Summary
It’s been 17 years since I finished reading theHarry Potterbooks, and I’m only now noticing the genius way the series reflects in on itself. Over the last couple of months, I’ve spent a great deal of time looking at the parallels betweenHarry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsandHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and it dawned on me that the connective tissue that fuzes the heart of both novels isn’t exclusive. There is a fairly clear pattern that exists from the beginning to the end of theHarry Potterseries, and zooming out allows us to see the perfectly parallel picture that is Harry’s story.
Once I noticed theHarry Potterseries' reflective nature, I went to the internet to see if anyone else had reached the same conclusion. Of course, they had, and I quickly dove into what has come to becalled the"ring composition" or “chiastic” theory ofHarry Potter, analyzed stupendously byJohn Granger. This theory reveals a clever formulaic structure to theHarry Potterseries, which brings immense balance to Harry’s story. What’s more, it also reveals how, back when we all first read Harry’s story, we should’ve known precisely how the last three novels would end.
10 Things That Happen In Every Harry Potter Book
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series includes ten events or tropes that occur in one way or another in each of the seven iconic books.
The Harry Potter Books Perfectly Reflect One Another (With Goblet Of Fire As The Axis)
The Story Of Harry Potter Repeats In Reverse Order After Goblet Of Fire
TheHarry Potterbooksuse a chiastic structure, so the concepts of the story are repeated in reverse order after its axis point. Since there are seven books in the series, the fourth book,Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,serves as the axis, with three books coming before and three after. Looking at the series this way, as if folded over on itself, we can observe thatthe last threeHarry Potterbooks perfectly reflect the first three. Books one and seven, two and six, and three and five are mirror images of one another, with book four serving as a sort of point zero.
Chiasmus is defined as “having or denoting a structure in which words are repeated in reverse order.”
There are several similarities between the first threeHarry Potterbooks and their correlating counterparts within the last three. If one focuses on a specific character, the second does as well, often concluding that character’s overarching story. If a concept is explored in one, then it is sure to return in the other. Even items and objects, especially those that are magical, are sure to make a return appearance in the second half of the series, so long as they appear in the correlating first.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (7)
Immortality, Severus Snape, Wand Loyalty, the Deluminator, Harry’s First Golden Snitch
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (6)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (3)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (5)
Sirius Black, James Potter, The Marauders, Ministry Control, Azkaban Breakouts, Trelawney’s Prophecies
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (4)
Priori Incantatum begins chiasmus
Philosopher’s Stone Mirrors Deathly Hallows
The First & Last Harry Potter Books
There are countless differences betweenHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s StoneandHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. As the first and last installment in Harry’s story, the protagonist himself has gone through many changes. However, there are also several ways in which these two stories are nearly identical. First and most important is the concept of immortality. InPhilosopher’s Stone, Voldemort seeks to make the Elixer of Life, while inDeathly Hallows, the Hallows and Horcruxes continue the conversation around immortality.
Of course, the correlations between these two installments don’t end there.Severus Snape’s story inDeathly Hallowsis a replica of hisPhilosopher’s Stonearc. In both, Harry believed the man to be a villain attempting to kill him, but it is ultimately revealed that Snape was actually trying to protect Harry the entire time. Then, there is the link between magical objects. The firstHarry Potterbook is when Harry learns that “the wand chooses the wizard” and receives his Phoenix-feather wand, which all comes into play at theend ofDeathly Hallows.
Dumbledore’s Deluminator and Harry’s first Golden Snitch are other magical objects introduced inPhilosopher’s Stonethat make a return appearance inDeathly Hallows.
Chamber Of Secrets Mirrors Half-Blood Prince
The Second & Second To Last Harry Potter Books
Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsandHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Princewere the first books that I noticed shared a great deal of common ground. The primary piece of connective tissue between them is Draco Malfoy, who, in both, is suspected of attempted murder. InChamber of Secrets,he is ultimately revealed to be innocent, though he makes it clear he wants to be the one attacking Muggle-borns. InHalf-Blood Prince, of course, it really was Draco who was responsible for the attacks, though he was acting out of duress this time.
The primary piece of connective tissue between them is Draco Malfoy, who, in both, is suspected of attempted murder.
Half-Blood Princeagain brought back some magical objects fromChamber of Secrets. The Vanishing Cabinet that Draco used to sneak Death Eaters into Hogwarts was first seen in book two when Harry hid inside it at Borgin & Burkes. Additionally,the sixthHarry Potterbook saw the return of Tom Riddle’s diary, which was revealed to be a Horcrux. What’s more,Half-Blood Princesaw the return of Moaning Myrtle, revealed to be Voldemort’s first victim inChamber of Secrets, who developed an unlikely friendship with Draco (who had previously supported the murder of her kind).
Prisoner Of Azkaban Mirrors Order Of The Phoenix
The Third & Third To Last Harry Potter Books
The character who takes center stage in bothHarry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanandHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixis obviously Sirius Black and, by extension, James Potter. Harry learned the most about his father and his old Hogwarts friends in these two installments. However, there is a great deal of contrast here as well. Harry learned to revere James and Sirius in the third book, but he discovered they had been far from perfect in the fifth. Then, while Sirius survived theend ofPrisoner of Azkaban, he was killed at the end ofOrder of the Phoenix.
Order of the Phoenixalso saw the return of prophecy. InHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Professor Trelawney gives a prophecy about Peter Pettigrew’s escape and the Dark Lord’s return. Then, inOrder of the Phoenix,the plot revolves around Voldemort’s efforts to retrieve the prophecy Trelawney had made before Harry’s birth. There is also the repeated theme of government control within these two books and the contrast between Cornelius Fudge’s treatment of Harry when he blew up his Aunt inPrisoner of Azkabanand cast a Patronus inOrder of the Phoenix.
Goblet Of Fire Is The Axis Of The Harry Potter Series
Goblet Of Fire Initiates The Harry Potter Series' Reverse Move
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fireis often ignored when looking at the chiastic structure of the series, but I believe this is a mistake. As the folding point or axis, this is among the most essential installments in the series. It contains supporting features for each of the concepts and themes reflected back in the subsequent books while providing the catalyst for what causes theHarry Potterseries to begin to repeat in reverse order the story that had already been told.
Goblet of Firesees Voldemort use Harry’s blood to resurrect his body, doubling the blood protection that Harry had learned about inPhilosopher’s Stoneand that would save his life inDeathly Hallows. The fourth book is also when Lucius Malfoy is confirmed to be a Death Eater, establishing a link between Draco’s story inChamber of SecretsandHalf-Blood Prince. This is also when Harry and Sirius' relationship is at its strongest, bridging the gap between theirPrisoner of Azkabanstory and that of theOrder of the Phoenix. However,the most crucial feature ofGoblet of FireisPriori Incantatum.
Since this spell and phenomenon causes past magic to be repeated in reverse order, it makes sense that it would serve as the axis point for the chiastic structure ofHarry Potter.
The spellPriori Incantatowas first introduced at the beginning ofGoblet of Firewhen the Ministry officials used the spell to reveal all the recent magic Harry’s wand had done. Later, at the end of the fourth book, Harry and Voldemort’s twin wands led to aphenomenon called “Priori Incantatum,“which caused imprints of Voldemort’s previous murders to be emitted from his wand. Since this spell and phenomenon causes past magic to be repeated in reverse order, it makes sense that it would serve as the axis point for the chiastic structure ofHarry Potter—its perfectly balanced poetry.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
