenon of repeatedly escaping this setting. The different mentioned ways of travelling within the magical world and between the magical and Muggle world are further described in chapter 4.3.
It has been stated that in the seventh novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry leaves Privet Drive forever. After his relatives are taken away by a witch and a wizard who belong to the Order of the Phoenix in order to protect them from the threat of Voldemort and his followers attacking them, Harry also leaves this setting - forever. He does so in the same way in which he arrived sixteen years earlier: accompanied by Hagrid flying in an enchanted sidecar. Before
6 A Disillusionment Charm is a way of making oneself or others invisible. 35 Settings within the Muggle World
Harry comes of age on his seventeenth birthday7, thirteen members of the Order of the Phoenix, including many of Harry’s friends, arrive at Privet Drive. Under the command of Mad-Eye Moody, six of the party drink Polyjuice Potion and change their physical appearance to that of Harry Potter. They then leave in pairs and depart to different destinations using diverse ways of travelling. This includes the use of Brooms, Thestrals8, and the already mentioned enchanted motorcycle with a sidecar. Paired with Hagrid, Harry leaves Privet Drive forever behind. The situation of parting with the place which officially was but never felt like Harry’s home is perceived by him as follows: “[H]e almost forgot to take a last glimpse of number four, Privet Drive; by the time he looked over the edge of the sidecar, he could no longer tell which one it was.” (DH: 51). This last scene which includes Privet Drive underlines the general impression that Harry does not feel connected to the setting of the Dursleys’ house at all and leaving it does not seem to be bother him. This reflects Harry’s feeling of insignificance towards the setting of Privet Drive.
Even though the Dursleys’ house is repeatedly visited by wizards, their contact with other members of the magical world apart from Harry occur only to a relatively limited extent. For this reason, the setting of the Dursleys’ house can be considered to be more part of the Muggle world than a border between the non-magical and magical world. Another reason for analysing it as a Muggle setting lies in Rowling’s depiction of the world of Muggles by basically using the location of 4 Privet Drive as its centre. However, visits from members of the magical world take place at Privet Drive from time to time. Examples for encounters with witches or wizards within this setting have been mentioned before and include Ron, Fred, and George Weasley ‘rescuing’ Harry from Privet Drive before the second year at Hogwarts, the Weasley’s picking Harry up for the Quidditch World Cup, or members of the Order of the Phoenix taking Harry to a safe place. The most impressive visit by a wizard takes place in Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince, the sixth of the seven Harry Potter novels. The previously described scene in which Albus Dumbledore arrives at Privet Drive has already been introduced. The purpose of it is to take Harry to a town called Budleigh Babberton in order to convince Horace Slughorn to return to his post as the Potions Master at Hogwarts (cf. HBP: 60-80) before accompanying the protagonist to the Weasleys’ place the Burrow. With regard to this, one could also consider Privet Drive as the starting point of numerous adventures which take place before or after Harry’s schoolyears.
7 According to Magical Law wizards and witches attain full age on their seventeenth birthday (cf. HBP: 56). 8 Thestrals are magical creatures which can fly and can be described as a hybrid of a horse and a dragon (cf. OP: 393-394). 36 Settings within the Muggle World
To conclude the elaborations on 4 Privet Drive, there are several aspects which make this setting an integral one for the Harry Potter series. Firstly, Privet Drive represents a central location within the non-magical world. Secondly, it is the setting in which Harry’s magical skills often clash with his conservative Muggle relatives. Thirdly, this place represents the intrusion of magic into the Dursleys’ lives. This intrusion does not only happen in the form of their nephew being a wizard, but also by being visited by various witches and wizards or by the arrival of numerous letters from the magical world. Furthermore, it is a location which represents the basic conflict between the magical and the non-magical world and it is the perfect symbolic representation of the Dursleys’ stance that everything should be as ordinary and perfect as possible. By Harry being a wizard, his relatives’ values are challenged and their desire for normality cannot be fulfilled.
3.2 The Zoo Dudley’s birthday in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a lucky day for the protagonist. Mrs Figg normally looks after Harry when his family leaves the house, but due to her broken leg Harry is allowed to join his cousin’s birthday party at the local zoo. “[…] Harry, who couldn’t believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys’ car […] on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.” (PS: 23). This scene presents the recipient with further information on Harry’s rather sad childhood during which he has constantly been treated as if he were less valuable than his cousin Dudley. It becomes evident that Harry was not provided with any of the joys which the non-magical world would normally offer to children. The bliss Harry feels about finally being allowed to visit a zoo serves as an indicator of this and is also reflected in the weather which is described as “very sunny” (PS: 24).
One can list three main reasons for this setting’s significance with regard to the overall plot of the Harry Potter novels. Firstly, it is the location in which Harry discovers one of his special gifts, which is that he can talk to snakes. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, this talent becomes relevant, as Harry learns that it is a rare skill and that it is often associated with dark magic. This phenomenon is known as being a “Parselmouth” (CS: 146) and is another connection between Harry and Lord Voldemort’s. Secondly, the setting of the zoo is also the place where the protagonist performs the first observable act of magic. After his cousin Dudley pushes Harry away from the terrarium, the latter unintendedly makes the terrarium’s window vanish: “Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor’s tank had vanished.” (PS: 26). As a result, the snake is set free and can escape. The third and most significant reason
37 Settings within the Muggle World for the importance of this setting, however, is that it indirectly characterises Harry further. By showing that he is able to feel empathic for other creatures, the recipient starts to get even better acquainted with the protagonist. Even though he is constantly treated in ways which could have made Harry a careworn person, he shows compassion with the boa constrictor which is held captive at the zoo. Harry considers the circumstances in which the snake has to live as “[…] worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up – at least he got to visit the rest of the house.” (PS: 25).
3.3 Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea The tiny and desolate hut on a deserted island in the middle of the sea appears in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. After leaving Privet Drive due to the enormous number of letters from Hogwarts which are sent to Harry and after spending time at different stopovers, Harry and the Dursleys arrive in the setting which shall be described and analysed in this chapter. “The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea” (PS: 42) is the address on the letter from Hogwarts which is delivered to this setting by Rubeus Hagrid. This is the letter which is finally read by Harry. For this reason, the setting of this shack can be considered to be the place where Harry Potter’s first conscious encounter with a wizard at the magical world in general takes place. Described as one of the most unpleasant locations one can imagine, the hut can be seen as a symbol of the turmoil of the Dursleys’ life, which is being turned upside down due to the inevitable approach of a major change. As Harry learns the truth about himself, his past, his parents, and most importantly about being a wizard, this setting marks a significant change in the life of Harry as well as in that of the Dursleys. The lies which Harry has been told for the last ten years are revealed and the weather, a thunderstorm and gusts of wind, emphasise his feelings of betrayal. Before anything particular takes place at this setting, the atmospheric setting, the weather, as well as the field of vision already foreshadow that something of importance is about to happen in the shack: As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few mouldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket. The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. (PS: 37)
It is Rubeus Hagrid, a half-giant, who then arrives in this setting and informs Harry that he is a wizard and has been accepted as a student at “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry” (PS: 42). Hagrid’s arrival at the shack on the island is described in a gothic-like manner and is
38 Settings within the Muggle World accompanied by the previously explained thunderstorm which matches his impressive and intimidating appearance: BOOM. The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, starring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in. […] SMASH! The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor. A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair. (PS: 38-39)
The thunderstorm is an essential element with regard to the atmosphere of this setting. Its significance becomes even more evident in this scene when Hagrid realises that Harry Potter does not know anything about his parents, his history, or his roots within the magical world: ’ALL WHAT?’ Hagrid thundered. ‘Now wait jus’ one second!’ He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall. ‘Do you mean ter tell me,’ he growled at the Dursleys, ‘that this boy – this boy! – knows nothin’ about’ – about ANYTHING?’ (PS: 41, my emphasis)
This excerpt is of major relevance with regard to two different aspects. Firstly, the weather which has been described as being of major significance for this scene and which is also connected to Hagrid’s physical appearance is reflected in the word ‘thundered’. Instead of writing ‘shouted’ or ‘yelled’, Rowling uses a term which can directly be associated with the description of the setting. By doing so, the recipient is reminded of the atmospheric setting and it supports the impressive appearance of Hagrid further. Secondly, Hagrid’s anger which also has an impact on atmospheric setting seems to directly affect the perception of the hut. The location appears smaller due to his presence and the Dursleys seem to be intimidated by him. For this reason, one can conclude that Haupt’s idea of a change of mood resulting in a different perception of a setting with regard to the field of vision is clearly observable here.
Hagrid’s arrival at this scene leads to the momentous revelation that Harry Potter is a wizard. The major secret which has been concealed from Harry by his relatives ceases to exist. As a result, Harry realises why so many strange and inexplainable situations have occurred in his life. As an example, one can refer to a situation in which his hair regrew so quickly after getting a horrible haircut (cf. PS: 23). It is Hagrid’s three-word-statement addressed to Harry Potter which changes the protagonist’s life forever and makes the setting of the hut on the rock so important: “’ […] yer a wizard’” (PS: 42). After this yielding of the secret that has surrounded Harry from the onset of his memory on, he is also finally allowed to read the letter from Hogwarts, and in the morning he leaves the Dursleys for the first time since his arrival in Privet Drive ten years earlier. Hagrid can be described as a helper in this scene, whereas the Dursleys 39 Settings within the Muggle World are opponents. Harry finally departs with Hagrid in order to visit Diagon Alley in London (see chapter 4.1), where he enters the magical world for the first time. With regard to this, the hut can be described as the basis for Harry’s first encounter with the magical world and it is also the location from where he departs in order to visit Diagon Alley for the first time.
Harry’s reaction after being told that he belongs to a different world is a doubtful one. The surprising news that he is a wizard makes Harry reflect on the past and he questions why he has suffered from maltreatment, neglection, and punishment at his relatives’ place in the Muggle- world. It also seems as if the news makes him doubt Hagrid’s reliability. He does not understand why he could not defend himself against his cousin and his uncle and aunt, now that he knows that he is able to perform magic. The hut is the place where Harry is told the truth and the setting is then dominated by the protagonist’s confusion. The following excerpt summarises these doubts and it can again be argued that the thunderstorm which serves as a background for this setting could also be seen as a representation of Harry questioning whether or not to belief Hagrid and it can be seen as a symbol for the chaos within the protagonist’s mind: A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He’d spent his life being clouted by Dudley and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn’t they been turned into warty toads every time they’d tried to lock him in his cupboard? If he’d once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football? (PS: 47)
Apart from marking the beginning of Harry’s transition from the non-magical into the magical world, as Bayne (2008: 266-267) describes it, the setting of the shack on the deserted island also represents a turning point in the relationship between Harry and his relatives. Harry finally understands that he has been lied to for all his life. The isolated hut in the middle of nowhere combined with the horrible weather conditions can be seen as a representation of the feeling of loneliness which the protagonist has had to endure for the last ten years and of the turmoil the new pieces of information causes. Apart from its gloomy atmosphere which is supported by the bad weather, the hut is also located on an isolated island. Having no friends and not receiving any kindness from his family make the island also a perfect symbolic representation of Harry Potter’s life before Hogwarts.
Harry’s negative associations with his past in the Muggle world can also be observed in the extract below. After realising that he is a wizard, Harry understands that he has been lied to by his relatives. This marks another significant turning point in their relationship as it simultaneously becomes evident that Aunt Petunia knew about Harry’s secret ability. This is when Harry, and as a result the recipient, realises that the Dursleys lied to Harry on purpose
40 Settings within the Muggle World and not because they were not aware of the truth themselves. In addition, the Dursleys’ hatred towards Harry is finally assigned with a possible explanation. With regard to the following statement made by Petunia, it becomes evident that she might have envied her sister for being a witch while she was not. This might explain why she passed her negative feelings towards Harry’s mother, father, and Harry himself on to her own family: ‘You knew?” said Harry. “You knew I’m a – a wizard?’ ‘Knew!’ shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. ‘Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that – that school – and came home every holiday with her pockets full of frog-spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was – a freak!’ (PS: 44)
When Harry then also comprehends that his parents were killed by an evil wizard called Lord Voldemort and that they did not die in a common car crash as his relatives made him believe, the atmosphere of the setting becomes even more tense: Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, “Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!” “CAR CRASH?”, roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. “How could a car crash kill Lily an’ James Potter? It’s an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin’ his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!” (PS: 44)
It is Hagrid again who seems to be offended by the Dursleys’ behaviour and it appears as if he could not believe that Harry has had to endure such a hostile treatment for the last years. The explosive atmosphere, which was also foreshadowed by the thunderstorm, surrounds the group including Hagrid, Harry, Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley and reaches its climax when Uncle Vernon calls Albus Dumbledore a “[…] crackpot old fool […]” (PS: 48) in front of Hagrid. This statement triggers the first intended magical action which Harry Potter observes. Moreover, it also marks the Dursleys’ first negative encounter with the magical world, when Hagrid jinxes Dudley and makes a pig tail appear on his behind (cf. PS: 48). After this, Harry and Hagrid spend the rest of the night within the setting of the hut, and in the morning they leave the island together, leaving the Dursleys behind. For this reason the hut can be seen as a turning point in Harry’s life and marks the beginning of the protagonist’s new adventurous life.
To conclude, the setting of the shack on a deserted island is of major significance, as it marks a transition point in Harry’s life. It highlights the moment when the protagonist learns the truth about himself, his past, and his potential future as a member of the magical world. Furthermore, the atmosphere of the setting is supported by a thunderstorm and highlights the turmoil and chaos that Hagrid’s arrival on the island triggers. It might also represent the confusion in Harry’s mind and that of and his aunt, uncle, and cousin. This setting can also be considered as the place of a turning point of the relationship between Harry and the Dursleys. Moreover, it
41 Settings within the Muggle World marks the beginning of Harry Potter’s life as a member of the magical community. The isolation of this location might represent Harry’s feeling of loneliness in the non-magical world.
42 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World
4 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World In an interview with Dallach (2000: 8) Rowling explains that tension can only be reached in narratives if a crossing of borders takes place. Furthermore, she states that a fantasy world needs to be clearly defined and that it has to function according to a set of fixed rules. These two aspects can also be found in the magical world of the Harry Potter series.
The crossing of different barriers which divide the world of Harry Potter into a magical part and a non-magical one, the so-called Muggle world, mark an interesting aspect of the book series and shall be focused on in this chapter. It is mentioned by Eccleshare (2002: 64) that a “[…] successful invention of methods of entry to a magical world is equally important both in defining an atmosphere and in making the transition convincing and likeable”. Moreover, Eccleshare (2002: 65) adds that a considerable amount of different entries and possibilities to leave the magical world are introduced in the Harry Potter novels and develop the concept of borders between the two further. Moreover, it is mentioned that crossing certain thresholds as well as journeying from one world to another are fundamental elements of Rowling’s Harry Potter series. These aspects are presented in the introductory part of this chapter before concrete examples are provided.
The parallel existence of the magical and the Muggle world becomes already evident at the beginning of the first Harry Potter novel. Starting in the night of Voldemort’s defeat, the wizarding world celebrates the end of his reign of terror. These celebrations are also noticed by members of the Muggle world. The recipients read about this by accompanying Vernon Dursley, who senses that something is different and perceives an atmosphere which he considers odd, to work. This example indicates that the magical world is so relieved by the defeat of Voldemort that they seem to care less for hiding from the Muggle world and they even appear to forget to keep their existence secret: It was on the corner of the street that he [Vernon Dursley] noticed the first sign of something peculiar – a cat reading a map. For a second, Mr. Dursley didn’t realise what he had seen – then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn’t a map in sight. […] As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn’t help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. Mr. Dursley couldn’t bear people who dressed in funny clothes – the get-ups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. (PS: 8)
It becomes evident that Mr. Dursley tries to find logical explanations for the unusual things he observes in the setting of his Privet Drive. This highlights the general impression that Muggles seem ignorant when it comes to the magical elements, people, and incidents surrounding them. 43 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World
The strange happenings, however, are not only perceived by Vernon Dursley, but they also appear on the evening news as the following extract shows: “’And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation’s owls have been behaving very unusually today.’” (PS: 10). As the recipients later learn, using owls to deliver letters is a common mode of communicating in the wizarding world. Therefore, this irregular behaviour of the owls is also an indicator of the change which the magical world underwent and supports Vernon’s impression than something is different than usual. This aspect can be considered to be the first example of the border between the magical and non-magical world being blurred. Harry’s arrival at Privet Drive then changes the location’s function further and assigns this place some properties of a border area between the non-magical and the magical world.
It has already been mentioned in the previous chapter that Harry Potter has no friends in the Muggle world and that no one seems to be interest in him. The following scene describes a moment in which the magical world and the non-magical world collide for the first time. It can be considered of major importance as it is the first time Harry becomes aware that strangers seem to know him for a still unknown reason: Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look. (PS: 27)
Eccleshare (2002: 68) also describes the borders between the magical and the Muggle world as often being blurred. There are numerous examples for the lack of a clear division between the two, as magical settings are often situated in a concealed way in the middle of the Muggle world. It is argued that this causes difficulties with regard to the exact dividing lines between the magical and the Muggle world. Moreover, it seems as if wizards could access the non- magical world any time and it appears as if they could move between settings which belong to different worlds without restraints. On the contrary, Muggles cannot enter the magical world. Bürvenich (2001: 59) describes that Diagon Alley is not visible for Muggles, except for Muggle-born witches and wizards and their parents (cf. CS: 47). However, there are not any explicit rules for borders mentioned in any of the Harry Potter novels. The recipient can only conclude that the entries and exits might work according to some magical laws or rules. To conclude, entries and ways of leaving magical settings seem to be accessible only for witches,
44 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World wizards, and Muggles who are related to them. The reason for this could be that Muggles are not even aware of the magical world and for this reason they do not know about any possible entrances and exits.
When taking the Quidditch World Cup in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire into consideration, one can observe that this setting is an example of such a magical setting being located within the Muggle world. It seems as if the non-magical world and the magical world existed simultaneously with regard to this location. In addition, it becomes apparent that Muggles are prohibited from entering this place by a non-visible border. By reading about charms against approaching Muggles, it becomes evident that it is not always topographical borders which divide the non-magical and magical world, but that is sometimes just magic and spells which do so. In the example of the gigantic stadium which is set up for the Quidditch world cup, Arthur Weasley illustrates how well-organized the magical world is with regard to remaining concealed from the Muggles: ‘Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle-Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near her all year, they’ve suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again […]’ (GF: 87)
What makes this scene even more essential with regard to the presence of the magical and the non-magical world in this setting is the character of Mr. Roberts. He is a Muggle and works for the campsite of the Quidditch World Cup. This is a unique situation, as it is not common for witches and wizards to employ Muggles. It has been mentioned that members of the magical community seem to feel superior to Muggles, but in this case it is a Muggle who works at the campsite for the Triwizard Tournament. This uncommon situation highlights the significance of the setting of the campsite and is mentioned in the following example: A man was standing in the doorway, looking out at the tents. Harry knew at a glance that this was the only real Muggle for several acres. […] At that moment, a wizard in plus-fours appeared out of thin air next to Mr. Roberts’s front door. ‘Obliviate!’ he said sharply, pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts. […] ‘Been having a lot of trouble with him. Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy.’ (GF: 72)
This extract can be considered to be of importance, as the wizarding community seems to be dependent on a Muggle to regulate the administrative issues revolving around the campsite. This is really untypical because wizards and witches tend to feel superior to members of the non-magical community and they normally use magic on order to compensate for a potential lack of skill or knowledge. Eccleshare (2002: 68) assigns importance to the presence of Mr. Roberts for another reason: He falls victim to the Death Eater’s attack which takes place after
45 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World the final Quidditch match. Rowling might have decided to include a Muggle into this setting in order to be able to demonstrate the cruelty and hatred against Muggles, which Voldemort’s followers share, in an even more appalling way. Their public humiliation of Mr. Roberts and his family is brutal and inhuman, and these attributes perfectly describe the Death Eaters’ vicious characters: The floating people were suddenly illuminated as they passed over a burning tent, and Harry recognised one of them – Mr Roberts, the campsite manager. The other three looked as though they might be his wife and children. One of the marchers below flipped Mrs Roberts upside-down with his wand; her nightdress fell down to reveal voluminous drawers; she struggled to cover herself up as the crowd below her screeched and hooted with glee. (GF: 108)
Eccleshare (20002: 68-69) mentions that it is also with regard to the Weasleys’ house, the Burrow, that the phenomenon of a lack of a clear definition of borders and barriers can be found. There do not always seem to be precise rules for where the Muggle world ends and the magical world begins. The Burrow is not described as being located within a separated world, but it appears as a charmed building containing a myriad of magical elements and which is located in the middle of the non-magical world. It appears as if it were situated in a typical rural area somewhere in England in order to indicate that magic is omnipresent there. There are no obvious borders or barriers which have to be crossed in order to enter the Burrow. As this setting shall be considered a magical one, further elaboration on the Burrow, can be found in chapter five.
With regard to borders and areas which mark barriers or connections between the magical and the Muggle world, the following subchapters present analyses of the examples of the St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley, and King’s Cross and Platform 9 ¾ including the journeys with the Hogwarts Express. Moreover, barriers and entrances into a different world in Harry Potter shall be compared to those in The Chronicles of Narnia and Alice in Wonderland. The last subchapter then attempts to shortly describe the different modes of traveling within the magical world and across its borders.
4.1 London The capital of the ‘real’ United Kingdom is also highly relevant with regard to settings within the non-magical and the magical world in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels. Moreover, important borders between these two worlds can be found in London. The following subchapters attempt to summarise the Harry Potter series’ settings which are located there. 46 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World
4.1.1 St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries An indicator of the connection between the non-magical world and that of the Muggles can be found in the setting of “St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries” (OP: 412). One could argue that this location is basically a magical setting, which could be analysed in chapter five. However, its importance for the thesis at hand lies more on its function of forming an interesting overlap of the magical and non-magical world. As a setting which fully belongs to the magical world but is located in the centre of London, it is a unique place. It is not hidden like Diagon Alley or Platform 9 ¾ but introduces another remarkable facet of the coexistence of the magical and the non-magical world. Mad-Eye Moody explains that it can be found in the middle of the Muggle world by explaining that no place “’ […] in Diagon Alley was big enough […]’” (OP: 426) and that to “’[…] have it underground like the Ministry […] wouldn’t be healthy’” (OP: 426). With regard to the hospital’s function as a connection between the magical and the non-magical world its visual appearance in the world of Muggles and the entrance to this setting shall be further examined. To begin with, Harry’s first impression of St. Mungo’s is presented in the following extract: They arrived outside a large, old-fashioned, red-brick department store called Purge & Dowse Ltd. The place had a shabby, miserable air; […]. Large signs on all the dusty red doors read: ‘Closed for Refurbishment’. Harry distinctly heard a large woman laden with plastic shopping bags say to her friend as they passed, ‘It’s never opened, that place…’ (OP: 427)
The field of vision of the St. Mungo’s Hospital can be described by taking to different aspects into consideration. Firstly, this excerpt represents the hospital’s appearance in the middle of the Muggle world. The building looks derelict and is not an inviting location. Muggles seem to accept the fact that the shop never opens and do not further investigate why this might be the case. Secondly, the depiction of this setting changes after accessing it, but before this aspect is presented, the process of entering the building shall be described. Harry’s perception of this can be seen in the following extract: […] Tonks leaned close to the glass, looking up at the very ugly dummy, her breath steaming up the glass. ‘Wotcher,’ she said, ‘we’re here to see Arthur Weasley.’ Harry thought how absurd it was for Tonks to expect the dummy to hear her talking so quietly through a sheet of glass […]. Next second, his mouth opened in a shock as the dummy gave a tiny nod and beckoned with its jointed fingers, and Tonks seized Ginny and Mrs Weasley by the elbows, stepped right through the glass and vanished. Fred and George stepped after them. Harry glanced around at the jostling crowd; not one of them seemed to have a glance to spare for window displays as ugly as those of Purge & Dowse Ltd; nor did any of them seem to have noticed that six people had just melted into thin air in front of them. ‘C’mon,’ growled Moody, giving Harry yet another poke in the back and together they stepped forward through what felt like a sheet of cool water, emerging quite warm and dry on the other side. (OP: 427)
47 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World
Entering St. Mungo’s hospital happens by crossing a magical border. This transition from the non-magical into the magical world is not only presented by the mere existence of a border, but also on the level of crossing a palpable barrier. Harry feels as if he were walking through cold water when entering the hospital. Apart from this, it can again be observed in this extract that Muggles seem to be unaware of the magic which is happening in front of them. This seems to be Rowling’s way of avoiding further explanations for the reasons why non-magical people do not question these strange places.
The interior of the hospital shall only be described on a superficial level. In short, it resembles a typical hospital which could be found in the real world, but simultaneously differs from such a location. Examples for dissimilarities to common hospitals are that the doctors are not called doctors but “healers” (OP: 428), or that there are different wards, such as that for “ARTEFACT ACCIDENTS”, “CREATURE-INDUCED INJURIES”, “MAGICAL BLUGS”, “POTION AND PLANT POISONING” OR “SPELL DAMAGE” (OP: 429). Resemblances to common hospitals are the “[…] crowded reception area […]” (OP: 427) are waiting or the rooms themselves. They resemble those of common hospitals as the recipients know them, but are combined with elements which represent the magical world, such as portraits of famous healers, as the following extract shows: The ward was small and rather dingy, as the only window was narrow and set high in the wall facing the door. Most of the crystal bubbles clustered in the middle of the ceiling. The walls were of panelled oak and there was a portrait of a rather vicious-looking wizard on the wall, captioned: Urquhart Rackharrow, 1612-1697, Inventor of the Entrail-expelling Curse. (OP: 431)
4.1.2 The Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley Diagon Alley is referred to as one of Rowling’s most remarkable settings in the Harry Potter series by Eccleshare (2002: 51). By introducing specific locations and depicting them in great detail, it becomes evident that Gringotts, the Leaky Cauldron, and other localities make the magical world appear as if it really existed. It is the representation of ordinary elements within an extraordinary setting which makes Diagon Alley such a unique place. Eccleshare (2002: 52) mentions the Leaky Cauldron as a location which serves as an entrance into the magical world. It is also the place where Harry, and as a result the recipients, enter the magical world for the first time. Furthermore, it is argued that Diagon Alley “[…] has a Dickensian quaintness both in its physical description and particularly in having shops that are run by respectable but obsequious tradespeople” (Eccleshare 2002: 52). For these reasons the setting of Diagon Alley is an essential one in the Harry Potter series and is further analysed.
48 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World
The Leaky Cauldron is used by Harry as an entrance into the shopping street of the magical world, which is called Diagon Alley, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and is described as a “[…] tiny, grubby-looking pub” (PS: 53). Bayne (2008: 267) states that this setting, although situated in Charing Cross Road in London (cf. HBP: 106-107), is apparently not visible for Muggles, and he argues that “[…] their attention slides right past it”. This aspect is already mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone when Harry describes that he thinks that “[…] only he and Hagrid could see it.” (PS: 54). In addition, this setting is assigned with the attributes of being “[…] very dark and shabby” (PS: 54) inside. By describing the setting like this, Rowling might have wanted to highlight why Muggles do not enter it. If one thinks of the Dursleys for example, it becomes apparent that they would never visit such a filthy-looking bar.
After being welcomed back in the magical world by numerous witches and a wizard within this setting, Harry and Hagrid meet Professor Quirrell there. As the latter is possessed by Lord Voldemort9, one can consider the Leaky Cauldron the place where Harry and his enemy meet again for the first time after killing Lily and James Potter. The access to Diagon Alley, however, is not located within the pub, but in its “[…] small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a dustbin […]”. By Hagrid touching different bricks of the wall with his wand, which is hidden inside an umbrella, he opens a magical portal: Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the dustbin. ‘Three up … two across …’ he muttered. ‘Right, stand back, Harry.’ He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. The brick he had touched quivered – it wriggled – in the middle, a small hole appeared – it grew wider and wider – a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight. ‘Welcome,’ said Hagrid, ‘to Diagon Alley.’ (PS: 55-56)
Magical shops, such as “Eeylops Owl Emporium” (PS: 63), the wizarding bank “Gringotts” (PS: 56), “Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions” (PS: 59), the bookshop “Flourish and Blotts” (PS: 62), or the wandmaker “Ollivanders” (PS: 63) present the diversity of shopping opportunities which exist for the members of the magical society. As Diagon Alley shall be presented with regard to its overall appearance as a significant setting which depicts the magical world, the individual shops are not further described. In general, the diversity and remarkable number of magical shops, highlights Rowling’s thorough consideration of how to describe the
9 Voldemort uses Professor Quirrell’s body as a source of energy and is attached to the back of Quirrell’s head. This becomes apparent in the final scene of the first Harry Potter novel. (cf. PS: 212) 49 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World magical world in an authentic and accessible way. She evokes clear images of this setting within the recipients’ minds by letting Harry observe the places surrounding him in great detail.
In the theoretical introduction of this thesis Haupt’s idea of time being of significance when analysing settings has been mentioned. This aspect is clearly relevant for the representation of the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley. During the first three parts of the Harry Potter series, these two settings present a positive and joyful side of living in the magical world. When Harry arrives in the Leaky Cauldron after fleeing from Privet Drive in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban he spends the rest of his holidays there and constantly visits Diagon Alley. Some impressions of this can be found in the following quote: It took Harry several days to get used to his strange new freedom. Never before had he been able to get up whenever he wanted or eat whatever he fancied. He could even go wherever he liked, as long as it was in Diagon Alley, and as this long cobbled street was packed with the most fascinating wizarding shops in the world, Harry felt no desire to break his word to Fudge to stray back into the Muggle world. […] (PA: 42)
This extract presents the reader with Harry’s perception of Diagon Alley, where feels free and is not constantly told what to do like in Privet Drive. This new freedom lets him explore the magical world on his own, which expands his scenes of action, and he is finally able to live a life which is full of joy and not dominated by his relatives’ negative attitudes towards him. For this reason, Diagon Alley can be regarded as the counterpart of the Dursleys’ house which is the basis of their conservative and stiff life at Little Whinging where Harry simply does not fit.
The extract below is essential, as it offers a glimpse of everyday life in Diagon Alley. The focalizer Harry serves as an observer of the occurrences in the wizarding shopping street. The weather is described to be nice and emphasises the generally positive mood which surrounds the setting. It is mentioned that visitors use to discuss the objects they’ve just bought, and everything appears harmonious and relaxed. The colourful sunshades support this impression: After breakfast Harry would go out into the back yard […] and spent the long sunny days exploring the shops and eating under the brightly coloured umbrellas outside cafés, where his fellow diners were showing each other their purchases. (PA: 42)
Furthermore, Diagon Alley also reflects Harry’s happiness which is linked to finally being able to live a life like a real wizard. Spending a few days in the magical world, the protagonist is finally able to learn and to do his homework in an ordinary way. He is not forced to hide his school documents and can even write his essays outside while sitting in the sun. This would be unthinkable in Privet Drive where his magical talent is not accepted and where he has to hide anything connected to this. Supported by sunny weather which reflects the positive atmosphere of Diagon Alley, Harry is even assisted in his studies by the owner of the ice cream shop. All
50 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World these facets combined result in Diagon Alley appearing as a setting which represents joy and also shows what Harry’s life would be like if his parents were still alive: Harry didn’t have to do his homework under the blankets by torchlight any more; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour, finishing his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch-burnings, gave Harry free sundaes every half hour. (PA: 42)
Three years later, however, he atmosphere and also the visual representation of Diagon Alley change dramatically. Haupt’s argument that different moments in time can present a setting in different ways can be observed here. An indicator of this change is that the previously mentioned relaxed atmosphere of Diagon Alley seems to have evaporated. Before starting their sixth year at Hogwarts Harry, Ron, and Hermione visit Diagon Alley again. After the return of Voldemort fear and despair are omnipresent in the magical world and are also observable in this particular setting. Although it used to be the most joyful place for Harry, Diagon Alley has become nearly unrecognizable. It can be argued that this is already foreshadowed when the protagonist and the others enter the Leaky Cauldron which is “[…] for the first time in Harry’s memory, completely empty.” (HBP: 107). Shortly afterwards the party enter Diagon Alley and the recipient hardly recognises what is described a joyful setting with a pleasant atmosphere in the previous volumes. By referring to the ice cream parlour which she also presents in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Rowling illustrates the changes within the magical world not only in general but also by referring to a specific setting. By doing so the change becomes even more evident with regard to the field of vision and the atmosphere of Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley had changed. The colourful, glittering window displays of spellbooks, potion ingredients and cauldrons were lost to view, hidden behind the large Ministry of Magic posters that had been pasted over them. Most of these sombre purple posters carried blown-up versions of the security advice on the Ministry pamphlets that had been sent out over the summer, but others bore moving black-and-white photographs of Death Eaters known to be on the loose. […] A few windows were boarded up, including those of Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour. On the other hand, a number of shabby-looking stalls had sprung up along the street. (HBP: 108)
It becomes also apparent that people appear anxious and do not seem to be able to enjoy themselves anymore. Diagon Alley seems to have lost its appealing function as a place of joyfulness and fun. It is even explicitly stated that no one seems to be brave enough to do their shopping alone and that people only seem to trust in other witches and wizard they already know. It can be concluded that at this moment of the Harry Potter novels even Diagon Alley reflects the generally difficult and threatening happenings which seem to dominate the magical world: Harry noticed that many of the people who passed them had the same harried, anxious look as Mrs Weasley, and that nobody was stopping to talk any more; the shopper stayed together in
51 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World
their own tightly knit groups, moving intently about their business. Nobody seemed to be shopping alone. (HBP: 109)
The only source of happiness in Diagon Alley at this point can be found in Fred and George Weasley’s joke shop, which is called “Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes” (HBP: 112). It is even mentioned that it seems to be the only shop in Diagon Alley which is packed and seems to attract customers while the rest of the shopping street is deserted. It appears as if Rowling wanted to preserve some of the setting’s initial atmosphere, probably in order to highlight that hope can still be found within the magical world despite the dark times.
4.1.2.1 Knockturn Alley When Harry Potter uses Floo Powder (see 4.3) for the first time in order to travel to Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, he does not speak clearly enough and arrives in a fireplace in Knockturn Alley instead. More specifically, he arrives in a shop called “Borgin and Burkes” (CS: 45). It is a gloomy setting and Harry’s first impression of it is that of a “[…] large, dimly lit wizard’s shop […]” (CS: 42). In addition, the gloomy atmosphere of the setting is supported by strange objects which are part of Harry’s field of vision: A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a blood-stained pack of cards and a staring glass eye. Evil-looking masks leered down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling. Even worse, the dark narrow street Harry could see through the dusty shop window was definitely not Diagon Alley. (CS: 42)
That Draco Malfoy and his father are visiting the shop when Harry unintendedly arrives there shows that the former’s family can be associated with the dark side. By referring to “the Dark Lord” (CS: 43), Lucius Malfoy declares himself a supporter of Lord Voldemort in this setting, even though Harry does not know about this being the Death Eaters’ way of addressing their leader yet. Eager to leave the conspicuous setting of the shop, Harry exits and faces an uninviting scenery. As it has been argued that the Harry Potter novels seem to be dominated by contrasts and opposites, this claim can be confirmed by considering the following excerpt: He [Harry] had emerged into a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. The one he’d just left, Borgin and Burkes, looked like the largest, but opposite was a nasty window display of shrunken heads, and two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders. Two shabby-looking wizards were watching him from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other. Feeling jumpy, Harry set off, trying to hold his glasses on straight and hoping against hope he’d be able to find a way out of there. An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles told him he was in Knockturn Alley. (CS: 45)
The glum mood and description which is connected to the setting of Knockturn Alley defines it as a setting with a gothic atmosphere. One can basically sense the tension and danger hovering
52 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World behind the next street corner. In addition, this place shows the familiar features of Diagon Alley, but does so in presenting them in an entirely different way. The general idea of a shopping street for witches and wizards is also what defines Knockturn Alley. However, there is no trace of Diagon Alley’s light-heartedness as it caters to witches and wizards who perform dark magic. The sharp contrast between Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley can be observed in the following sequence in which Hagrid rescues Harry and takes him back to Diagon Alley: “[…] shrieks followed them all the way along the twisting alleyway out into bright sunlight. Harry saw a familiar, snow-white marble building in the distance: Gringotts bank. Hagrid had steered him right into Diagon Alley.” (CS: 45). By mentioning the “sunlight” and the “snow-white marble building” of Diagon Alley, the contrast to the dark setting of Knockturn Alley becomes even more accentuated.
With regard to this, it can be concluded that Diagon Alley seems to adapt many features of Knockturn Alley in the time of Voldemort’s reign in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The previously mentioned contrast between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley is hardly recognisable when Harry and his friends go from one into the other setting in the sixth part of the series. For this reason, it can be argued that Knockturn Alley is an important setting mainly with regard to serving as a counterpart to Diagon Alley. By also representing the dark side of the magical world, Rowling provides the recipients with a broader and better-balanced impression of it. Moreover, Knockturn Alley becomes an essential setting for the plot of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with regard to the Vanishing Cabinet10, which again highlights Knockturn Alley’s significance with regard to dark magic.
4.1.3 King’s Cross Station, Platform 9 ¾, and the Hogwarts Express The setting of King’s Cross station in London is a remarkable one as it highlights how intertwined the world of Muggles and that of the magical community are. It is within King’s Cross between platforms nine and ten, that platform 9 ¾ where the Hogwarts Express leaves, can be found. Divided from the Muggle world by a barrier, it can only be entered by members of the magical society and presumably their Muggle parents and relatives. As the descriptions of King’s Cross remain similar in all of the setting’s appearances in the seven Harry Potter novels, Harry’s first impressions in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone shall be taken
10 In the sixth part of the Harry Potter series Harry, Ron, and Hermione observe Draco Malfoy and his mother Narcissa in Borgin and Burkes. They talk to the shopkeeper about a black cabinet, which proves to be a device for travelling out of and into Hogwarts from Knockturn Alley. This device is called a Vanishing Cabinet. (cf. HBP: 120, 548) 53 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World into consideration for describing this place further. The major focus of this chapter, however, lies more on the train journeys themselves than on the setting of platform 9 ¾.
King’s Cross Station is one of the locations which basically belong to the Muggle world, but it is also important for members of the magical community. How the crossing of the border between the King’s Cross of the Muggle world and that of witches and wizards takes place is first observed by Harry and described as follows: What looked like the oldest boy marched towards platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it – but just as the boy reached the divide between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him, and by the time the last rucksack had cleared away, the boy had vanished. […] (PS: 69-70)
As one can imagine, Harry is at first not able to believe his eyes when watching one of the Weasley boys disappear between the two platforms. Neither the protagonist nor the reader is really familiar with the magical world at this point of the story. Therefore, accessing the platform where the Hogwarts Express leaves can be seen as one of Harry’s numerous adventures in the first Harry Potter novel. It is an interesting representation of a field of vision in the form of a previously observed barrier between the platforms transforming into a scene of action when Harry walks through it. At first Harry only observes another person crossing this border, but he soon experiences this transition himself. By doing so, he enters a different world, namely the magical one. Moreover, it can be argued that Harry’s arrival at platform 9 ¾ can be compared to using a time machine. The impression of a contemporary train station in the Muggle world is succeeded by a setting which reminds of Victorian England as described by Bürvenich (2001: 61). This becomes evident in the following extract: He [Harry] pushed his trolley round and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid. He started to walk towards it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that ticket box and then he’d be in trouble – leaning forward his trolley he broke into a heavy run – the barrier was coming nearer and nearer – he wouldn’t be able to stop – the trolley was out of control – he was a foot away – he closed his eyes ready for the crash – It didn’t come … he kept running … he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, 11 o’clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the ticket box had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. He had done it. (PS: 70-71)
Before Harry Potter’s second year at Hogwarts starts, the protagonist and his friend Ron cannot enter platform 9 ¾. The reason for this is Lucius Malfoy’s house-elf Dobby who wants to protect Harry from harm as he knows about Mr. Malfoy’s plan to open the Chamber of Secrets and release the monster from it. For this reason, Dobby seals the barrier at King’s Cross so that Harry and Ron cannot enter platform 9 ¾ (cf. CS: 132). From this, one can conclude that borders
54 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World between the Muggle world and the magical world can be influenced by members of it. However, this only takes place once and is presented in the following scene: CRASH. Both trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backwards. Ron’s trunk fell off with a loud thump, Harry was knocked off his feet, and Hedwig’s cage bounced onto the shiny floor and she rolled away, shrieking indignantly. (CS: 55)
As a reaction to not being able to access the magical world via King’s Cross, Ron and Harry decide to fly to Hogwarts using Arthur Weasley’s enchanted car (see 4.3).
Apart from presenting an additional entrance into the magical world, Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross is the location where the Hogwarts Express leaves. It is the main way of travelling to the setting of Hogwarts, one of the most significant places within the magical world. The journeys shall now be presented in a chronological order. Often accompanied by weather conditions which support the current atmosphere, or which foreshadow the happenings of the new school year, the time spent on the Hogwarts Express also offers a panoramic view of the passing landscape. These aspects shall hereafter be analysed.
Sharing a compartment with Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the protagonist is accompanied on his first trip to his new school by his future best friend. It is the setting of the train which serves as the background of their first conversation. It becomes evident that Harry “[…] found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.” (PS: 74). After exchanging pieces of information about themselves and their lives in the magical and in the Muggle world, Harry offers Ron sweets which he bought from the food trolley. As he was never able to afford anything while living at Privet Drive, Harry is now eager to share his wealth with Ron who comes from a rather poor family. This scene also serves the purpose of defining the magical world further by adding more details. Rowling invented sweets, such as “[…] Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans, Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands and other strange things […]” (PS: 76). Moreover, Harry Potter’s character is further defined by describing him as a person who loves to share, which highlights that he is aware of how valuable friends and kindness are.
What is also noteworthy with regard to the time spent on the Hogwarts Express is that it describes the journey from London to a more rural area in the northern part of England and depicts the changing landscape: “The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers and dark green hills.” (PS: 78). This extract does not only present the change of the surrounding setting on a visual 55 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World level, but it also implies a shift of the atmospheric circumstances. When referring back to the Dursleys’ house in Privet Drive (see chapter 3.1), one can observe that the well-structured and stiff depiction of the Muggle world seems to become more and more obsolete on the ride on the Hogwarts express until the landscape becomes wilder and more natural. This might reflect that Harry leaves the neat Muggle world and is steadily getting closer to a place where he can be free. It seems as if the depiction of the chaotic landscape reflected a surrounding in which the protagonist feels naturally at home.
With regard to the setting of Hogwarts Express, Ehgartner (2002: 74) describes the importance of weather phenomena which accompany Harry and the other Hogwarts students’ journey from King’s Cross in London to Hogwarts. Apart from the previously mentioned transformation of the landscape, it is also the weather that creates certain atmospheric settings during these rides. The first example of this can be found in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. After entering the train, Harry, Ron, and Hermione share a compartment with their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Remus Lupin. The description that “[t]he Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened.” (PA: 62) already indicates that something bad will probably soon take place. This tense atmosphere is supported by Rowling writing that “[t]he rain thickened as the train sped yet further north; the windows were now a solid, shimmery grey, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over luggage racks.” (PA: 64). The Hogwarts Express then comes to a halt Harry and the recipients realise that something must be odd. The reason for these foreshadowing descriptions of a changing atmosphere can be found in Harry’s first encounter with a Dementor, a magical creature which is a guard of the wizarding prison of Azkaban (cf. PA: 67), within the setting of the Hogwarts Express. Luckily, Professor Lupin chases it away. By meeting Remus Lupin in this setting, the train also becomes a place in which Harry first meets one of his father’s best friends who will later become a friend one of his own.
Before Harry’s fourth schoolyear, in which Lord Voldemort returns and Harry sees his fellow student Cedric Diggory die (cf. GF: 553-558), the ride to Hogwarts is also accompanied by rain and a dark, cloudy sky (cf. GF: 148). This can again be interpreted as the weather foreshadowing the events of the approaching schoolyear. When exiting the train, the scene is described to be dominated by “pitch-darkness” (GF: 151) which assigns the normally positive
56 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World mood of Hogwarts a certain negative connotation and can be seen as a sign of the horrible ending of the schoolyear.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is dominated by a generally rather negative and glum atmosphere. In the end Sirius Black who can be considered to be a father figure to Harry, dies. Moreover, Harry’s mental connection with Lord Voldemort becomes apparent and starts to dominate his life which makes the protagonist feel isolated and lonely. This issue is already foreshadowed by the train journey to Hogwarts. Harry is described as feeling “[…] an odd sense of loss” (OP: 167) because “[h]e had never travelled on the Hogwarts Express without Ron” (OP: 167). As Ron and Hermione have been named Prefects, they spend their journey to Hogwarts in a different section of the train. The atmosphere of the Hogwarts Express before Harry’s fifth schoolyear reflects his inner state. That Harry becomes the leader of “Dumbledore’s Army”11 (OP: 347) and that he finds more friends and supporters by doing so is also indicated on the journey to Hogwarts, where he shares a compartment with Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood. Similar to Harry’s inner turmoil, the weather is described as changeful while the “[…] first distant glimpse of Hogwarts” (OP: 176) is “grimy” (OP: 176). Rowling again uses weather conditions and the description of darkness surrounding Hogwarts as an indicator of the troubles which are awaiting Harry and his friends during their fifth year at school and the magical world in general.
Before Harry Potter’s sixth year at Hogwarts, his journey begins similar to that of schoolyear five with the difference that fellow students are now staring at him even more. This can be explained by the ending of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the battle between the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore’s Army, and Voldemort’s Death Eaters takes place. The Ministry of Magical finally admits that Voldemort has returned, and Harry becomes even more famous in the magical world. Harry shares a compartment with Neville and Luna and the weather is again indecisive and is constantly changing. A remarkable detail can be found in Rowling describing that “[…] the sun was visible almost directly overhead” (HBP: 134) when Ron and Hermione visit Harry’s compartment. It seems as if Harry’s positive mood on the ride to Hogwarts depended on his friends’ presence.
11 Dumbledore’s Army is a group of Hogwarts students led by Harry Potter. Their goal is to practice defensive magic as their new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher Dolores Umbridge does not approve of a practice- oriented teaching approach. The group can be seen as the adolescent equivalent to the adults’ Order of the Phoenix. (cf. OP: 295-303) 57 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World
The journey back from Hogwarts can in general be considered to be of minor significance and shall not be focused on in detail. It should be mentioned, however, that after meeting his godfather Sirius Black at the end of the third schoolyear, Harry’s happiness is also present during the ride from Hogwarts to London. The contrast with regard to the weather conditions before and after the third schoolyear represents the protagonist’s changed state of mind. As mentioned before, the mood is rather desperate on the way to Hogwarts, but after realising that he still has someone who cares for him in a fatherly way, Harry feels much better. The following extract presents how this change of the protagonist’s emotions is reflected in the description of the setting: “The weather could not have been more different on the journey back to King’s Cross than it had been on their way to Hogwarts the previous September. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.” (PA: 629).
After Harry’s fifth schoolyear and Sirius Black’s death, members of the Order of the Phoenix wait for the Dursleys at King’s Cross in order to tell them that they should treat Harry in an adequate manner without making him feel even worse. This highlights King’s Cross’ significance with regard to places in the Harry Potter novels and presents it as a place of friendship and love once again.
It is remarkable that the journey back to London after Dumbledore’s death in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is not described. This is the first time Rowling does not adhere to her previously common scheme of ending the Harry Potter novels. This can be interpreted as an indicator of the fact that not many of the scenes of the last part of the Harry Potter series take place at Hogwarts. There is no train journey in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There is only the final chapter entitled “Nineteen Years Later”, for which the setting of platform 9 ¾ has been chosen. In this scene, the protagonist accompanies his own children to the Hogwarts Express. That Rowling decided on platform 9 ¾ as the last setting of the story, again highlights the significance of this place. By returning to this location, it becomes evident that the magical world has fully recovered from Voldemort’s second reign of terror.
One can conclude that the setting of King’s Cross can be considered to be of major importance for the Harry Potter novels for different reasons. Firstly, it is one of the most significant physical borders between the world of Muggles and the magical world. Secondly, the closed barrier in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret makes this setting an essential element with regard to the plot development. Thirdly, the rides on the Hogwarts Express are highly relevant
58 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World with regard to Harry Potter and his social life because he meets new friends such as Ron, Hermione or Luna Lovegood in this setting. In addition, it can be argued that the weather accompanying the depiction of the journey to Hogwarts is often used by Rowling in order to foreshadow events taking place in the upcoming schoolyear.
4.2 Borders and Entries into Different Worlds in Harry Potter Compared to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland The existence of two worlds alongside one another or of fictional worlds within fictional worlds are elements which can often be found in literature. As examples, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland shall be taken into consideration as they form essential milestones in this literary tradition. The ways in which transgression takes place in these works are shortly introduced and are then compared to the Harry Potter novels.
Eccleshare (2002: 61) describes Lewis Carroll’s novel The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland which was first published in 1895 as an essential step towards the creation of different worlds which exist alongside the ‘real’ worlds in narrative texts. Moreover, it is mentioned that the fantasy world which Alice enters is completely isolated from the ‘real’ one and is entirely different as the society there seems to live according to illogical rules. The only connection between the two worlds is the bunny hole through which Alice enters Wonderland. This aspect can be considered as one of the main differences between Alice in Wonderland and the Harry Potter novels. While Rowling’s magical settings are sometimes located within the Muggle world and can be accessed through numerous entries, Carroll decided to let his heroine Alice enter a completely isolated setting. The following excerpt shows why and how Alice decides to enter Wonderland: Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and, burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge. In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again. The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down what seemed to be a very deep well. (Carroll 1965/2012: 6)
It becomes evident that Alice’s entry into Wonderland is not fully self-induced but triggered by the appearance of a member of this other world, a white rabbit with a watch. Furthermore, she does not reflect on whether she should enter this world or not, she simply follows an impulse 59 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World and jumps into the hole. However, this could also be caused by Alice’s young age. In contrast, Harry Potter is informed of the existence of a magical world by reading a letter, he is then accompanied to Diagon Alley and finally led to King’s Cross by Hagrid. Afterwards, he receives help from Molly Weasley who tells him how to access Platform 9 ¾ by walking through a barrier. This shows that Harry is better prepared before encountering a new world. There is an observable difference between Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with regard to the extent to which the newly discovered worlds are isolated from the ‘real’ world. In addition, Harry’s and Alice’s reasons for entering these unknown places differ.
With regard to the process of entering a different world, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe from C. S. Lewis’ Narnia series shall also be discussed. After publishing his work in 1950, Lewis is considered an important pioneer with regard to the invention of extraordinary literary worlds by Eccleshare (2002: 64). Lewis’ detailed description of Lucy’s transgression process can be observed in the following extract: She immediately stepped into the wardrobe and got in among the coats […] Soon she went further in and found that there was a second row of coats hanging up behind the first one. It was almost quite dark in there and she kept her arms stretched out in front of her so as not to bump her face into the back of the wardrobe. She took a step further in – then two or three steps – always expecting to feel woodwork against the tips of her fingers. But she could not feel it. […] Then she noticed that there was something crunching under her feet. "I wonder is that more moth- balls?” she thought, stooping down to feel it with her hand. But instead of feeling the hard, smooth wood of the floor of the wardrobe, she felt something soft and powdery and extremely cold. […] And then she even saw that there was a light ahead of her; not a few inches away, where the back of the wardrobe ought to have been, but a long way off. Something cold and soft was falling on her. A moment later she found that she was standing in the middle of a wood at night-time with snow under her feet and snowflakes falling through the air. (Lewis 1950/2000: 5-7)
Lucy steps into the wardrobe, because she is a curious young girl. Similar to Alice in Wonderland, it becomes evident that Narnia also is a fully separated world within the setting of the fictional ‘real’ world. In contrast, Rowling uses a different approach and presents an intertwined relation between the magical and the non-magical world. It is described that in the Harry Potter novels “[…] the magical areas are more like protected zones wreathed by some enchantment than completely separate worlds […] “ (Eccleshare 2002: 65).
Compared to the entrances to Narnia and Wonderland, Rowling’s settings in which Harry and other members of the magical community can access the magical world appear to be more public and louder. This can be observed by comparing Lewis’ wardrobe to Rowling’s King’s Cross or Carroll’s rabbit hole to the setting of the Leaky Cauldron in central London. For this reason, it can be concluded that Rowling’s borders between the magical a non-magical world 60 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World can be described to be typically located in crowded spaces, such as a train station or a pub (cf. Eccleshare 2002: 65). Furthermore, other previously mentioned entrances to and exits from the magical world of the Harry Potter novels show that the possibilities of crossing the borders between the magical and the non-magical world are varied. Reaching from the brick wall in the Leaky Cauldron to the barrier at King’s Cross, or from Apparition to the use of Floo Powder (see chapter 4.3), Rowling’s world seems to provide a greater variety of entrances to and exits from the world of witches and wizards than this is the case in Alice in Wonderland and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
4.3 Modes of Travelling within the Magical and Muggle World Travelling is an essential element of the Harry Potter novels and puts further emphasis on the importance of borders, settings, and their interrelatedness. Moreover, the protagonist’s moving between different places within the magical world or between the magical and the Muggle world provides the recipient with the possibility of observing changes of ‘scenes of action’ and ‘fields of vision’. These have already been described as often being accompanied by changes of the atmospheric settings. However, travelling is not only important for the plot development of the Harry Potter series, but it is also a significant factor with regard to exploring and experiencing the magical world further. Apart from the previously mentioned Hogwarts Express and the Vanishing Cabinet in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Bayne (2008: 267-268) lists the Floo network, the Knight Bus, Portkeys, Apparition, and portraits as further examples for modes of travelling in the seven Harry Potter novels. One could also add Arthur Weasley’s enchanted Ford Anglia to this list.
This chapter attempts to present the most significant ways of travelling in the Harry Potter novels and to show how and when which modes are used. Before starting with this analysis, Eccleshare’s (2002: 69) remark that taking the Knight Bus and spending time in the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley, as well as the trip on the Hogwarts Express can be regarded as “[…] a valuable space between the two worlds” shall be mentioned. Furthermore, Ecccleshare (2002: 69) describes that the numerous modes of travelling can be considered essential with regard to the borders, barriers, and the transgression processes in the Harry Potter novels. Furthermore, she mentions that by referring to the example of the Knight Bus it becomes again apparent that the magical and the non-magical world are often not as clearly separated and that they often overlap. As it has already mentioned in chapter 3.1, Harry Potter flees the setting of
61 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World the Dursleys’ house multiple times. The actual ways in which he does so have partly already been introduced before and are now presented in more detail
Firstly, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the protagonist is rescued by Ron and Fred and George, who use their father’s flying Ford Anglia (cf. CS: 24-29). Eccleshare (2002: 69) refers to the flying car as a potential intertextual reference to ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ which was invented by Ian Fleming. The car does not only serve as an indicator of Arthur Weasley’s obsession with Muggles and originally non-magical objects, but it also serves the purpose of demonstrating Hogwarts’ impact on technical devices which explains why Hogwarts students do not use laptops or mobile phones at school. It becomes evident that technology seems to work neither in the wizarding school nor in its surrounding areas. This might result from various defensive charms which protect the setting of Hogwarts castle from the surrounding Muggle world. The malfunctioning of the Ford Anglia can be observed in the following excerpt which describes how Harry and Ron fly to Hogwarts and then crash into the Whomping Willow (see 5.1.8.4). The rough ending of their flight to Hogwarts is again foreshadowed by their surroundings, as the sky is described to darken: And they [Harry and Ron] both pretended not to notice the whining growing louder and louder as the sky became steadily darker. […] Harry pulled his jumper back on, trying to ignore the way the windscreen wipers were now waving feebly, as though in protest. […] Silhouetted on the dark horizon, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts. […] The car gave a nasty wobble. […] There was a loud clunk, a splutter, and the engine died completely. […] CRUNCH. With an ear-splitting bang of metal on wood, they hit the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a heavy jolt. (CS: 58-59, my emphasis)
Secondly, before the beginning of his third schoolyear in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry encounters the ‘Knight Bus’ for the first time which picks him up in Little Whinging and takes him to the Leaky Cauldron in London (cf. PA: 28-36). The Knight Bus can be seen as a means of transportation which takes Harry from the Muggle world to a portal where he can enter the magical one, i.e. the Leaky Cauldron. The Knight Bus basically represents a classical bus, its driver, and a conductor. Rowling, however, developed it into an element of the magical world by adding a number of details which make it an object of to the world of witches and wizards (cf. Eccleshare 2002: 69): “There were no seats; instead, half-a-dozen brass bedsteads stood beside the curtained windows. Candles were burning in brackets beside each bed, illuminating the wood-panelled walls.” (PA: 32). The visual appearance of the Knight Bus’ interior evokes a similar impression as Hogwarts Express and Hogwarts castle by reminding of former times. When the conductor Stan Shunpike welcomes Harry, as the following excerpt shows, it becomes apparent that the Knight Bus is far more flexible than an ordinary Muggle
62 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World bus and does not follow a fixed route: “Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go.” (PA: 30). The aspect of the Knight Bus’ non-fixed schedule becomes apparent when Harry spends some time in this setting. The vehicle jumps from location to location in order to reach the passengers’ desired destinations. This explanation shall be clarified by providing the following excerpt: There was another tremendous BANG, and next moment Harry found himself flat on his bed […]. Pulling himself up, Harry stared out of the dark window and saw that they were now bowling along a completely different street. […] ‘This is where we was before you flagged us down,’ he [Stan] said. ‘Where are we, Ern? Somewhere in Wales?’ (PA: 32)
The Knight Bus is again mentioned in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. After Voldemort’s snake attacks Mr. Weasley, Hermione joins Harry and the Weasley family at Grimmauld Place and it is described that she arrives by taking the Knight Bus (cf. OP: 441). After spending the Christmas holidays in London, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley children return to Hogwarts on the Knight Bus from Grimmauld Place to Hogsmeade (cf. OP: 463-465). During this trip the interior, and therefore the field of vision, is different from Harry’s first ride: “Now, in the early morning, it was crammed with an assortment of mismatched chairs grouped haphazardly around windows.” (OP: 463).
Thirdly, the use of ‘Floo Powder’ shall be mentioned. This way of travelling first appears in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret and marks the introduction of another important method of moving in a magical way. It is a method which is introduced when Harry and the Weasleys leave the Burrow in order to go shopping for the new schoolyear in Diagon Alley. Harry and the Weasleys leave the house of Ron’s family by stepping into the fireplace and using so-called “Floo powder” (CS: 40). After throwing a powdery substance into the fireplace, the flames turn emerald green. Then the wizard or witch steps into the flames and clearly pronounces their desired destination which needs to be part of the Floo network. If they perform these steps correctly, they are taken to their desired location. The importance of pronouncing the destination clearly is shown by Harry’s first journey with Floo powder, in which he arrives in a fireplace in Knockturn Alley (see chapter 4.1.2.1). The feeling while travelling by Floo powder is perceived by Harry as follows: It felt as though he was being sucked down a giant plug hole. He seemed to be spinning very fast … the roaring in his ears was deafening … he tried to keep his eyes open but the whirl of green flames made him feel sick … something hard knocked his elbow and he tucked it tightly, still spinning and spinning … now it felt as though cold hands were spalling his face … squinting through his glasses he saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond … his bacon sandwiches were churning inside him … He closed his eyes again wishing
63 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World
it would stop, and then – he fell, face forward, onto cold stone and felt his glasses shatter. (CS: 41-42).
Eccleshare (2002: 70-71) further highlights the significance of Floo powder with regard to settings by stating that it seems to reduce the distance and significance of borders between the magical and the non-magical world. With the Weasleys’ arrival at Privet Drive through the chimney and by Harry leaving Little Whinging like this in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, there does not seem to be a specific border compared to accessing Diagon Alley or Platform 9 ¾ where a clearly visible barrier can be found. The Floo network can therefore be seen as a flexible system to which fireplaces may temporarily be added as Mr. Weasley explains (cf. GF: 44). It is argued that this invasion of members of the magical community into the Dursleys’ house reduces the distance between the two worlds in which Harry Potter spends his life. It becomes evident that the two worlds might be closer connected than initially assumed by the recipient and also by Harry Potter. Furthermore, it is explained that the chaos accompanying the Weasleys’ arrival can be seen as a representation of the borders between Muggle and magical world sometimes being blurred. (cf. Eccleshare 2002: 70-71)
Fourthly, ‘Portkeys’ are an additional means of travel introduced in the fourth novel of the Harry Potter series. A Portkey is usually an object which does not attract much attention, such as an old shoe for example, and is enchanted in such a way that it transports witches and wizards from one place to a specific location (cf. GF: 66). Eccleshare (2002: 71) argues that Portkeys can serve as means of travelling from the Muggle into the magical world and vice-versa, but they are also used for travelling from one magical setting to another. After touching the Portkey to the Quidditch World Cup for example, Harry first experiences travelling like this as follows: It happened immediately: Harry felt as though a hook just behind his navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly forwards. His feet had left the ground; he could feel Ron and Hermione on either side of him, their shoulders banging into his; they were all speeding forwards in a howl of wind and swirling colour; his forefinger was stuck to the boot as though it was pulling him magnetically onwards and then – His feet slammed into the ground; Ron staggered into him and he fell over; the Portkey hit the ground near his head with a heavy tud. (GF: 69)
At the end of the fourth Harry Potter novel, Harry unknowingly uses a Portkey and is taken to the graveyard where Voldemort returns and Cedric Diggory dies. It is interesting that Portkeys seem to be connected to Cedric, as he is also present when Harry and Ron’s family travel to the Quidditch World Cup at the beginning of this novel.
64 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World
Another example for the use of a Portkey can be found when Harry and the Weasley children travel from Hogwarts to Grimmauld Place after Arthur Weasley is attacked in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (cf. 419). By describing the scene like this, Rowling introduces a new way of leaving the setting of Hogwarts apart from the Hogwarts Express, which might be an indicator that a major change is taking place in the wizarding world after the return of Lord Voldemort. This can be interpreted as a representation of the change of the everyday lives of witches and wizards.
Fifthly, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry is visited by Albus Dumbledore in Privet Drive and after a conversation with the Dursleys, Harry and the headmaster of Hogwarts Apparate (cf. HBP: 60). ‘Apparating’ and its counterpart, which is called ‘Disapparating’, are insignificant for the protagonist until the beginning of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince but are already mentioned as means of travel in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (cf. GF: 63-64). Apparition is similar to the idea of teleportation and is described as “[…] disappearing from one place and reappearing almost instantly in another” (GF: 63). Eccleshare (2002: 71) compares this way of moving from one place to another as the equivalent to driving a car in the Muggle world. A witch or wizard needs to be of age in order to Apparate, which means that they need to have celebrated their 17th birthday in order to be allowed to take the Apparition test, which is comparable to a driving test in the ‘real’ world. When Harry and Dumbledore Disapparate from Privet Drive before Harry’s sixth schoolyear, the protagonist experiences this mode of travelling for the first time and the sensation is described as follows: Harry felt Dumbledore’s arm twist away from him and redoubled his grip: the next thing he knew, everything went black; he was being pressed very hard from all directions; he could not breathe, there were iron bands tightening around his chest; his eyeballs were being forced back into his head; his eardrums were being pushed deeper into his skull and then – He gulped great lungfuls of cold night air and opened his streaming eyes. He felt as though he had just been forced through a very tight rubber tube. (HBP: 60)
After his first Apparition, Harry’s horizon has been broadened with regard to travelling. By taking Harry to a place called Budleigh Babberton where the pair then visit Professor Slughorn, the quest for Horcruxes begins. Rowling might have decided to let the protagonist experience this new way of travelling and discover a new place in order to indicate that a new episode of Harry’s life has started. By convincing Professor Slughorn to return to Hogwarts, Harry paves the way for learning the truth about Lord Voldemort’s power and how to destroy him.
Hermione’s ability to Apparate forms the basis for Harry’s adventure of finding and destroying Voldemort’s Horcruxes. Without Hermione being able to Apparate, the search for the 65 Borders between the Muggle and the Magical World
Horcruxes would neither be possible nor successful. Apparition provides Harry and his two best friends Ron and Hermione with a freedom that has been unknown before. More importantly, however, it expands their accessible space to a remarkable extent. It is basically possible to Apparate to and to Disapparate from any place. For this reason, Apparition can be considered to be a way of travelling which is highly relevant with regard to settings and their accessibility. However, there is a downside to Apparition. It is a dangerous and difficult process and includes the risk of getting “splinched” (GF: 63). This happens to Ron in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and is described as if “[…] a great chunk of flesh was missing, scooped cleanly away as though by a knife.” (DH: 222).
The sixth and final method which shall be shortly introduced with regard to magical ways of travelling is a unique example which occurs only once, namely in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Portraits are generally of importance for the Harry Potter series due to the figures within those paintings being able to move from one frame to another and to visit each other, and they can talk to members of the wizarding world. There is even a magical portrait in the Muggle Prime Minister’s office (cf. HBP: 9). The most extraordinary painting is presented in the seventh part of the Harry Potter series. Located in a room above the Hog’s Head in Hogsmeade, a portrait of Ariana Dumbledore hides a secret passageway into the castle of Hogwarts. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Hogsmeade and are hidden by Albus Dumbledore’s brother Aberforth, he tells the portrait of his sister to do what it is supposed to. What happens then adds an additional layer of importance to this specific portrait and the role of artistic objects in general, and is shown in the following extract: A tiny white dot had reappeared at the end of the painted tunnel, and now Ariana was walking back towards them, growing bigger and bigger as she came. But there was somebody else with her now, someone taller than she was […]. Larger and larger the two figures grew, until only their heads and shoulders filled the portrait. Then the whole thing swung forwards on the wall like a little door, and the entrance to a real tunnel was revealed. And out of it, his hair overgrown, his face cut, his ropes ripped, clambered the real Neville Longbottom […]. (DH: 459)
By combining a portrait with the function of a border in the form of a concealed entrance to a pathway leading into Hogwarts, the significance of this particular painting is obvious. Ariana Dumbledore’s portrait introduces another example of how travelling within the magical world by using a portal can take place.
66 The Magical World of Harry Potter
5 The Magical World of Harry Potter Before presenting the analyses of the most significant settings in the magical world of the Harry Potter novels, additional general aspects of the world of witches and wizards need to be mentioned. To begin, Rana (2009: 94) states that the recipients start to accept the magical world as the common one while they accompany Harry, who easily and quickly adapts to his new life which is accompanied by new surroundings. Furthermore, it is explained that by including numerous parallels to the real world, e.g. the end of the cruel wizard Grindelwald in 1945 as an equivalent to the defeat of Adolf Hitler, it is easier for readers to accept the fictional settings of the wizarding world including Hogwarts. Moreover, “[…] a parallel existence of these two worlds and wizarding institutions such as the Ministry of Magic are portrayed so similar to their non-magical equivalents that the magical world becomes very real […]” (Rana 2009: 94).
The previously mentioned stance that being pure-blood or at least half-blood is important represents what Salazar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin house at Hogwarts, and Tom Riddle, alias Lord Voldemort believed in (cf. CS: 114, GF: 560). This aspect was also focused on by Solomon (2000: online) in an interview with J. K. Rowling. In this interview it is mentioned that recipients of Rowling’s novels might encounter aspects of the real world’s past and their impact on the Harry Potter series. The ‘real’ world’s time of the 1930s and the 1940s was marked by Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist party. The Fuehrer and his fellow party members believed that being Aryan is essential for being an accepted member of their society. Lord Voldemort’s desire for creating a pure-blood society in the universe of the Harry Potter series is similar to Hitler’s objectives. National Socialists hated Jews and other minority groups, just as Lord Voldemort detests Muggles and Muggle-born witches and wizards. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Voldemort finally gains power by overthrowing the Ministry of Magic. From this moment on the world of Harry Potter reminds the recipients strongly of the situation before and during the Second World War. (cf. Solomon 2000: online)
Another aspect Eccleshare (2002: 51) mentions is the amount of details which Rowling uses for the depiction of the magical world. Apart from general descriptions, minor detail such as a person’s clothes provide the readership with precise mental images of different settings and characters. One example for this can be found in the book lists which students receive before each schoolyear. The titles of school books probably remind the recipients of their own. By creating book titles with magical undertones, these books make the magical world appear much
67 The Magical World of Harry Potter more realistic. Examples for this are “A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot” or “One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore” (cf. PS: 52).
Martin (2008: 404-409) introduced the aspect of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger developing a certain “literacy” (Martin 2008: 409) with regard to the magical world and highlights different aspects which are essential for this. The author describes Harry’s entry into the wizarding world as a process which is accompanied by acquiring knowledge about what can be considered a completely new ‘culture’. This process is accompanied by different members of the magical community which make Harry’s familiarisation with the new surroundings easier. In concrete terms, it is mentioned that Rubeus Hagrid is the one who introduces Harry to this new magical world after realising that the famous orphan boy does not know anything about his own past, as he has been lied to by his family. The Dursleys have already been described as people who would do anything to appear normal and not a tiny bit unusual. This explains why Harry does not know much about his personal history and, as a result, he is not even aware of his special ability to perform magic. However, by the help of Hagrid, fellow students, and teachers at Hogwarts Harry soon develops into a full member of the magical society and starts to accept the places and happenings in this new world as ordinary.
Hermione is described by Martin (2008: 410-411) as being raised by Muggle parents who do not know anything about the magical world either. She can be described as being a self-taught girl who acquires knowledge by reading books on numerous magical topics after realising that she is a witch. She accumulates her knowledge about the magical world mainly through reading texts, which makes her a reliable source of information. By Hermione constantly referring to books, such as Hogwarts: A History (cf. PS: 87), Rowling created a character which provides theoretical knowledge in a lively and authentic way. This is another reason which explains why the magical world appears so realistic and its settings so authentic. Hermione’s literacy is also important, as she saves Harry and Ron at the end of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone from a dangerous plant called the ‘Devil’s Snare’ (cf. PS: 202), for example. Bürvenich (2001: 59) adds that it is also Hermione who explains that Hogwarts is protected from the Muggle world through different concealment charms. A concrete mention of this takes place in the fourth Harry Potter novel: “’It’s bewitched,’ said Hermione. ‘If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a mouldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE.’” (GF: 148). When the recipient is first introduced to Hermione in the Hogwarts Express, it becomes immediately obvious that she is a well-read girl, as the following excerpt
68 The Magical World of Harry Potter in which she tells Harry that she has already heard of him before shows: “I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books for background reading, and you’re in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.” (PS: 79). By referring to this extract it can be concluded that Hermione provides Harry with a proof that he really is a celebrity in the magical world.
Bürvenich (2001: 78) states that Harry becomes a rich person within the magical world. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, Harry realises that his parents left him a vault full of money and he is overwhelmed by his own wealth when he visits the wizarding bank Gringotts for the first time (cf. PS: 58). The protagonist’s perception of the setting of the vault is described as follows: “[…] Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts. […] All Harry’s – it was incredible” (PS: 58). Secondly, and more importantly, Harry finally finds friends in the magical world. By first befriending Ron Weasley and later Hermione Granger, the trio experiences many adventures and they master numerous difficult situations. Harry finds two real friends in Ron and Hermione as they stay with him in all of the seven Harry Potter novels. They trust in Harry and support all of his attempts of defeating Lord Voldemort. The final battle between Harry and his antagonist Voldemort takes place takes place in the setting of Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (cf. DH: 596). Harry wins and finally destroys Tom Riddle alias Voldemort which would not have been possible without the help and support of his friends including Ron and Hermione, but also Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Remus Lupin, and many more. It can be concluded that Harry would not have been able to defeat the Dark Lord without the help of his numerous friends and supporters. For all of the aforementioned reasons, the different settings within the magical world are essential for Harry’s personal development, as well as for the progression of the plot.
5.1 Hogwarts As an introduction to the setting of Hogwarts castle, Harry Potter and his friends’ school, a quote by Eccleshare (2002: 58) shall be presented: The boarding school setting, especially with no breaks for holidays, allows the time to make the action possible. Similarly, the extensive perimeters of Hogwarts, including as they do spacious grounds, the Lake and the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid’s house and the village of Hogsmeade, extend to the magical world, giving scope for out-of-school interaction but without having to shift back to reality. Total seclusion allows for magical invention to flourish. As with Hogwarts building, the grounds are extended and embellished in later titles in the series.
69 The Magical World of Harry Potter
This extract highlights various relevant aspects which have to be taken into consideration for the analysis of the setting of Hogwarts. Firstly, the aspect that Hogwarts school is a residential school is of importance as some of the action takes place during school holidays which the recipient and sometimes Ron and Hermione spend at the castle. It is only in summer, that students must return to their families. This is especially difficult for Harry Potter who has already been described as feeling much more comfortable at school than at the Dursleys’ place in the Muggle world (cf. CS: 8). Secondly, the vast school grounds (see 5.1.8) are mentioned. They provide many scenes of action and are also described in detail with regard to Harry’s field of vision. Reaching from Hagrid’s house (see 5.1.8.1) and the Forbidden Forest (see 5.1.8.2) to the Lake (see 5.1.8.3) and the Whomping Willow (see 5.1.8.4), different places within Hogwarts also represent different atmospheres. Moreover, certain settings are defined by a change of their atmospheres in the course of the seven parts of the Harry Potter series.
With regard to the aspect of expanding the space in and around Hogwarts castle, Hogsmeade must be taken into consideration. This magical town provides the protagonist, and therefore the reader, with a broadened impression of the magical world and it also introduces potential dangers which cannot be found in the safe haven of Hogwarts. For these reasons, Hogsmeade will be further explained in chapter 5.2. Fourthly, it is mentioned that as Harry becomes more familiar with the castle of Hogwarts, new locations within and outside this setting are introduced in the course of the seven novels. An example for this can be found in the ‘Room of Requirement’, for example, which first appears in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (see 5.1.7).
In addition to the previously mentioned excerpt, another passage of Eccleshare’s (2002: 62) text shall be mentioned, as it summarises Hogwarts’ function as a setting in an ideal way. It is argued that by inventing a world full of magical details, J. K. Rowling developed the genre of school adventures further. By including elements which can be found in any school story, such as “[…] familiar staff-student hierarchies and its conventional codes of conduct […]” (Eccleshare 2002: 62), the setting of the Hogwarts becomes “[…] an emotional safe haven that is reassuring.” (Eccleshare 2002: 62). By introducing a space surrounding the school which contains settings such as Hogsmeade or other previously mentioned locations within the school grounds, Rowling successfully integrated additional characters and dangers into the Harry Potter novels. By expanding Harry’s ‘scenes of action’, Rowling allows the protagonist as well as the recipients to further explore the magical world within Hogwarts and also outside the
70 The Magical World of Harry Potter castle’s borders. This last aspect contrasts sharply with Harry’s life at Privet Drive, as the setting of their house is a static one, which remains unchanged throughout all of the seven novels. An additional aspect which needs to be mentioned when discussing Hogwarts is another idea introduced by Eccleshare (2002: 70). She argues that Rowling extends the castle and surroundings of Hogwarts in the course of the seven novels not only in a physical, but also in an emotional way with regard to the characters becoming more mature. Furthermore, the plot often develops or changes by discovering new settings. By introducing new characters, a wider panorama of the magical world and its inhabitants is provided.
Moreover, Hogwarts school is described to be an old castle which shows features of a gothic fortress. This means that it is a setting which is to a certain extent comparable to Horace Walpole’s Castle of Otranto, for example. Like Walpole’s castle, Hogwarts’ numerous secret passages and rooms are revealed in the “Marauder’s Map”12 (PA: 144) and represent typical properties of gothic literature. The map enables Harry not only to thoroughly explore the different places of Hogwarts castle, but also depicts passages out of the castle. One of these is used by the protagonist to visit the town of Hogsmeade (see 5.2) in his third school year.
Hogwarts is repeatedly referred to as one of the safest places within the magical world. Hagrid underlines this by describing the time of Voldemort’s first reign of terror as follows: ‘Dark days, Harry. Didn’t know who ter trust, didn’t dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches … Terrible things happened. He was takin’ over. ‘Course, some stood up to him – an he killed ‘em. Horribly. One o’ the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore’s the only one You- Know-Who was afraid of. Didn’t dare try takin’ the school, not ju’ then, anyway.’ (PS: 45, my emphasis)
Even though initially considered to be one of the safest places in the magical world, Hogwarts is the setting in which Albus Dumbledore is killed by Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (HBP: 556). By then falling from the Astronomy Tower, Dumbledore’s death can also be interpreted in a symbolic way (cf. Bayne 2008: 268-269). Dumbledore has not only fallen from the tower; the scene also represents the fall of the last powerful wizard defying Voldemort, and it becomes evident that Harry Potter is the only person left who might be able to defeat Voldemort and end his second terror regime. Losing their leader, the members of the Order of the Phoenix become discouraged, however they continue their efforts to beat
12 The Marauder’s Map is a handy tool for Harry’s orientation within Hogwarts. Given to him by Fred and George Weasley, it depicts every part of Hogwarts including different entrances and exits, and it also shows every person inside the castle and their exact location. It is a device that helps Harry in numerous different situations and enables him to spy on others (cf. PA: 144). In addition, it represents a connection to Harry’s past as his father was one of the four creators of the map (cf. PA: 224-225). 71 The Magical World of Harry Potter
Voldemort and his supporters. By deciding to make the final battle between good and evil, which is represented through the characters of Harry and Voldemort, take place during the “Battle of Hogwarts” (DH: 489), the significance of this setting for the overall plot of the novels becomes even more apparent. The battle ends with Rowling writing the following: “The sun rose steadily over Hogwarts, and the Great Hall blazed with life and light.” (DH: 596). After numerous negative descriptions, the atmosphere of Hogwarts becomes positive again and highlights the victory over Voldemort and his supporters.
Rana (2009: 96) argues that Hogwarts can be considered as a ‘nation‘ with Albus Dumbledore as the leader, and Headboys and Headgirls, as well as Prefects as his officials. Similar to a nation, Hogwarts is divided into smaller units, the four Hogwarts houses. This is explained to Harry and therefore the recipients by Minerva McGonagall when the protagonist arrives at Hogwarts for the first time: ‘The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. The end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup […]. (PS: 85)
The division of the Hogwarts students into smaller group in the form of houses seems to further define their identities. Rana (2009: 76) states that being a member of a house seems to be more important than other differences, such as race or cultural background. She mentions Parvati and Padma Patil, for example, as representatives of the group of Pakistani or Indian immigrants in the United Kingdom. However, they do not belong to the same Hogwarts house. Parvati belongs to Gryffindor whereas her twin sister Padma is a Ravenclaw (cf. GF: 350). This minor detail is significant as it shows that even family members might not belong to the same ‘family’ at Hogwarts. As further examples for Hogwarts students with immigrational background one can list Cho Chang who appears to have Asian parents, or Angelina Johnson, as well as Lee Jordan who are Black. Is seems as if Rowling tried to create a world of otherness, namely the magical world, in which differences which are omnipresent in contemporary England, and as a result probably in the non-magical world of the Harry Potter universe, do not matter. It appears as if students’ skills and talent when it comes to magic were more important than their personal backgrounds. In contrast to the previously mentioned insignificance of the race and ethnicity of Hogwarts students, Rowling portrayed the foreign students from Romania and France in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (cf. GF: 207) in an exaggeratedly prejudiced way (cf. Rana 2009: 76).
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With regard to Hogwarts being a setting which is determined by diversity, its teachers need to be mentioned. Even the staff, which at the beginning only seems to consist of wizards and witches and one ghost, Professor Binns (PS: 99), is later diversified by adding Hagrid, who is a half-giant (cf. GF: 381), and the centaur Firenze (cf. OP: 529). Then, there is the caretaker Argus Filch, who is a so-called “Squib”13 (CS: 109). All these examples indicate that Hogwarts can really be considered an open space for witches and wizards of diverse backgrounds, as well as for other magical creatures. This sharply contrasts with Voldemort’s stance on Muggle-born witches. One can conclude that with regard to this it can be argued that Hogwarts presents a tolerant stance which is the opposite of what Voldemort likes. For this reason, the setting of Hogwarts represents a sharp contrast to the dark wizard’s objectives.
Moreover, Rana (2009: 96) states that the role of witches and wizards which are no members of the school community of Hogwarts becomes of major importance in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when delegations from Beauxbatons in France and Durmstrang in Romania arrive at Hogwarts in order to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. She even goes so far as to argue that Rowling’s representation “[…] of the Durmstrang and the Beauxbatons students […] transfers many real-life prejudices into her magical realm” (Rana 2009: 69). Furthermore, it is mentioned that the headmaster of Durmstrang, Igor Karkaroff, as well as the school’s most famous student Viktor Krum, a professional Quidditch player, are introduced as mysterious characters which radiate a gloomy atmosphere. With regard to Beauxbatons, she states that “[t]he students […] are very clearly French” (Rana 2009: 71) and explains that this means that these students are depicted as proud and feeling superior to others. Colbert (2001/2008: 83-84) adds that the introduction of two other magical schools highlights the fact that the magical world is located within the non-magical world not only of England, but also of Europe and probably of the whole world.
With regard to Durmstrang, it is mentioned that this school might be located in the north-east of the European continent (cf. Rana 2009: 97). This is shown by names such as Igor Karkaroff or Viktor Krum which are indicators for the potential location of their country of origin. As Viktor Krum is mentioned to play for the Romanian team in the Quidditch World Cup, it can be concluded that Durmstrang is located in this country. In addition, their school uniforms are mentioned to be covered by “shaggy, matted fur” (GF: 217). Underneath they wear “deep-blood
13 A Squib is a member of the magical society, which has at least one magical parent, but shows no ability of performing magic. 73 The Magical World of Harry Potter red” (GF: 222) clothes, which might be interpreted as a representation of the school’s connection to the Dark Arts. The name ‘Durmstrang’ might have derived from the German literary period of ‘Sturm und Drang’ of which Johann Wolfgang von Goethe can be listed as one main representative. It was a period dominated by rebellious and spectacular events in writing. One could even argue that Karkaroff can be seen as a variation of Goethe’s Faust, who is tempted and seduced by the devil. It is possible to see a connection of Faust’s fate in Igor Karkaroff’s history as a servant of Lord Voldemort: he used to be a Death Eater during Voldemort’s first era of power but returned to the ‘good’ side (cf. GF: 510).
Furthermore, Colbert (2001/2008: 84-86) highlights the aspect of the extreme contrasts between Hogwarts and Durmstrang. While Hogwarts accepts students from all backgrounds, including pure-blood, half-blood, and Muggle-born witches and wizard, Durmstrang only admits pure- blood students. As previously mentioned, they also teach Dark Magic at Durmstrang, whereas even books with controversial contents are kept in the “Restricted Section” of the library at Hogwarts and may only be accessed with a signed permission (cf. PS: 145). That Dark Arts are taught at Durmstrang can also be considered as important, due to the fact that ‘Sturm und Drang’ writers were praised by the National socialists in Germany. The National Socialist’s objective of creating a pure-blooded society is also present at Durmstrang, where only pure- blood students are accepted . One can even go so far as to argue that by considering Dumbledore and Hogwarts representing the West, and Karkaroff and Durmstrang embodying the East, the contrast between the two schools and their headmasters can be seen as an equivalent of the everlasting conflict between these two sides. Therefore, one can once again conclude that the world of Harry Potter shares many similarities with the real world and represents aspects of its past and also of present conditions.
Another change accompanying the arrival of students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons can be observed in the increasing significance of the areas surrounding the castle of Hogwarts. Eccleshare (2002: 58) argues that the main part of the plot of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone takes place inside the castle, and that it is mainly visits to Hagrid and Quidditch trainings and matches which take place outside the school building. This changes in the later books of the series. An example for this can already be found in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when Harry and Ron enter the Forbidden Forest alone for the first time in order to find out more about the monster hidden in the Chamber of Secrets (cf. CS: 201-207). In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban the subject of Care of Magical Creatures is
74 The Magical World of Harry Potter introduced and for this reason the school grounds and also the Forbidden Forest are assigned with additional importance (cf. PA: 86). Due to the Beauxbatons residing in their carriages on the school grounds and the Durmstrangs living on a ship in the Lake in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, these settings become significant locations within the grounds of Hogwarts. It can even be argued that this aspect of some of the action taking place outside, make Hogwarts castle itself more insignificant (cf. Eccleshare 2002: 59). Apart from the foreign students, the Triwizard Tournament itself allows for Rowling to make Harry experience and describe the Hogwarts grounds further during the three tasks of this competition (cf. Eccleshare 2002: 60). In addition, it allows for Rowling to include elements of Greek and Egypt mythology of the real world’s history. While the first task takes place in a stadium where the contestants have to fight a dragon (cf. GF: 305-311), the second task highlights the Lake’s importance and Harry encounters Grindylows and merpeople (cf. GF: 427-438). Kronzek and Kronzek (2001/2010: 199) argue that merpeople are significant elements of Greek mythology. For the third and final task of the tournament a massive maze, which again reminds of ancient Greece, is built and transforms the school grounds into an enormous maze (cf. GF: 538). Magical beasts, such as a boggart, a Blast-Ended Skrewt, a giant spider, and also a Sphynx which represents an element which can be associated with Egypt mythology, have to be fought or passed in order to succeed in the final task. By including mythological elements into the magical world, an additional reference to the real world is presented by Rowling. (cf. Colbert 2001/ 2008: 153, 222).
Hogwarts is also an essential setting 1ith regard to Harry Potter finding friends. After meeting Ron Weasley on their first ride to Hogwarts, their fear of failing at school connects Harry and Ron even more. Harry, who does not know anything about magic is afraid that he will not be able to learn as fast as the other students, and Ron has to face the pressure of his family members, who all successfully mastered their studies at Hogwarts. Even though, their childhoods were so different, both boys share the same fear with regard to failing at Hogwarts. This results in their friendship becoming even closer (cf. PS: 79-80). By mastering dangerous situations together and defeating a mountain troll during their first schoolyear, Harry and Ron befriend Hermione. After knocking out the troll Rowling writes that “[…] from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.” (PS: 132). From this it can be concluded that Hogwarts serves as a place in which Harry steadily finds more friends and enlarges his social environment.
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Another aspect with regard to the setting of Hogwarts is introduced by Manifold (2008: 520) who describes the significance of arts within the setting of Hogwarts. It is argued that portraits and painting are of importance for providing the castle of Hogwarts with additional details and that they also support the magical atmosphere within the school. Examples for this are the portrait of the Fat Lady, which shall be mentioned first as she is the guard of the Gryffindor common room (chapter 5.1.2). Professor Dumbledore’s office is home to portraits of different former headmasters, which can for example provide support in different situations and after Dumbledore’s death a portrait of him is added to this gallery. Eccleshare (2002: 54-54) also refers to the importance of paintings within Hogwarts and highlights the fact that people depicted in these portraits are able to interact with one another. This results in the portraits being described as the masters of gossip within Hogwarts. An example for this can be found in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when a figure called Violet visits other portraits in order to inform them about Harry Potter’s participation in the Triwizard Tournament (cf. GF: 249). Nel (2001: 33) mentions the aspect that portraits seem to also celebrate festivities, such as Christmas, which can be observed in their habit of getting slightly drunk on these days. How they do this is never explicitly stated, but the fact that they do so can be interpreted as an indicator of their significance as part of the setting of Hogwarts. It is not only in good times, however, that the castle and its interior elements appear to be affected. It is observable that they are also significant for the plot development when awful things happen. When Sirius Black enters the Gryffindor common room in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, for example, he destroys the Fat Lady’s canvas and by doing so the break-in becomes apparent. Nel (2001: 34) describes that it generally appears as if objects within Hogwarts and also “[…] the portraits all deftly advance the story […]”.
With regard to Haupt’s triadic model, Eccleshare (2002: 49-50) describes the atmospheric setting of Hogwarts as a generally calming and warm one and highlights the positive feelings which students, e.g. Harry as the focalizer, have when they return to Hogwarts. With regard to the protagonist himself, it becomes evident that returning to Hogwarts seems to sooth his tormented soul after spending his summer holidays with his Muggle relatives who seem to detest him. The author states that Hogwarts appears as such an attractive and inviting setting, as it is on the one hand a save place dominated by “old-fashioned values” (Eccleshare 2002: 49) and on the other hand there always seems to be some space for due to potential threats that hover behind many corners of the magical world. The atmosphere of Hogwarts, however, also changes when Voldemort returns and gains power. Especially Harry Potter and the Deathly
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Hallows depicts this change. By talking to Neville Longbottom after returning to Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione realise that Hogwarts is not the place they used to know anymore: ‘[…] it’s not really Hogwarts any more,’ said Neville, the smile fading as he spoke. ‘Do you know about the Carrows?’ ‘Those two Death Eaters who teach here?’ ‘They do more than teach,’ said Neville. ‘They’re in charge of all discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows’ ‘Like Umbridge?’ ‘Nah, they make her look tame. The other teachers are all supposed to refer us to the Carrows if we do anything wrong. They don’t, though, if the can avoid it. You can tell they all hate them as much as we do.’ (DH: 461-462)
By describing that Death Eaters are now also working as teachers at Hogwarts, it becomes evident that Voldemort finally managed to bring Hogwarts under his control. The change of atmosphere is evident, but Hogwarts seems to recover after the final battle which takes place there. As an indicator for this one can refer to the final chapter of the Harry Potter series, ‘Nineteen Years Later’ and which describes Harry and Ginny, and Ron and Hermione saying farewell to their own children who then travel to Hogwarts (cf. DH: 601-607). For this reason, one can assume that Hogwarts recovers from the difficult times of Voldemort’s second reign of terror after the Dark Lord is defeated.
The weather has already been mentioned in numerous parts of the thesis at hand as a determining aspect of the atmospheric settings of the Harry Potter novels. It is not only an essential element which accompanies Harry and the others on the Hogwarts Express, but also serves the purpose of further defining atmospheres at Hogwarts. There are various examples for this of which some will be presented in the following paragraphs. Ehgartner (2002: 75) states that much of the plot of the Harry Potter novels is defined by the natural phenomena accompanying its development. As an example, as scene from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets shall be presented: They finished lunch and went outside into the overcast courtyard. Hermione sat own on a stone step and buried her nose in Voyages with Vampires again. Harry and Ron stood talking about Quidditch for several minutes before Harry became aware that he was being closely watched. Looking up, he saw the very shall, mousy-haired boy he’d seen trying on the Sorting Hat last night, starting at Harry as though transfixed. (CS: 75)
Ehgartner (2002: 75) uses this scene in order to illustrate how the weather, in this case the ‘overcast courtyard’ evokes the feeling of being watched before Harry realises that this is actually happening. It is argued that the clouds in the sky, which are watching them, might represent the still hidden observer, in this case the ‘mousy-haired boy’. For this reason, it is an ideal example to present how Rowling uses the depiction of weather phenomena in order to create certain atmospheres.
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Another passage in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets where the weather clearly foreshadows something dreadful is mentioned below: October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. […] Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flowerbeds turned into muddy streams and Hagrid’s pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds. (CS: 94)
The description of the weather at this point can be interpreted as an indicator for the first time that the Chamber of Secret will be opened after more than fifty years. At the end of the chapter, which is introduced by the excerpt mentioned above, the danger in Hogwarts becomes evident. After Harry, Ron, and Hermione realise that “[t]he Chamber of Secret has been opened” (CS: 106) Harry sees “[…] a puddle of water on the floor […]” (CS: 106) and this can be argued to have been foreshadowed by the previously mentioned wet weather conditions. There are numerous additional situations in which weather is used to indirectly describe situations and to create certain atmospheres within the setting of Hogwarts. However, to further describe all of these situations would exceed the extent of this thesis and will therefore not be done.
Another aspect regarding Hogwarts is presented by Eccleshare (2002: 50) who states that Hogwarts is a place that allows its students a considerable amount of freedom. It is possible for Harry and his friends to explore the castle on their own and Harry also manages to escape Hogwarts and to visit Hogsmeade. Moreover, Harry, Ron, and Hermione often leave their common room at night in order to visit Hagrid. This freedom can be attributed to Albus Dumbledore’s style of leading the school. It appears as if he wanted his students to learn by making mistakes. This freedom is the reason for Harry discovering the Mirror of Erised (cf. PS: 156), the Chamber in which the Philosopher’s Stone is hidden (cf. PS: 208), the Chamber of Secrets (cf. CS: 226), the Room of Requirement (cf. OP: 345-346), and many other unique settings. By letting students try out a learning-by-doing approach, Dumbledore transforms Hogwarts into a place where students are protected by a (mostly) safe environment in which they can explore the magical world according to their own desires and wishes. When students are in real danger, Albus Dumbledore seems to be aware of this in most cases, and often arrives in time and saves them.
As Hogwarts is such a fascinating setting due to all of the previously mentioned aspects, Eccleshare (2002: 51) argues that “Hogwarts is now firmly established in the literary landscape. It lies at the heart of the imaginary world, complete with its own landscape, weather system and ecology, and provides the secure underpinning of the stories.”. This highlights how successfully
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J. K. Rowling mastered to create a fantasy world within a fictional ‘real’ world. It is the detailed aspects, structures and descriptions that makes Hogwarts such a captivating setting.
One additional aspect that is mentioned by Eccleshare (2002: 52) when discussing Hogwarts is that it reminds of boarding schools in Victorian times and she supports this claim by stating the following: The combination of towers and turrets, the leaded windows, the cliff-top setting are all familiar physical characteristics of such schools. Emblematically, too, it adheres closely to the popular school traditions with the school being identified by a heraldic crest displayed on a shield accompanied by a Latin motto […]. (Eccleshare 2002: 52)
In addition to resembling Victorian England, one can also regard Hogwarts as a place which connects present events with previous times. Apart from ancient objects which seem to be used as decorative elements, such as suits of armour, Harry learns the majority about his own past at Hogwarts. Eccleshare (2002: 56-57) lists numerous examples for this, such as the protagonist realising that he is somehow connected to Lord Voldemort as his scar hurts when Voldemort is close (cf. PS: 192). As the final battle between good and evil, the battle between the Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, takes place at Hogwarts (DH: 489) as mentioned before, the castle can be considered as a link between the protagonist and his enemy Voldemort. Another element that provides Hogwarts with the function of a connector to the past is the Chamber of Secrets, which is essential for the mission of finding and destroying the Horcruxes14 and has been opened by Tom Riddle fifty years before Harry does so (CS: 138, 184, 229-230). Another object within Hogwarts that connects Harry to his past is the Mirror of Erised which allows him to see his heart’s desire, namely being reunited with his parents (cf. PS: 152-157). Moreover, a connection to Harry’s parents is introduced in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when Dementors attack Harry and let him experience the night of his parents being murdered again (cf. PA: 65-67). Furthermore, the Marauder’s Map, which was created by Harry’s father James, his godfather Sirius Black, their friend Remus Lupin, and the traitor Peter Pettigrew (cf. PA: 143-144, 254) can also be seen as a link between the present and the past.
The castle of Hogwarts is also a location in which time travelling takes place. This aspect shall not be further described and is only mentioned in a superficial way. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione is permitted to use a special device, the so-called “time-turner” in order to be able to attend numerous classes at the same time. This special situation is also
14 By destroying Tom Riddle’s Diary by using the tooth of the Basilisk, Harry destroys the first part of Voldemort’s soul (cf. CS: 237). When the trio returns to Hogwarts in the seventh part of the series, Ron enters the Chamber of Secrets again and takes a Basilisk tooth with him in order to be able to destroy the remaining Horcruxes (cf. DH: 501). 79 The Magical World of Harry Potter mentioned by Ehgartner (2002: 67) who argues that the time travelling aspect highlights that Rowling managed to include a spatial and also timewise flexibility of her narrative. By doing so, it becomes possible for Harry and Hermione to change the past and as a result also the present. The topic of time travelling introduces another idea of how settings and locations are of importance in the Harry Potter novels.
5.1.1 The Great Hall Eccleshare (2002: 53) describes the Great Hall as one of Hogwarts’s most significant places. It is the location in which magic is directly observable in the form of its Enchanted Ceiling, which often reflects the current atmosphere and accompanies events with corresponding weather phenomena. It can therefore be defined as a “valuable emotional indicator” (Eccleshare 2002: 53) and is of major importance for the atmospheric setting of the Great Hall and the castle of Hogwarts in general. As Eccleshare (2002: 53) states, one can consider the Enchanted Ceiling of the Great Hall as an element, which Rowling introduces in order to change common situations into extraordinary and magical ones. By a corresponding appearance at Halloween or Christmas, the Enchanted Ceiling is an interactive piece of decoration. At Christmas in Harry’s second schoolyear, it is described that “[…] enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling.” (CS: 159) and in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets “[…] heart- shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue ceiling.” (CS: 176) on Valentine’s Day. Even though being presented as a highly magical setting, the main purpose of the Great Hall is that of having breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as celebrating festivities together. For this reason, one can argue, that the purpose of this setting does not correspond with its extraordinary appearance.
As it is always the case in Rowling’s well-balanced magical world, a sharp contrast to these festive and jolly atmospheres in the Great Hall can also be found in the Harry Potter novels. At the beginning of the fourth schoolyear the Enchanted Ceiling is perceived by Harry as follows: “[…] he had never seen it look this stormy. Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightning flashed across it.” (GF: 156). One could argue that the fourth part of the Harry Potter series is the first one in which an actual threat of the world outside Hogwarts, i.e. Barty Crouch Jr., a supporter of Lord Voldemort, disguised as Professor Mad-Eye Moody (cf. GF: 592-593) enters the castle (cf. Eccleshare 2002: 53). The fourth part of the series is also the volume in which Harry consciously sees someone dying when his fellow student Cedric Diggory is murdered by
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Voldemort (cf. 553). By referring to a passage in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, it becomes evident that the ceiling might also reflect an individual character’s mood and not only the general atmosphere of events: “The enchanted ceiling above them echoed Harry’s mood; it was a miserable rain-cloud grey.” (OP: 202).
The second major piece of information which shall be analysed with regard to the Great Hall is the seating arrangement. By describing four tables, one for each of the Hogwarts houses, and one table for the teachers, one can observe a clear division of the school community. By sitting together with fellow house members, the team spirits of the houses are strengthened. On the other hand, it prohibits students from really befriending students from other houses. As Voldemort gains power, however, the houses seem to move closer together – apart from Slytherin which seems to be more on Voldemort’s side. Dumbledore’s Army is a suitable indicator for this connection across the emotional borders between the houses, as it consists of members from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Apart from depicting the aforementioned division of Hogwarts students, the seating arrangement also fulfils what has been referred to as an emotional border in the introduction of this thesis. The extra table for teachers establishes a hierarchical order within Hogwarts. That this becomes insignificant after the Battle of Hogwarts, which seems shutter all conventions that used to be of importance before, can be observed in the following excerpt: “[…] nobody was sitting according to houses any more: all were jumbled together, teachers, pupils, ghosts and parents, centaurs and house- elves […]” (DH: 579). Emotional borders can be described as having vanished after the climax of the plot in the form of the Battle of Hogwarts. All members of the magical community, which were part of this major event seem realise how unimportant social orders are after fighting, suffering, and winning together. The Great Hall serves as an indicator of this phenomenon.
Other functions of the Great Hall shall also shortly be introduced. Firstly, it serves as the location where the sorting into the four houses takes place. The Sorting Hat, who sorts students into the four different houses states that he was chosen for conducting the sorting procedure as follows: “‘Twas Gryffindor who found the way, / He whipped me off his head, / The founders put some brains in me / So I could choose instead!” (GF: 157). By letting a enchanted hat sort students into different houses, one gets the impression that objectivity seem to be important at Hogwarts. This might have been the reason why the founders of Hogwarts decided against picking students themselves. Secondly, Eccleshare (2002: 60) mentions that the Great Hall is the place in which the students of Hogwarts regularly come together with members of the other
81 The Magical World of Harry Potter houses and enjoy their meals together in order to create the feeling of a school community in addition to that of the individual houses.
5.1.2 Gryffindor Tower: Common Room and Dormitories The first appearance of the Fat Lady takes place after Harry and Ron are sorted into their houses at the beginning of their first year at Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress. ‘Password?’ she said. ‘Caput Draconis,’ said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it – Neville needed a leg up – and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs. Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase – they were obviously in one of the towers – they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep-red velvet curtains. (PS: 96-97)
Eccleshare (2002: 54-55) adds that the common room of the Gryffindor students appears as a comfortable location and argues that this might result from its description in which objects, such as the four-poster beds (cf. PS: 97) or “[…] the good armchairs by the fire.” (PS: 146) provide the recipients with a clear impression of the visual appearance as well as of the atmosphere of this particular place. In general, the common room appears as a setting in which magic is only of minor importance. It seems to be relevant for background actions, such as playing “wizard chess” (cf. 146). The general tendency of this location seems to be that of a ‘common’ room, in the sense of usual and normal, in which students can simply be kids with their personal struggles. Moreover, it is the place where non-magical issues between students and friends are discussed and it is where Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s friendship is strengthened by various discussions, homework sessions or the contriving of plans (cf. Eccleshare 2002: 55).
Furthermore, Eccleshare (2002: 54-54) highlights the Fat Lady’s important role as guard of the Gryffindor common room. The aspect that her portrait is responsible for only admitting people who know the password into the common room. This emphasises the previously described significance of pieces of art in Hogwarts even further. One can conclude that the Fat Lady knows exactly who uses her portal and underlines her important role even more. The Gryffindor common room is referred to as a secure place by Eccleshare (2002: 43). It is mentioned that not even school ghosts can enter the students’ common rooms. However, it is accessed by Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Because of this, the impression of the common room being a safe place ceases to exist and it can be explained why it is so shocking when the students and teachers find out that Sirius Black managed to enter this setting (cf. PA: 120-121). This incident is described as a “dramatic” moment by Eccleshare (2002: 55). 82 The Magical World of Harry Potter
5.1.3 Other Common Rooms In the series of the seven books, the recipient and sometimes Harry’s friends accompany him into other common rooms. Generally not part of his accessible scenes of action, Harry manages to visit the common rooms of Slytherin and Ravenclaw. The first which Harry enters, apart from that of house Gryffindor, is that of the Slytherins. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret Harry and Ron enter this location after drinking Polyjuice Potion in the physical appearances of Grab and Goyle, Draco Malfoy’s best friends. By doing so they try to find out more about the Chamber of Secret. Set in the dungeons (cf. CS: 163) Harry perceives the field of vision and the atmosphere in the Slytherin common room as follows: Malfoy paused before a stretch of bare, damp stone wall. ‘What’s the new password again?’ he said to Harry. ‘Er -‘ said Harry. ‘Oh yeah – pure-blood!’ said Malfoy, not listening, and a stone door concealed in the wall slid open. […] The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in carved chairs. (CS: 165)
The impression of the common room of house Slytherin is already foreshadowed by the password ‘pure-blood’ which is needed for a hidden portal to appear and indirectly further characterise house Slytherin. The interior of the common room is also described, and one might at first consider these descriptions as beautiful. However, by including words, such as ‘rough’ and by describing the lamps as being attached to ‘chains’, the atmosphere appears less cosy and colder than that of Gryffindor tower. The setting is located in the gloomy atmosphere of the dungeons, just as Snape’s office and classroom (see chapter 5.1.4) and assign it an additionally glum mood.
Harry never visits the Hufflepuff common room. However, from observing Cedric Diggory walking through a door next to the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall Harry has a general idea where it might be located (cf. GF: 248). At a later point of the story, Harry, Ron, and Hermione go to visit the house-elves who work in the kitchen, which is located close to the entrance to the Hufflepuff’s common room: Harry had never been through here before. He and Ron followed Hermione down a flight of stone steps, but instead of ending up in a gloomy underground passage like the one which led to Snape’s dungeon, they found themselves in a broad, stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food. (GF: 326)
From this, one can conclude that the common room of House Hufflepuff is located somewhere in this corridor which resembles that of Slytherin by being underground but is depicted in a contrasting way. It appears inviting and friendly and is supported by the colourful and joyful 83 The Magical World of Harry Potter paintings which decorate this hallway. Hufflepuff’s common room seems to be located next to the kitchen which again highlights the positive and cosy mood of this Hogwarts house.
The last common room which needs to be mentioned is that of house Ravenclaw. Being led there by Luna Lovegood in order to find another Horcrux. It again presents a completely different visual appearance than the other common rooms and shows the diversity of the students and houses of Hogwarts: At last they [Harry and Luna] reached a door. There was no handle and no keyhole: nothing but a plain expanse of aged wood, and a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. […] She knocked once, and in the silence it sounded to Harry like a cannon blast. At once the beak of the eagle opened, but instead of a bird’s call, a soft, musical voice said, ‘Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?’ ‘What? Isn’t there just a password?’ ‘Oh, no, you’ve got to answer a question,’ said Luna. […] ‘That way you learn, you see?’ (DH: 471)
The entrance to the Ravenclaw common room indicates that this house is defined by the attribute of intelligence, as their motto “Wit beyond measure is a man’s greatest treasure.” (DH: 572) also shows. The following extract presents Harry’s perception of the common room. Compared to that of Slytherin it appears as a rather pleasant location which might represent that many of the Ravenclaw students support Harry in his fight against Voldemort: The deserted Ravenclaw common room was a wide, circular room, airier than any Harry had ever seen at Hogwarts. Graceful arched windows punctuated the walls, which were hung with blue and bronze silks: by day, the Ravenclaws would have a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. The ceiling was domed and painted with stars, which were echoed in the midnight- blue carpet. There were tables, chairs and bookcases, and in a niche opposite the door stood a tall statue of white marble. (DH: 472-473)
To conclude one can argue that the diversity of the four Hogwarts houses cannot only be observed in the respective characterisations of students, they are also clearly observable in the visual depiction of the corresponding common rooms. By creating different atmospheres, such as the gloominess and coolness of the common room of house Slytherin, Harry’s relation to the different houses and its students can be observed in the fields of vision of these settings.
5.1.4 Classrooms There are numerous different subjects with their respective classrooms at Hogwarts. These rooms often represent objects which are typical for the taught topics and the atmospheres can be described as being highly dependent on the teacher. The individual classrooms shall be analysed by presenting Harry’s first impressions of them. If a classroom’s atmosphere changes over time, this aspect will also be mentioned.
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Firstly, Severus Snape’s Potions classroom shall be introduced. Eccleshare (2002: 54) describes the setting of Snape’s classroom in the dungeons as a glum one, which reflects the teachers presumably evil and negative character. It further fuels Harry’s distrust that something might be wrong with Snape and contributes to his negative associations with Potions classes, the dungeons, and Snape himself. It is not until Snape’s death in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that Harry realises that Snape was in love with his mother and has always tried to protect him, even though he treated him as if he hated him like he hated Harry’s father James. Harry’s first impression of the setting of the dungeons is described by Rowling as follows: “It was colder here than up in the main castle and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.” (PS: 102). As feeling cold has been mentioned as being associated with negative emotions in the introductory part of this thesis, the associations with Potions, Snape, and the classroom where this subject is taught are not positive. The atmosphere of Snape’s classroom remains cool until he starts to teach Defence against the Dark Arts in Harry’s sixth schoolyear. Under Professor Slughorn’s guidance and with the help of a mysterious schoolbook which once belonged to the “Half-Blood Prince” alias Professor Snape, Harry becomes a successful student of Potions. The new teacher also equipped the whole setting of the classroom with a new atmosphere. Compared to the times when Snape taught Potions, the setting has now become more positive, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione are described to feel as happy and content in this room as they never have: The dungeon was, most unusually, already full of vapours and odd smells. Harry, Ron and Hermione sniffed interestedly as they passed large, bubbling cauldrons. The four Slytherins took a table together, as did the four Ravenclaws. This left Harry, Ron and Hermione to share a table with Ernie. They chose the one nearest a gold-coloured cauldron that was emitting one of the most seductive scents Harry had ever inhaled […] A great contentment stole over him; he grinned across at Ron, who grinned lazily back. (HBP: 174)
Secondly, the Divination classroom shall be introduced, which is located in the North Tower of Hogwarts castle (cf. PA: 77). With Professor Trelawny, a confused and extraordinary teacher, Harry also finds these character traits of their teacher in the setting of Trelawny’s classroom. It is a place which can be described as resembling a Bohemian attic (cf. Eccleshare 2002: 54). In addition, it can only be accessed by climbing up a ladder and entering through a trap door which makes accessing this setting comparably difficult. This might represent the controversial subject of predicting the future, which only a selected number of students is gifted in. Professor Trelawney argues that there are few people who are really able to see what the future holds (cf. PA: 79-80). In addition, Professor Trelawney states that she prefers her isolated classroom to the hurly-burly of the school which she thinks hinders her “Inner Eye” (PA: 79).
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The classroom is perceived by Harry as an uncomfortable and stuffy place. The following excerpt describes Harry’s first impression of the room and underlines that Divination is unlike any other subject at Hogwarts: He emerged into the strangest-looking classroom he had ever seen. In fact, it didn’t look like a classroom at all; more like a cross between someone’s attic and an old-fashioned teashop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little pouffes. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire which was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume […]. (PA: 79)
The third important classroom is that of Defence against the Dark Arts. Due to being taught by a new teacher each year, the setting changes accordingly to who is teaching there. In year one, Professor Quirrell who later turns out to be possessed by Lord Voldemort teaches his subject in a rather dull way and the classroom is perceived as smelling “strongly of garlic” (PS: 100) which is explained by Quirrell’s fear of vampires. In Harry’s third year at Hogwarts, Harry and the others are taught by professor Remus Lupin who turns out to be an ambitious and gifted teacher but has to leave after one year of teaching due to the fact that he is a werewolf. Nel (2001: 20) mentions that especially with regard to Lupin’s teaching style, Hogwarts can be seen a place in which the didactic approach of ‘learning-by-doing’ is used. By facing and destroying a Boggart, for example, students gain hands-on experience on how to use certain hexes (cf. PA: 100-105). Professor Moody is Harry’s teacher in his fourth year at Hogwarts and turns the setting of this classroom into a place where students are provided with a glimpse on Dark magic. Moody shows them the so-called three Unforgivable Curses in this setting (cf. GF: 187-191). When Dolores Umbridge takes the position of the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher in the protagonist’s fifth year at Hogwarts, the classroom’s atmosphere changes dramatically. By Severus Snape finally being allowed to teach this subject in the sixth and final year which Harry spends at Hogwarts, the classroom’s atmosphere again becomes different and is described in the following quote. By a change of its atmosphere as well as of its visual appearance, the setting has become similar to that of the classroom in the dungeons when Snape taught Potions there: Snape had imposed his personality upon the room already; it was gloomier than usual as curtains had been drawn over the windows, and was lit by candlelight. New pictures adorned the walls, many of them showing people who appeared to be in pain, sporting grisly injuries or strangely contorted body parts. Nobody spoke as they settled down, looking around at the shadowy, gruesome pictures. (HBP: 168)
All these examples of the different teachers highlight how changeable the setting of the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom is with regard to its atmospheric and visual depiction.
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Lastly, Minerva McGonagall’s Transfiguration classroom shall be mentioned as an example of consistency and stability. There are no significant descriptions of this setting mentioned in the course of the Harry Potter series. However, it can be argued that this lack of descriptions represents that this is a place which does not change as much as other locations do. McGonagall’s classroom can be interpreted as being one of the few unalterable elements within Hogwarts. The recipient learns that she has been teaching in Hogwarts for more than thirty years (cf. OP: 287) and remains in this position until the Battle of Hogwarts takes place. By adapting to the difficult circumstances, McGonagall can be seen as essential for the ‘good’ side winning the final battle against Voldemort. McGonagall is one of the few constants at Hogwarts and this is reflected in the setting of her classroom.
5.1.5 The Hospital Wing The hospital wing is referred to by Eccleshare (2002: 55) as a safe haven within Hogwarts, where pupils are not worried of facing any dangers. It can only be entered by people who get Madame Pomfrey’s permission, an aspect which presents the matron as a considerably powerful person within the setting of Hogwarts. Moreover, this place presents a different from of magic: the art of “healing and restoring” (Eccleshare 2002: 56). Harry’s first visit to the hospital wing takes place after defeating Professor Quirrell at the end of his first year at Hogwarts. His first impression of this setting resembles a common hospital with “white linen sheets” (PS: 214). In their second year at Hogwarts, students are attacked by a Basilisk (cf. 135, 190) and Harry’s arm needs to be taken care of after being broken during a Quidditch match (cf. 129-131). For these happenings the hospital wing is of major importance. Moreover, Madam Pomfrey also treats several other diseases at the hospital wing including common colds (cf. CS: 94) or self- induced issues such as Hermione’s hairy appearance after an incident involving the illegal use of Polyjuice Potion (cf. CS: 168). The list of examples for Harry spending time in the hospital wing can be continued, but by referring to these few selected examples, the major relevance of the hospital wing becomes evident. It is a place where students are not being asked for the reasons of their injuries and problems but are simply treated and nursed back to full health. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the hospital wing appears as a setting which is flexible and can be moved to a different place. After the first task of the Triwizard Tournament the hospital wing is represented in the form of a “first-aid tent” (GF: 312) where Madam Pomfrey is present.
5.1.6 Dumbledore’s Study Dumbledore’s office is a sharp contrast to the common rooms, which are only magical settings to a certain extent. It is a place which is full of different magical devices and is also home to 87 The Magical World of Harry Potter
Fawkes, Dumbledore’s pet which is a Phoenix. Nel (2001: 28) describes Dumbledore as wise and highly intelligent. These character traits are reflected in his study, which also “[…] reflects the link of pure magic that exists between Dumbledore and Harry and it is here that Harry gains information which is particular to him and which will help him resist Voldemort.” (Eccleshare 2002: 56). Harry’s first visual impression of this setting is presented Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as follows: One thing was certain: of all the teachers’ offices Harry had visited so far this year, Dumbledore’s was by far the most interesting. […] It was a large circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. (CS: 154)
In his second year, Harry enters the Chamber of Secrets, saves Ginny Weasley, and destroys Tom Riddle’s diary, which turns out as Lord Voldemort’s first Horcrux. For this reason, it is surely no coincidence that Harry visits the setting of Dumbledore’s office in his second schoolyear, because after Harry and Dumbledore finally find proof for their assumption that Voldemort really split his soul numerous times, Dumbledore’s office becomes the starting point of their quest for the other Horcruxes in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (cf. Eccleshare 2002: 56).
Moreover, the setting of Dumbledore’s office is the place in which Harry learns about different essential aspects regarding his parents and the past in general (cf. Eccleshare 2002: 56). The connection to the past is established by a magical device which is called a “Pensieve” (GF: 518). When Harry first sees this “black cabinet” (GF: 506) which contains a “[…] shallow stone basin […] with odd cravings” (GF: 506), Harry leans down to watch the content and falls into one of Dumbledore’s memories (cf. GF: 507). The Pensieve is an object one can use in order to re-watch someone else’s or one’s own memories or those of another person. The device is then repeatedly used to watch Dumbledore’s memories and in Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts also one essential memory of Professor Slughorn. As previously mentioned, this memory finally reveals that Tom Riddle alias Lord Voldemort split his soul into numerous parts and hid them in different objects (cf. HBP: 462-466), such as a diary (cf. BBP: 467), a ring (cf. HBP: 470), or a locket (cf. DH: 305), which need to be destroyed in order to defeat Voldemort.
The last aspect which emphasises the significance of the setting of Dumbledore’s office is also connected to the Pensive. This device can still be found in this location during the Battle of Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Before dying, Severus Snape provides
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Harry with one of his most personal memories and Harry realises that Snape did in fact not hate Harry. He adored Lily Potter and constantly tried to protect Harry, and in the end, he even died for him. As this memory is watched by Harry in Dumbledore’s office it again becomes the setting in which the protagonist learns more about his past, as well as that of his parents and that of Severus Snape. More importantly, however, Snape’s memory provides an essential piece of information with regard to the defeat of Lord Voldemort. The protagonist realises that he himself has become a Horcrux in the night when his parents were murdered. By sacrificing her own life for that of her son, Lily Potter destroyed Voldemort and a piece of his soul attached itself to the closest object, which was Harry (cf. 550-551). Harry Potter is a carrier of one part of Voldemort’s soul and realises that this is the case in the setting of Dumbledore’s study. Moreover, he finds out that has to die in order to finally defeat Voldemort by watching Snape’s memory in the Pensieve: Dumbledore took a deep breath and closed his eyes. ‘[…] Part of Lord Voldemort lives inside Harry, and it is that which gives him the power of speech with snakes, and a connection with Lord Voldemort’s mind that he has never understood. And while that fragment of soul, unmissed by Voldemort, remains attached to, and protected by Harry, Lord Voldemort cannot die.’ […] ‘So the boy…the boy must die?’ asked Snape, quite calmly. (DH: 551)
Apart from one of the most essential climaxes with regard to the plot, the setting of Dumbledore’s office also becomes the setting in which another major revelation takes place. Harry learns about Snape’s real feelings towards himself and especially towards his mother, whom Snape never stops loving until his own death. In addition, by learning that Snape’s Patronus appears in the form of a doe, the recipients and Harry realise that it was Severus Snape who helped Harry, Ron, and Hermione destroying the Horcruxes by sending them the sword of Gryffindor. Furthermore, the setting of Dumbledore’s room becomes the place in which one of the most emotional parts of the Harry Potter series takes place. The following excerpt presents this scene: ‘But this is touching, Severus,’ said Dumbledore seriously. ‘Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?’ ‘For him?’ shouted Snape. ‘Expecto patronum!’ From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe: she landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office and soared out of the window. Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears. ‘After all this time?’ ‘Always,’ said Snape. (DH: 551-552)
After the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Dumbledore’s office. Before they enter, various symbols for the won battle and the loss of friends and family members can be found in Hogwarts. One example is connected to the entrance to Dumbledore’s former study:
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Since he [Harry] had last seen it, the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster’s study had been knocked aside; it stood lopsided, looking a little punch-drunk, and Harry wondered whether it would be able to distinguish passwords anymore. ‘Can we go up’ he asked the gargoyle. ‘Feel free,’ groaned the statue. (DH: 598)
Within the office, the portraits of the former headmasters and headmistresses then applaud Harry for finally defeating Voldemort. Dumbledore’s painting is described in the following manner: “Tears were sliding down from behind the half-moon spectacles into the long silver beard, and the pride and the gratitude emanating from him filled Harry with the same balm as the phoenix song.” (DH: 599). As this quote is taken from the last scene of the Harry Potter series apart from the additional chapter “Nineteen Years Later” (DH: 601), one can conclude that by ending the main plot in the setting of Dumbledore’s room in such an emotionally touching way. The location’s significance for the whole series becomes once more evident when the painting of Albus Dumbledore and which is explicitly described as having an effect on Harry which is described as calming as “balm” (DH: 599). It is a setting which provides many pieces of information which are difficult to handle, but in the end it becomes a place which is essential for Harry’s success in finally destroying Lord Voldemort and it represents a location in which support, wisdom and help can always be found.
5.1.7 The Room of Requirement The Room of Requirement is a setting which represents how though-out Rowling’s magical world is. Harry is in need of a room for Dumbledore’s Army where they can practise and Dobby the house-elf tells Harry about the ‘Room of Requirement’ when he visits him in the Gryffindor common room: ‘Dobby knows the perfect place, sir!’ he said happily. ‘Dobby heard tell of it from the other house-elves when he came to Hogwarts, sir. It is known by us as the Come and Go Room, sir, it is always equipped for the seeker’s needs.’ (OP: 343)
By presenting a hidden location which adapts with regard to the individual’s needs, Rowling’s magical world is again extended and becomes even more flexible. It seems as if the author wanted Hogwarts castle to appear as if it supported Harry and his fellow students in their desire to practice defensive magic in a setting which is not dominated by Professor Dolores Umbridge, who works for the Ministry of Magic and wants to undermine rumours of Lord Voldemort having returned. The Room of Requirement is described as follows: ‘OK,’ said Harry […]. ‘Dobby said to walk past this bit of wall three times, concentrating hard on what we need.’[…] A highly polished door had appeared in the wall. Ron was staring at it, looking slightly wary. Harry reached out, seized the brass handle, pulled open the door and led the way into a spacious room lit with flickering torches like those that illuminated the dungeons eight floors below. 90 The Magical World of Harry Potter
The walls were lined with wooden bookcases and instead of chairs there were large silk cushions on the floor. A set of shelves at the far end of the room carried a range of instruments such as Sneakoscopes, Secrecy Sensors and a large, cracked Foe-Glass that Harry was sure had hung, the previous year, in the fake Moody’s office. (OP: 346)
Apart from the purpose of practising magic, the Room of Requirement is also used for several other purposes, such as Draco Malfoy repairing the Vanishing Cabinet in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (cf. HBP: 424). By doing so, Draco enables the Death Eaters to enter Hogwarts and Harry’s sixth schoolyear ends with the death of Albus Dumbledore. The basis for this plan lies in the Room of Requirement and one could argue that this room supports all students of Hogwarts regardless their aims. This setting serves as a helper for Harry and his fellow students, but also as one for Draco Malfoy, and the evil wizards and witches who support Lord Voldemort.
In the end, however, it seems as if the room decided to assist Harry Potter and the ones fighting on his side. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the hidden way into Hogwarts, which can be entered through Ariana Dumbledore’s portrait in Hogsmeade, the protagonist and his friends Ron and Hermione are accompanied into Hogwarts by Neville Longbottom and enter the castle via the Room of Requirement: He [Harry] did not recognise the room at all. It was enormous and looked rather like the interior of a particularly sumptuous tree house, or perhaps a gigantic ship’s cabin. Multicoloured hammocks were strung from the ceiling and from a balcony that ran around the dark wood- panelled and windowless walls, which were covered in bright tapestry hangings: Harry saw the gold Gryffindor lion, emblazoned on scarlet; the black badger of Hufflepuff, set against yellow, and the bronze eagle of Ravenclaw, on blue. The silver and green of Slytherin alone were absent. (DH: 464-465)
By explicitly excluding house Slytherin from the Room of Requirement, it is shown that Slytherin students do not support Harry in the war against Voldemort. By not being present in this setting, one could argue that this is an additional sign for Slytherin not sticking with Hogwarts, but rather with the dark side. Moreover, one could assume that the Room of Requirement decides to support those students who want to fight in Dumbledore’s spirit and save the setting of Hogwarts from the negative impacts of Voldemort’s reign and the cruelty of his supporters, such as two Death Eaters who teach at Hogwarts (cf. DH: 461).
It can be summarized, that the Room of Requirement can be seen as a flexible setting which seeks to provide every student with a location which offers what they need. At first, it does so for all students and it does not seem to be influenced by the students’ aims. Later, however, after Dumbledore’s death, it seems as if the Room did not want to support the evil side anymore
91 The Magical World of Harry Potter and it serves as the basis for those students who try to resist the impact which Voldemort’s reign of terror has on the school of Hogwarts.
5.1.8 The School Grounds The area which surrounds the castle of Hogwarts presents different aspects of outdoor locations. The following subchapters introduce Hagrid’s house, the Forbidden Forest, the Lake and the Whomping Willow as examples for this. These four are essential parts of the school grounds and serve various purposes reaching from further characterisation to being essential for the plot development.
5.1.8.1 Hagrid’s House Eccleshare (2002: 60) describes Hagrid’s hut as a building that reflects the gamekeeper’s character. With regard to the field of vision Hagrid’s home appears rather simple and represents Hagrid’s straightforward and sometimes naïve mind. Hagrid can also be closely associated with nature and wild-life and he is an honest person. All of these aspects are reflected in his house, which appears simple and cosy: “There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.” (PS: 104). The hut appears
Eccleshare (2002: 60-61) also comments on the atmospheric setting of Hagrid’s house, which can in general be described as being similar to that of the Gryffindor common room: Hagrid’s home is a place where emotions are of major importance. It is a location, in which Harry and his friends can talk about the ways they feel, and they can discuss their fears and struggles. It is more of a place that is associated with non-magical and emotional issues than with problems related to school or magical issues. As an example, one could refer to in order to show this can be found in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when they visit Hagrid after Hermione is called a “Mudblood” by Draco Malfoy (cf. CS: 86-89). Hagrid then helps them to calm down and argues that Hermione is such a clever witch that her blood status is of no importance. Hagrid serves as an advisor who is familiar with the magical world but is not fully accepted himself due to being a half-giant. With regard to this, Hagrid is a sensitive character and becomes one of the protagonist’s best friends at Hogwarts.
It can be argued that Hagrid, who becomes a teacher for Care of Magical Creatures in the third part of the Harry Potter series, is characterised in much more detail than other teachers, who
92 The Magical World of Harry Potter mostly appear as one-dimensional, flat characters. The recipient accompanies Harry and his friends during their numerous visits at Hagrid’s place and learns more about the half-giant. Hagrid is described by Eccleshare (2002: 60) as “[…] able to feel and express more human emotions […]” than the other teachers, furthermore “[…] sorrows are drowned in rough-brewed beer, spirits revived in cups of tea […]” (Eccleshare 2002: 60). This character trait of Hagrid, who really appears as an empathic person, might also explain why his place is the one Harry and his friends visit after Cedric’s death in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire after the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. It can even be argued that in this situation Hagrid’s hut serves as one of the few save locations that are left. It is a setting where Harry can express his sorrows and say what needs to be said. Hagrid’s hut is also referred to as a calm and quite place compared to the excited and restless atmosphere within Hogwarts castle. Hagrid somehow manages to make Harry feel more relaxed and gives him optimism for the time after the horrible encounter with Voldemort at the end of the protagonist’s fourth year at Hogwarts.
5.1.8.2 The Forbidden Forest Kronzek and Kronzek (2001/ 2010: 93-94) describe the Forbidden Forest as a dangerous and mysterious setting. In their text it is mentioned that this results from Harry and his fellow students being repeatedly warned about the dangers within the woods and the creatures which live there. They explicitly list “witches and ogres, goblins and trolls” (Kronzek and Kronzek 2001/ 2010: 93) as examples for beasts that are associated with forests, for instance in fairy tales. It is also mentioned that woods have always been connected to dangers and fear in human history. Moreover, it is argued that they have always been considered the home of strange beasts and animals. This might have had an impact on Rowling choosing the Forbidden Forest as an addition to the Hogwarts school grounds. Many of the features described by Kronzek and Kronzek can be found in the forest located on the school grounds of Hogwarts. Furthermore, the Forbidden Forest is an element within the setting of Hogwarts which represents the gothic aspect of nature as an uncontrollable element. Apart from the different harmless and also dangerous magical creatures, including large spiders (cf. CS: 204) as well as unicorns (cf. PS: 183), centaurs (cf. PS: 184), and Thestrals (cf. OP: 393-394), Hagrid’s giant brother Grawp, who appears in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (cf. OP: 609) introduces an additional danger to this location (cf. Moore 2008: 277). With regard to this aspect, one can conclude that the Forbidden Forest adds an additional layer of magical elements to the setting of Hogwarts. By introducing different creatures, the panorama of the diversity of the magical world is even further extended.
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Eccleshare (2002: 58) describes the Forbidden Forest as “[…] a closed space that both protects and threatens the school”. Its importance becomes evident in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, as it is the place where Harry encounters Lord Voldemort after he killed the protagonist’s parents. Furthermore, Eccleshare (2002: 58-59) mentions that the Forbidden Forest is not presented in the typically light-hearted manner which generally defines Rowling’s style. The setting of the forest is first visited when Harry, Ron, Neville and Draco must go in the forest for detention. By introducing a setting as a place of punishment, atmospheric setting of this place becomes evident from the beginning. Even though it has been mentioned that also positive creatures, such as unicorns and Thestrals can be found in the forest, the protagonist’s finds a killed unicorn in the forest when he first enters this location. This event also highlights the negative and dangerous atmosphere of this setting. Furthermore, is mentioned by Colbert (2001/ 2008: 101-102) that the Forbidden Forest can be considered the counterpart of the civilized magical world of Hogwarts castle and Hogsmeade.
Rowling lets the final meeting of Harry and Lord Voldemort take place in the setting of the forest. The protagonist realises that he must be the one to face Voldemort and walks into the forest, ready and willing to die: His job was to walk calmly into Death’s welcoming arms. Along the way, he was to dispose of Voldemort’s remaining links to life, so that when at last he flung himself across Voldemort’s path, and did not raise a wand to defend himself, the end would be clean, and the job ought to have been done in Godric’s Hollow would be finished: neither would live, neither could survive. (DH: 554) That this final confrontation starts in the Forbidden Forest was already foreshadowed by Harry’s first encounter with Voldemort taking place there in his first year at Hogwarts. However, in the seventh novel, the atmosphere of the Forbidden Forest changes when Harry decides to go there and die in order to save the world from Voldemort. This difference in the atmospheric setting is caused by Harry being accompanied by the spirits of his parents and friends who have died. By surviving Voldemort’s ‘Avada Kedavra’ course for a second time in the setting of the forest (cf. DH: 564), Harry manages to get rid of the fragment of Voldemort’s soul which was part of him. Harry survives the Dark Lord’s attack in the Forest, is taken back to the castle and there the battle between good and evil finally ends with the defeat of Voldemort and his followers. The initially dangerous forest becomes a symbol of hope. The setting first appeared gloomy and dark and Harry thought that he was going to die in this place. However, he survives Voldemort’s attempt to kill him again and therefore the forest serves as the basis for the later defeat of Voldemort himself. The setting’s threatening character is undermined by
94 The Magical World of Harry Potter these incidents and it seems that even the darkest part of the school grounds of Hogwarts finally becomes a positive location where there is no place for true evil.
5.1.8.3 The Lake Eccleshare (2002: 60) states that the lake functions as a dividing device between Hogwarts castle and the town of Hogsmeade in the first part of the Harry Potter series (cf. PS: 83). It is mentioned that the Lake is assigned another role in year four when the Triwizard Tournament’s second task takes place there (cf. GF: 419). What was used as a border, which had to be crossed on boats in year one, becomes a major scene of action in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Furthermore, it is where the students of Durmstrang and their headmaster Igor Karkaroff anchor their ship, in which they live for the durance of the Triwizard Tournament. For these reasons it becomes apparent that the Lake serves several purposes, reaching from being a dividing line to being a scene of action and a residing place. Moreover, the Lake is home to different magical creatures, including a giant squid (cf. GF: 307) as well as friendly merpeople (cf. GF: 432) and dangerous Grindylows (cf. GF: 430). Colbert (2001/ 2008: 158) has already been referred to in the introduction to the chapter on Hogwarts and was mentioned to have provided references between the world of Harry Potter and Greek mythology. This aspect is clearly represented by the merpeople, who are already referred to in old Greek texts.
5.1.8.4 The Whomping Willow and the Shrieking Shack The Whomping Willow on the school grounds of Hogwarts and the Shrieking Shack which is located in Hogsmeade are the last elements within the setting of Hogwarts analysed in the thesis at hand. According to Eccleshare (2002: 59), the Whomping Willow can be considered as a reminder of Tolkien’s walking and talking trees in Middle-earth. They are called Ents and they one of them, called Treebeard, helps two hobbits during their adventure (cf. Tolkien 1968/2007: 463). For this reason, one can compare it to the Whomping Willow. Like Treebeard, the magical tree on the school grounds of Hogwarts also appears intimidating at first. Introduced in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret as what has been defined as an opponent in the introduction, it ends Harry and Ron’s arrival at Hogwarts in Arthur Weasley’s charmed Ford Anglia. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, however, the Whomping Willow turns out to play another role, namely that of a helper: it protects the secrete passageway which connects Hogwarts to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade (cf. PA: 246-247). Its function changes over time, just as that of other settings mentioned in this thesis. Although it attacks Harry and Hermione who try to pass it in order to follow Ron and the black dog who abducted him, i.e. Sirius Black, the
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Whomping Willow is shortly after assigned a positive role, when it turns out that it was planted in order to protect Remus Lupin. When Harry and the recipient finally realise that this peculiar tree was brought to Hogwarts in order to allow Lupin to attend school, while being a Werewolf (cf. PA: 253-258). At full moon he could simply press the button to immobilize the tree, enter the Shrieking Shack, and spend his torturing transformation process as well as his phase as a dangerous creature there.
Taking this last aspect into consideration, the setting of the Shrieking again serves the purpose of being an indicator of Hogwarts’ function as a link between the present and the past. In the location of the Shrieking Shack Harry learns that Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were friends of his father James, and it is also a setting in which the former conflict between James Potter, his friends, and Severus Snape becomes evident. Furthermore, Ron’s pet rat Scabbers turns out to be Peter Pettigrew, the man who betrayed the protagonist’s parents by telling Voldemort about their hiding place (cf. PA: 271). All these aspects show that the Shrieking Shack is an important and flexible setting of the Harry Potter series.
5.2 Hogsmeade Bürvenich (2001: 59) argues that Hogsmeade is not accessible for Muggles. This is further described by Rowling who uses the character of Hermione and her knowledge to further define this setting. By Hermione stating that it is “’ […] the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain-‘” (PA: 61), the recipient is provided with an important piece of information with regard to Hogsmeade. It is located in the area surrounding Hogwarts, which results in Hogsmeade serving as an intensifier of the magical atmosphere of the school and the space in which it is located. The town of Hogsmeade is a location which is mentioned in the first volumes of the Harry Potter series, but apart from the Hogwarts Express’ terminal being located there (cf. PS: 68), it is not of importance before Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s third year at Hogwarts.
The picture which is created with regard to Hogsmeade during the protagonist’s first schoolyear is an interesting one. Eccleshare (2002: 61) highlights that it becomes already clear at this stage of the book series, that Hogsmeade is not only a place where one can have fun, but that there are also dangers which are typical for the magical world. The reader realises that a pub in Hogsmeade is the place where Hagrid receives a dragon egg form a stranger whom the gamekeeper tells about the three-headed watchdog Fluffy and how to sooth it in exchange (cf. PS: 193-194). By Hagrid referring to the man who gave him the dragon egg in “’ […] the Hog’s
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Head – that’s one of the pubs down in the village’” (PS: 193) as a suspicious person who “[…] kept his hood up.” (PS: 193), a dangerous atmosphere of the setting of Hogsmeade is presented. By introducing this aspect of the magical town, it becomes evident for the recipients that dodgy and even dangerous persons also exist in the magical world. After introducing the beautiful sides of the world of witches and wizards in Diagon Alley and Hogwarts, Rowling might have decided to include a more negative side in order to make her invented magical universe appear better balanced and more credible.
It is in his third year at Hogwarts that Harry Potter’s fellow students start their occasional weekend-trips to Hogsmeade. However, a signed permission from parents or legal guardians is needed in order to do so. As expected, neither Harry’s aunt nor his uncle signed his permission and he is therefore excluded from visiting Hogsmeade. In this case one could argue that it is again the Dursleys who appear as Harry’s opponents by preventing him from further exploring the magical world. This decision of Harry’s relatives results in a limitation of the protagonist’s scene of action as he is not able to explore Hogsmeade in the way he is supposed to. However, Harry luckily owns an Invisibility Cloak and the Marauders Map which enable him to visit the town anyway (cf. PA: 145). So, Hogsmeade can only be visited by Harry during his third year at Hogwarts by doing so in secret. However, Hogsmeade is an additional setting which represents the magical world and it provides the recipients with further information as it introduces another aspect of what the magical world outside Hogwarts is like. Harry Potter’s godfather Sirius Black first appears in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and signs the Hogsmeade permission form for his godson, so that Harry can officially attend the weekend- trips into town (cf. PA: 316). Sirius appears as a helper and enables the protagonist to officially explore a new scene of action.
Hogsmeade contains numerous magical shops, such as “Zonko’s Joke Shop” (PA: 119) or the sweets shop “Honeydukes” (PA: 119). By comparing these shops to those at Diagon Alley, one can conclude that the atmospheres of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade are similar, as both settings are dominated by magical surroundings, and are only accessible for witches and wizards. The non-magical aspect of the contemporary English pub culture is also represented in the magical world of Harry Potter and apart from the Leaky Cauldron, it can also be found in the setting of the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. It is no coincidence that the Three Broomsticks is considered to be the hotspot for visitors from Hogwarts, as it “[…] provides the perfect out-of- school communal territory […]” (Eccleshare 2002: 62). For these reasons, the setting of
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Hogsmeade is a perfect combination of contemporary British elements and magical inventions which make it a unique place and the perfect spot for Hogwarts students to spend their leisure time.
The main difference between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, apart from the fact that they are obviously different locations, is that students are not as closely watched with regard to using magic as they are inside the castle of Hogwarts. Within the school grounds it appears as if Professor Dumbledore were in control of everything and could interfere whenever he needs to. In Hogsmeade, however, the recipient realises that it is a more realistic place without an observer like Albus Dumbledore. It is a location in which even dangerous, dark magic can be found. As examples one can list the previously mentioned dragon egg which is given to Hagrid (cf. PS: 170) or the curse which Katie Bell falls victim to after finding a mysterious necklace (cf. HBP: 234-236). These examples clearly represent the dangers which await students outside the security of Hogwarts castle.
Eccleshare (2002: 62) describes Hogsmeade as a place where the diversity of the members of the magical community is shown and where many different creatures as well as good and evil witches and wizards can be found. This aspect has already been mentioned with regard to Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley in chapter 4.1.2. It can be stated that a panorama of the social variety within the wizarding world is provided by the setting of Hogsmeade. Hermione, for example, mentions seeing an ogre after visiting Hogsmeade together with Ron (cf. PA: 119). Compared to Hogsmeade or Knockturn Alley, it becomes evident that Hogwarts is a safe place where young witches and wizards can experience the magical world without interference of negative influences. However, it appears as if Albus Dumbledore wanted his students to become more independent by allowing them to visit Hogsmeade from time to time from their third schoolyear on. With regard to this, one could argue that Hogsmeade serves as a setting in which the transmission from the safe haven of Hogwarts into the real and more dangerous magical world takes place.
As Hogsmeade has also been referred to as a setting which includes elements of dark magic and danger, it has to be mentioned that this town also serves as a hideout place for Sirius Black directly after his escape from the Azkaban, the prison in the magical world. The Shrieking Shack, which has already been referred to chapter 5.1.8.4 , as well as a cave outside Hogsmeade serve as additional hiding places for Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
98 The Magical World of Harry Potter and in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (cf. Eccleshare 2002: 62). Furthermore, Eccleshare (2002: 62) argues that Hogsmeade is a setting which is unlike any other in the magical world of Harry Potter. Diagon Alley or King’s Cross, for example, also represent magical places, but they are embedded in the middle of the Muggle world. In contrast, Hogsmeade is described as being clearly separated from the world of Muggles. Like Hogwarts it is also only accessible for wizards, witches, and other magical creatures. This makes the town of Hogsmeade a unique setting within the Harry Potter universe. By adding details, such as a drink called “Butterbeer” (PA: 149) which Harry and his fellow students like to order in the Three Broomsticks, the magical world is depicted in an even more detailed and authentic way.
5.3 The Burrow Bürvenich (2009: 74) describes the Weasleys as Harrys chosen family. Their house, which is called ‘the Burrow’, is a typical place where magic becomes evident and surrounds Harry at all times. At the beginning, Rowling describes the Burrow in such a way that the setting presents a sharp contrast to the Dursleys’ place. The Burrow is chaotic, crammed, and most importantly dominated by a friendly atmosphere which is emphasised by kindness, love and the feeling of domestic harmony. Even though there are conflicts, the setting presents real life and not the artificial perfection which dominates Privet Drive (see chapter 3.1). One concrete example for this contrast is reflected in the Weasleys’ garden, which contrasts with that of the Dursleys: The garden was large and, in Harry’s eyes, exactly what a garden should be. The Dursleys wouldn’t have liked it – there were plenty of weeds, and the grass needed cutting – but there were gnarled trees all around the walls, plants Harry had never seen spilling from every flowerbed and a big green pond of frogs. (CS: 32)
The Burrow is described to be situated “[…] a little way outside the village […] Ottery St Catchpole […]” (CS: 29). Set in the middle of the Muggle world, the Muggles still do not seem to realise that they are surrounded by magic which highlights the representation of non-magical people as rather ignorant again. Mr. Weasley goes so far as to say that Muggles “[…]’ll go to any lengths to ignore magic, even if it’s staring them in the face […]” (CS: 34). The description of the exterior of the house reflects the Weasley family and their chaotic lifestyle: It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigsty, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several storeys high and so crooked it looked as though it was held up by magic (which, Harry reminded himself, it probably was). […] A lop-sided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read “The Burrow”. (CS: 29)
The interior of the Burrow reflects its outer appearance and rounds off the setting on the level of its visual appearance. Apart from the impression that the house is rather crammed, there are
99 The Magical World of Harry Potter numerous objects which reflect the Weasleys’ wizarding background. By describing so many details, Rowling creates a mental image inside the recipient’s mind, which makes the magical world appear even more credible. Alongside the protagonist, the readership also feels overwhelmed by the impressions perceived in the Weasleys’ house and it is shown by the concrete description of Harry’s field of vision that Rowling uses this setting of the Burrow to introduce the common lifestyle of a typical wizarding family: The kitchen was small and rather cramped. There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle and Harry sat down on the edge of his seat, looking around. He had never been in a wizard house before. The clock on the wall opposite him had only one hand and no numbers at all. Written around the edge were things like “Time to make tea”, “Time to feed the chickens” and “You’re late”. Books were stacked three deep on the mantelpiece, books with titles like Charm Your Own Cheese, Enchantment in Baking and One Minute Feasts – It’s Magic! And unless Harry’s ears were deceiving him, the old radio next to the sink had just announced that coming up was “Witching Hour, with the popular singing sorceress, Celestina Warbeck.” (CS: 31)
Even though Harry considers the Weasleys’ house a marvellous setting, the Weasleys themselves do not appear as if they were completely happy with their home. This is shown by Ron, who says that “It’s not much.” (CS: 29) whereas Harry argues that the Burrow is “brilliant” (CS: 29). Moreover, George Weasley states that they have only got “[…] a lousy old ghoul in the attic and gnomes all over the garden.’” (CS: 28) and by doing so the recipient gets the impression that the Weasley children do not value their house as much as Harry does. This indicates that people who grow up in the magical environment might not realise how impressive their way of living including their daily surroundings appear for people like Harry who have never experienced nor seen anything similar.
5.4 12 Grimmauld Place – Sirius Black’s Home Introduced as the “Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix” (OP: 64) in the fifth Harry Potter novel, 12 Grimmauld Place used to be the home of the “Noble Black family” (OP: 102). Now serving a different purpose, namely that of being the base of the resistance against Lord Voldemort, it seems as if the setting itself and elements within the house resist this new role it has been assigned. The Black family was always proud of their status of being of pure blood. Especially Sirius’ mother was keen on presenting this impression of being flawless. Sirius, however, does not care about this at all. The clash of Sirius tolerance and his dead mother’s eagerness of supporting the idea of creating a pure-blood society is reflected in the setting of Grimmauld Place. To name two concrete examples which represent the house’s unwillingness of accepting this change, one can mention the house-elf Kreacher and the painting of Sirius’ mother. The former does not seem to be able to accept that he is supposed to serve people who
100 The Magical World of Harry Potter do not consider his former mistress’ values as important. By constantly calling Hermione a “Mudblood” (OP: 101), he appears as a disagreeable character and reflects the atmospheric setting of this place. The big portrait of Sirius’ mother also shows that she does not seem to agree with the happenings at her former house. Her portrait is described to scream in a “blood- curdling” (OP: 74) way. By providing the following example of what Mrs. Black yells, her stance becomes apparent: “’Stains of dishonour, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth…’” (OP: 96). The figure in the portrait disagrees with Sirius’ acceptance towards half- blood and Muggle-born witches and wizards.
Furthermore, there is also a tapestry which presents the Blacks’ family tree in the setting of 12 Grimmauld place. This piece of decoration is described as a typical relict which is often found in the real world (cf. Colbert 2001/2008: 45). It is mentioned that this tradition can be dated back more than thousand years to the times of ancient Egypt and Asian cultures, where it was common for wealthy families to possess genealogical trees in the form of wall decorations. The Black’s tapestry is described as follows: The tapestry looked immensely old; it was faded and looked as if though Doxys had gnawed it in places. Nevertheless, the golden threat with which it was embroidered still glinted brightly enough to show them a sprawling family tree dating back (as far as Harry could tell) to the Middle Ages. Large words at the very top of the tapestry read:
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black ‘Toujours pur’ (OP: 103)
The family motto is another indicator of the family’s opinion on the importance of being a pure- blood witch or wizard. To conclude, one can argue that the setting itself seems determined to resist Sirius’ desire to support the Order of the Phoenix by offering them his house as a hiding and meeting place. Interior elements, such as Mrs. Black’s portrait and the tapestry, as well as the furious house-elf Kreacher represent this struggle.
The setting’s name ‘Grimmauld Place’ sounds like ‘grim old place’ and this impression reflects Harry’s first atmospheric perception of this place, which is described as “[…] not likely to raise his spirits […]” (OP: 62) and being “dank and dark” (OP: 62). The atmospheric impression of the setting is supported by Hermione’s description of the corresponding field of vision: ‘We’ve been decontaminating this house, it’s been empty for ages and stuff’s been breeding in here. We’ve managed to clean out the kitchen, most of the bedrooms and I think we’re doing the drawing room tomo[rrow][…]’ (OP: 66)
Within the setting of Grimmauld Place, the “basement kitchen” (OP: 76) seems to be the most tolerable and cosy room. It resembles, at least to a certain degree, the chaos in the Burrow and might represent Molly Weasley’s presence in this setting. However, there are words, such as 101 The Magical World of Harry Potter
‘dark’ and ‘rough’ which make this setting appear less comfortable and more threating than the Burrow. The kitchen at Grimmauld Place is perceived by Harry as follows: It was scarcely less gloomy than the hall above, a cavernous room with rough tone walls. Most of the light was coming from a large fire at the far end of the room. A haze of pipe smoke hung in the air like battle fumes, through which loomed the menacing shapes of heavy iron pots and pans hanging from the dark ceiling. Many chairs had been crammed into the room for the meeting and a long wooden table stood in the middle of them, littered with rolls of parchment, goblets, empty wine bottles, and a heap of what appeared to be rags. (OP: 76)
As Harry first visits this setting shortly before his hearing at the Ministry of Magic15, the protagonist’s emotional state is a chaotic one. Moreover, the return of Voldemort, Harry watching Cedric Diggory being murdered and his strange dreams which are connected to Voldemort’s mind put the protagonist into an emotionally difficult situation. All these aspects are reflected in the gloomy mood which dominates Grimmauld Place.
Harry, the Weasleys, and later Hermione return to Grimmauld Place after Voldemort’s snake attacks Mr. Weasley. As Grimmauld Place is located in the centre of London, the setting is handier with regard to visiting St. Mungo’s hospital. It appears as if Rowling invented this setting in order to be able to provide a place in which Harry and the other can stay when they have business in London, such as visiting the Ministry of Magic (chapter 5.5) or St. Mungo’s hospital.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Grimmauld Place again in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. During their mission of finding and destroying the remaining Horcruxes, the atmosphere of the Black’s house changes as it temporarily becomes the only safe place for Harry and his two friends (cf. DH 140-143). Their stay at Grimmauld Place provides Harry, Ron, and Hermione with essential pieces of information with regard to their quest for the Horcruxes. For example, it becomes apparent that Sirius’ brother Regulus once was a Death Eater who then tried to destroy one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. Due to unlucky coincidences the real necklace which Dumbledore and Harry thought to have found in the cave at the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and which was a fake turns out to be in the possession of Dolores Umbridge (cf. DH: 182). All these realisations take place in the setting of Grimmauld Place and also assign Kreacher an important role in the process of destroying Lord Voldemort, as he is the one who tells Harry about the locket.
15 Harry needs to attend a hearing at the Ministry of Magic, which might result in his expulsion from Hogwarts due to conjuring a Patronus charm in the presence of his cousin in Little Whinging. He did so in order to defend himself while being attacked by a Dementor. (cf. OP: 22-30) 102 The Magical World of Harry Potter
When the trio then leave Grimmauld Place in order to steal the locket form Dolores Umbridge, they are nearly caught in the Ministry of Magic, but manage to flee. Hermione, however, is not able to get rid of am man called Yaxley who wants to capture them, and Grimmauld Place loses its function of a safe setting: ‘As we Disapparated, Yaxley caught hold of me, and I couldn’t get rid of him, he was too strong, and he was still holding on when we arrived at Grimmauld Place, and then – well, I think he must have seen the door, and thought we were stopping there, so he slackened his grip and I managed to shake him off and I brought us here instead!’ […] ‘[…] Since Dumbledore died, we’re Secret Keepers, so I’ve given him the secret, haven’t I?’ (DH: 223)
The role of Grimmauld Place is not a static one, but the setting’s function seems to be flexible. Reaching from a place that seems reluctant to accept the changes going on, then becoming a safe haven, which finally loses this trait again highlights the diversity and changeability of the Black family’s house. The setting generally appears as a dark and depressing place and these characteristics can be found in Kreacher, the house-elf, who lives there. In addition, Sirius, Harry, Ron, Hermione and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix contrast sharply with the glum mood within the house, which seems to represent the anti-diversity attitude of the former Black family’s members.
5.5 The Ministry of Magic The Ministry of Magic serves the purpose of governing the magical world and it appears similar to ‘real-world’ governments. Harry Potter’s first visit to the Ministry of Magic takes place before his fifth year at Hogwarts. Harry needs to attend a hearing in which he is accused of using magic while not being of age. Harry does so due to being attacked by a Dementor in Little Whinging (cf. OP: 21) and uses the Patronus charm in order to save his own life and that of his cousin Dudley. When the hearing takes place, Harry is accompanied by Mr. Weasley who works for the ministry and is familiar with this setting. However, it is mentioned that it is the first time Arthur Weasley uses one of the visitors’ entrances into the ministry. The setting is mentioned to be located in the “centre of London.” (OP: 115). Depicted as being located in a rather unimpressive surrounding area, Arthur Weasley and Harry use an enchanted telephone box, which serves as an elevator, in order to access the Ministry of Magic: ‘Here we are,’ said Mr Weasley brightly, pointing at an old red telephone box which was missing several panes of glass and stood before a heavily graffitied wall. ‘After you, Harry.’ He opened the telephone-box door. Harry stepped inside, wondering what on earth this was about. Mr Weasley folded himself in beside Harry and closed the door. It was a tight fit; Harry was jammed against the telephone apparatus, which as hanging crookedly from the wall as though a vandal had tried to rip it off. 103 The Magical World of Harry Potter
Mr Weasley reached past Harry for the receiver. […] ‘Let’s see … six …’ he dialled the number, ‘two … four … and another four … and another two …’ […] The floor of the telephone box shuddered. They were sinking slowly into the ground. Harry watched apprehensively as the pavement seemed to rise up past the glass windows of the telephone box until darkness closed over their heads. Then he could see nothing at all; he could hear only a dull grinding noise as the telephone box made its way down through the earth. (OP: 116-117)
By choosing a derelict telephone box as a visitors’ entry into the Ministry of Magic, Rowling presents an aspect which has already been mentioned in chapter 4.1.2, where the Leaky Cauldron was also described as a shabby location. Another example for this can be found in the outer appearance of St. Mungo’s hospital (see chapter 4.1.1). By choosing uninviting neighbourhoods and derelict objects, the magical world remains hidden from the Muggles. It might be the case that members of the magical community are convinced that Muggles do not like appalling objects and places and this might be handy with regard to disguising magical settings which are basically located in the middle of the non-magical world.
The interior of the Ministry of Magic, however, does not correspond with the first impression. Harry is overwhelmed by the interior design of this setting: The door of the telephone Box sprang open and Mr Weasley stepped out of it, followed by Harry, whose mouth fell open. They were standing at one end of a very long and splendid hall with a highly polished, dark wood floor. The peacock blue ceiling was inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that kept moving and changing like some enormous heavenly noticeboard. The walls on each side were panelled in shiny dark wood and had many gilded fireplaces set into them. Every few seconds a witch or wizard would emerge from one of the left-hand fireplaces with a soft whoosh. On the right-hand side, short queues were forming before each fire-place, waiting to depart. (OP: 117)
The first impression of the Ministry being a shabby place evaporates with Harry’s arrival in this location. When Harry then changes his scene of action by walking to the room in which his hearing takes place, the field of vision and the atmospheric setting accompanying it are striking: The walls were bare; there were no windows and no doors apart from a plain black one set at the very end of the corridor. […] They reached a corridor, which bore a great resemblance to the one that led to Snape’s dungeon at Hogwarts with rough stone walls and torches in brackets. (OP: 125)
By comparing the corridor’s visual appearance to that of Severus Snape’s classroom, the recipient perceives the mood within this setting as a rather negative one. Harry does not feel comfortable in Snape’s presence and this is reflected in this part of the Ministry of Magic. Moreover, this association with negative emotions already foreshadows the hearing and provides the whole setting of the Ministry of Magic with a rather hostile appearance. The hearing, however, ends with Harry being allowed to remain a student at Hogwarts due to Dumbledore acting as Harry’s lawyer (cf. OP: 127-138).
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Harry then repeatedly returns to the Ministry of Magic in his dreams, which turn out to be Voldemort’s thoughts, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Through his mental and emotional connection to Lord Voldemort, Harry becomes aware of the significance of the Department of Mysteries. Furthermore, this is also the setting in which Mr. Weasley is attacked but survives due to Harry observing the attack in his dreams. The Department of Mysteries is then visited by Harry, Ron, and Hermione and other members of Dumbledore’s Army in order to find a prophecy which Harry knows that Voldemort also wants (cf. OP: 688). After arriving there, Death Eaters as well as members of the Order of the Phoenix appear and the first major fight amongst good and evil takes place (cf. OP: 688-710). Sirius Black dies in this battle and Harry loses another fatherly figure after his father’s death (cf. OP: 711) before Dumbledore arrives in order to help them. Finally, Lord Voldemort himself appears in the setting of the Ministry of Magic: “Tall, thin and black-hooded, his terrible snakelike face white and gaunt, his scarlet, slit-pupilled eyes staring … Lord Voldemort had appeared in the middle of the hall, his wand pointing at Harry who stood frozen, quite unable to move.” (OP: 716). By appearing in the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort officially shows himself and proofs everyone wrong who did not believe in his return, including the Minister of Magic. This scene which takes place in the Ministry of Magic marks the beginning of an even darker episode in the magical world, which then also influences the non-magical one.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione visit the ministry in the seventh novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in order to steal Dolores Umbridge’s necklace, which is a Horcrux. When they return to this setting it becomes evident that the magical world really has changed. Voldemort has taken the Ministry of Magic and the whole atmosphere is that of war. It is therefore no surprise that the setting of the ministry also reflects this development. In order to enter, the trio take Polyjuice Potion and transform into ministry employees. They then take a different entry into the ministry in a public toilet and need to flush themselves down in order to enter. This could be interpreted in a symbolic way. As will be described in the next paragraph, the atmosphere of the ministry is changed and by Voldemort being the one who is basically in power of it, the symbol of the toilet might represent that the Ministry of Magic is not a respectable institution anymore: ‘We have to flush ourselves in?’ he [Ron] whispered. ‘Looks like it,’ Harry whispered back; his voice came out deep and gravelly. They both stood up. Feeling exceptionally foolish, Harry clambered into the toilet. He knew at once that he had done the right thing; though he appeared to be standing in water, his shoes, feet and robes remained quite dry. He reached up, pulled the chain, and next moment had zoomed down a short chute, emerging out of a fireplace into the Ministry of Magic. (DH: 198) 105 The Magical World of Harry Potter
After arriving in the entrance hall, the change within the Ministry of Magic becomes evident by a statue which presents Muggles in a pitiful position: Harry looked more closely and realised that what he had thought were decoratively carved thrones were actually mounds of carved humans: hundreds and hundreds of naked bodies, men, women and children, all with rather stupid, ugly faces, twisted and pressed together to support the weight of the handsomely robed wizards. ‘Muggles,’ whispered Hermione. ‘In their rightful place. […]’ (DH: 199)
By depicting the setting like this, the change of the Ministry of Magic’s visual representation becomes apparent and influences the atmospheric perception of this place. The magical world has become different. The former positive associations which Harry had with the magical world seem to have vanished. This impression is further supported when Harry enters the so-called “Muggle-born Registration Commission” (DH: 206) which is led by Dolores Umbridge. By describing a file on Arthur Weasley, which includes pieces of information such as “Pure-blood, but with unacceptable pro-Muggle leanings” (DH: 207) or “TRACKED. All movements are being monitored.” (DH: 207). This again highlights the atmospheric change with regard to the Ministry of Magic. One does not need detailed knowledge on the real world’s history in order to detect the similarities between the regime of Adolf Hitler and his Gestapo and the situation in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The previously mentioned parallels between the real world’s past and the happenings in the Harry Potter novels again become observable in this situation. That this takes place in the official setting of the Ministry of Magic, the most influential institution in the magical world, and shows how powerful Voldemort has become in his attempt to create a pure-blood society.
To conclude, one can argue that the Ministry first serves the purpose of adding a layer of credibility to the magical world by introducing an institution which resembles a non-magical government. As the protagonist’s first visit to this setting is caused by a hearing which he has to attend due to using magic without being of age and in front of a Muggle, the first encounter with this setting is dominated by negative emotions. This effect is intensified by a battle between the good and the evil side in which Harry’s godfather dies and the magical world finally realises that Lord Voldemort has returned. Furthermore, the Ministry of Magic becomes the headquarter of Voldemort’s reign of terror. The change of the magical world after Voldemort taking the Ministry of Magic also becomes observable in the visual depiction of the setting, which is accompanied by a glum atmosphere.
106 Conclusion
6 Conclusion With regard to the analyses of the different settings of the seven Harry Potter novels, it can be concluded that places are significant elements of this series. Atmospheric settings, scenes of action, and fields of vision have been introduced as Birgit Haupt’s approach for analysing places in literature. With regard to her considerations, the analytical chapters proofed that the assumption that locations are important on several levels can be verified. The aspect that the atmosphere and the visual perception of a setting can changes over time is also observable with regard to the Harry Potter series.
As the fictional world which Rowling presents in the Harry Potter series can be divided into three major parts, their different purposes have been further analysed. Starting in the non- magical world in which Harry ten years of his life, the protagonist’s life as a Muggle is described. As Harry does not have any friends and is not happy in places which belong to the non-magical world, the atmospheres and visual descriptions of these places reflect this rather negative attitude. The setting of Privet Drive serves as the perfect example for this. Secondly, the border areas between the magical and the non-magical world have been examined and serve as portals between the two. However, the exact borders between the two worlds sometimes overlap and cannot always be clearly defined. Topographical borders have been analysed in discussing the settings of St. Mungo’s Hospital, the Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley, and King’s Cross Station in London. The last part of the universe of the Harry Potter novels is the magical world, of which Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Burrow, Grimmauld Place and the Ministry of Magic have been presented as examples. The positive associations the protagonist seems to have with the magical world become evident in these settings. However, some of these locations change over time with regard to their atmosphere and their visual appearance after the return of Lord Voldemort.
Different perceptions of atmospheres, as well as a change of these according to the plot development are highly relevant with regard to the analyses presented in this thesis. Especially the return of Lord Voldemort is accompanied by changing moods in settings within the magical world. Moreover, the description of different weather phenomena is repeatedly used by Rowling in order to foreshadow events or to support atmospheres. That a character’s emotions might have an impact on the perception of settings and that fields of vision might have an effect on the atmospheric perception of a place becomes evident multiple times in the Harry Potter
107 Conclusion novels. With regard to scenes of action the roles of helpers and opponents as well as the aspect of regarding Hogwarts as a gothic setting can be observed.
To conclude, settings and their different appearances, perceptions, and functions are highly relevant to the Harry Potter series. They do not only serve the purpose of supporting the plot development, but they also often help to further characterise situations or characters within the narrative. The Harry Potter novels would lose much of what makes them so unique if the settings were not described in such a detailed way. Rowling created places which often not only serve as the background for Harry Potter’s adventures, but she also assigned them numerous significant functions.
108 Bibliography
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