A long-lasting spell of magic

Rajdeep Bains

It  was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.’

Those introductory lines just about sum it up for the book. 

Probably the most-awaited and sought-after book of the year, it has received more than a due share of roses and brickbats. The reaction of most Potterheads, as the fans like to call themselves, was to be really excited at first, then a bit reluctant to read a work not exclusively that of Rowling. “What if it turned out to be vile and left a bitter aftertaste that spoiled the memories of the earlier books too?” 

Well, it didn’t stop them from lining up and grabbing their copies as soon as sales opened on July 31, 2016 (Harry Potter, and Rowling’s birthday) and ensuring that more than two million copies were sold.

Most, like me, sat down with the book and didn’t put it down till we finished it. So, do we call it ‘un-put-down-able’? Hardly! However, it does provide something far more important than spellbound readership. It opens up the Harry Potter franchise to brand new characters so the hope of the beloved world being kept alive is rekindled. And isn’t hope what the Harry Potter universe is all about?

Is the ‘magic’ still there in Rowling’s writing? Yes, and no. It compels, but disappoints, pulls you in yet fails to keep you there. For me, the first note of dissonance was when Hermione tells us that the wizarding world has experienced no conflict for 22 years. That hardly sounds realistic after a genocidal war that wiped out half their world and pitted the entire community against each other. Even more jarring was that the beloved teenagers from the earlier books had turned into, well…rather boring adults. They are more generic characters than real, and only Ron rings even slightly true with his jokes and gags. No one seems to want to question the view that all was well with the world. Where the next generation should have been troubled by the impact of the long wizarding war, the biggest conflict in Albus’ mind seems to be ‘My dad is the famous Harry Potter, and I am a Slytherin’. 

The women characters fail to impress. Hermione, in just Rowling’s hands was impressive, and Ginny and even Moaning Myrtle, are more believable and complete than the cardboard cutouts they’ve been reduced to in this book. Hermione makes decisions and does things which are totally out of character (like hiding the time-turner in a book with only a few simple riddles for protection) that make us nostalgic for her razor-sharp brain.

Then there are the new generation kids. Can Hermione and Ron have created such a prissy, stuck-in-the-mud daughter like Rose? It’s almost as if they wanted to relive Hermione’s ‘know-it-all’ days, but without the benefit of allowing the character to grow and develop into a likeable version. That said, there is Scorpius Malfoy; easily the most endearing character in the play. He is loveable, and kind and unbelievably loyal (why isn’t he a Hufflepuff with his nerdy outlook and the totally fanboy take on Bathilda Bagshot?) He is tormented by rumours that he is Voldemort’s illegitimate child. It turns out to be a red herring, and a poor one at that, and takes away from the importance of his role, that of humanising Draco (weren’t we all always waiting for that?). Albus, on the other hand, plays out the conflict in his father’s life, and is a far more complex and troubled character than others. 

The forced attempt at romance between Scorpius and Rose, and between Albus and Delphi just seems to smack of a half-hearted attempt to prevent the growing friendship between the two boys taking on a gay overtone (‘You make me stronger…and when Dad forced us apart... without you…’ ‘I didn’t have much of a life without you in it either’). Not needed really.

What is impressive on the other hand is that the authors were able to take the original plan of “one story, seven books” weave a story around it and build on it further. With all the emotions attached to the earlier books, it is not surprising that Rowling chose to take the plot back and forth in time, revisiting the original story, rewriting it, and building something new out of it. It’s almost as if the play is a recount of all possible plot twists she may have thought of while writing the first seven books. The best thing about Rowling’s writing is her descriptions and her picking into Harry’s mind, which seem more suited to a novel than a play. Without the lengthy introspections and details that give her characters so much life in the novels, the play seems a bit stilted and dry. 

To all Potterheads out there who may be scared of picking up the book for fear of ruining memories; don’t be. The play, in itself is quite readable and has parts that are truly likeable, while both Albus and Scorpius glow. It’s not as much theme-park material, as a nostalgic re-look into the Potter world and a hope for more.