20 years back, Nicolas Flamel’s invaluable possession was destroyed. But I guess, it takes more than that for some experiences, feelings, and worlds to cease living on. It took us a while to realise what “The Boy Who Lived” truly meant, and before we could tell, the scar on the forehead turned into an eternal mark that etched itself upon our hearts.
Two decades, and JKR’s words continue to stupefy, as do the tunes. Each chord struck, effortlessly strums the strings of every Potterhead’s heart, and ushers a feeling of nostalgia – a feeling no less than home – a feeling every Potterhead grew up in. A whip of Professor Flitwick’s wand would have our hearts fluttering like a snitch, and Hedwig’s theme will always bring back the happiest of childhood memories, along with a full-bodied Patronus the shape of our imagination.
Music has been an indispensable part of the muggle and wizarding world alike. Music is like Don’t-call-me-Nymphadora Tonks’ hair – it colours itself according to your emotions. It has the power to control you, without an Imperius curse. Why, it even qualifies as Parseltongue, and is also the only thing that could quieten Fluffy!
Each of the eight Harry Potter movies not only tells you the story in words, but also weaves a powerful emotional connect through its various tunes.
Lily’s theme is perhaps one of the most powerful tunes in the movies. It starts out with a sad, soft woman’s voice which slowly crescendos to a climax and finally fades to the sound of cello, viola and violin. Parts of the tune can even be heard in Snape’s demise scene, as well as at the time of Voldemort’s death. This tune marks the conclusion of Harry’s relentless struggle to avenge his parents’ death.
Another beautiful tune in the list is “A Window to the Past”. It is a soft and gentle tune. The melody by John Williams is used very tactfully in scenes where Harry talks about his past, his parents and their friends. The pacifying sound of the flute not only creates a feeling of desire to bring back the past, but also gets you almost teary-eyed.
Our ears are met with the tune of “Fawkes, The Phoenix” each time the mythical bird dies and is reborn. Fawkes is incomplete without Dumbledore. There isn’t a single Potterhead who did not have a tear in their eyes during the death scene of Harry’s mentor, the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts ever had, and the only wizard You-Know-Who was afraid of. Dumbledore’s Farewell theme breaks your heart every time you listen to it and reminds you of the person whose wisdom continues to inspire and change lives, a treasure more valuable than galleons can quantify.
Yet another heart wrenching melody is the “Obliviate” tune, a composition by Alexander Desplat. It has a beautiful rhythm and crushes one’s heart to hear the tune play as Hermione erases herself from her parents’ memory forever.
Be it the tune that plays when the Order of the Phoenix takes flight or Hedwig’s theme, each note takes you back to the time when we were eleven year olds, waiting anxiously for our letters from Hogwarts. JKR sure gave us a magical world, but more importantly, she gave us a family – one which not only taught us the value of friendship, bravery, loyalty, among infinite other virtues, but also that home does not always have to be a place; that forever is a thing, and “always” is not an empty promise.
— Priyanjali Roychoudhury
Chords & Co. 