Tragedies Of War - Blog Posts
Cedric Diggoy
Cedric Diggory was an important character as he embodied all we missed out on, not knowing more Hufflepuff characters closely. Dumbledore’s speech about how he was a fierce friend, chose to do what’s right over what was easy, and was shown to constantly be his biggest opponent, not hating those who bested him but only trying to better himself.
It is these Hufflepuff traits that are one of the two main reasons this character has had such a profound impact. Being the complete opposite of boastful, even before Harry told him about the Dragons he tried to stop people hating on Harry, knowing there was enough Hogwarts pride to go around. This extends to the previous year when he catches the golden snitch just moments after the Dementors come onto the Quidditch field and paralyze Harry. He feels this wasn’t a fair win and as Captain, protests against their win to no prevail. A sentiment he carries even during the Quidditch World Cup when his father brags about how ‘’he beat thee Harry Potter!”
One could go on forever about Cedric, it really is no wonder why Cho loved him, (even thou I got the impression that if given both options she would’ve chosen Harry) but what equally sticks out is Cedric’s impact and representation of the innocent victims of war. While the film overall was horrendously shackled together, the scene in the film and book bring me to tears long before his death and their return to Hogwarts. He was just a good person, in the wrong place, at the wrong time. The reaction of his classmates and especially his father and the circumstances were meant to highlight how truly ugly and unnecessary war is. There was no reason for his death, and like most wars even the young men and children who survive physically lose their minds to it. Finally, on a small level, Harry’s guilt and other’s reactions for his survival and Cedric’s death reminds me of the understanding how death happens to those left behind; as while Cedric comes back as a ghost momentarily he thinks only of his parents and unknowingly remains as a force in Harry to stop Voldemort.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix we are propelled more into the depths and darkness the war will bring out that we see grow throughout the remainder of the series with Molly’s boggart turning into finding out any and all of them have been killed, the picture of the original Order of the Phoenix (most of whom have been killed) and even with the song sung by the Sorting Hat.
There is also an additional level of maturity brought to the story, because while our three are becoming more into their own, they are learning more about the complexities of life and good verse evil. Previously even those who were evil but were masquerading as good, we saw as still just evil when revealed (Pettigrew, Quirrell, Barty Crouch Jr.); but now we have Fudge, Percy, and Umbridge who are supposed to be the good guys but are doing more harm than one could imagine, forcing Harry and the others to not just fight against Voldemort and the Death Eaters, but also the Ministry acting out of fear and for power. Then, this complexity is heightened as we learn more about the relationship between James and Snape. In this context thou, the inclusion of Fred and George’s growing business and the boring task of OWLS, we are reminded that during our worst crisis’, funny or not, life goes on.
As Harry Potter progressed thru out the years, he went from fighting with his friends, fighting on his own, and in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, we see him progress to the next level; trying to navigate being a leader of more than just him, Hermione and Ron. Unfortunately this isn’t a lesson he masters by the end of this year or book and is given a painful lesson in the consequences of his actions and thinking things thru. But he does make some strides, in one of my favourite moments in the series of the films, is when Voldemort possesses Harry Potter and in return Harry chooses to think about choosing love over hate, choosing his friends, and decency and fights off Voldemort.
