Lost in Translation? Harry Potter, from Page to Screen

The article Lost in Translation? Harry Potter, from Page to Screen by Philip Nel goes into detail about the difficulties of taking a popular book series and turning it into a film series that not only pleases the fans of the book series but is also a successful film franchise. As many readers often criticize, book to film movies often leave out information that is in the book and it is often seen as appalling to the lovers of the books. I understand that not every aspect from a book can make it into a movie, especially when a book has a lot of inner mind dialogue or explanation on how a character is feeling, however, I hate when actual characters are left out or are combined. Directors try their best to stay true to a book’s fanbase, however, they do also try to make it their own thing.

The director of the first two Harry Potter movies was born in my hometown and so I always felt super connected to the first two films, even though I had never met the man as he and his immediate family hadn’t lived in town since he was young, I always still felt that it was a cool connection. Nel uses a quote from Colombus, who claimed that he would be crucified if he hadn’t stayed true to the novels, which is somewhat true. Nel then goes on to say: “However, the attempt to be completely faithful hampers those first two films; recognition of the impossibility of being completely faithful liberates the third, fourth, and fifth films” (pg 276). It is impossible to please every single person, especially when it’s loved by so many people. The recognition that no matter what they do or how they do it the film will just not be perfect for every single person which is what saved the rest of the films, though I would fight that the sixth film could have been much better than what the directors had given us.

I understand that it is difficult to put everything in from the novels, as I mentioned above. However, when half of the plot is gone and one of the main characters for that book is pushed back to a supporting character in the background, I find it annoying. In Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince shows more than just Harry’s life and what goes on from his perspective. The novel shows how Draco Malfoy is struggling to do what he was told to do by Lord Voldemort and his inner realization that maybe he was wrong in thinking that his father’s ideas were the right ideas. It comes down to Draco having to try and force himself to do the act of killing Dumbledore because Lord Voldemort had threatened Draco and his mother’s life if he did not carry out the mission. Even though Severus Snape is the one to kill Dumbeldore, the novel offered a lot of insight to Draco’s inner turmoil that we were not allowed to see in the film adaptation because he was once again, hardly in the film other than to be seen lurking around corners and on occasion fixing the disappearing cabinet until the very end when he meets Harry and Dumbledore atop the astronomy tower.

Though this article was written before the last three films were released, I still believe that the article did a good job on both pointing out some of the differences from book to film that were added simply for dramatic effect and explaining why it was either necessary or why it was a bit of a reach. I felt that most of the film adaptations, for the most part, did as best a job they could in showcasing J.K. Rowling’s magical world. Nel’s major final argument is: “Finally, one might consider both what can and cannot be translated into film, as well as the net gains and losses that arise in any translation” (pg 288). We can never get a perfect novel to film adaptation, it is simply impossible.

Hermione Granger and the Charge of Sexism

Many people claim that the Harry Potter books are very sexist, mainly due to the fact that the story is about a boy who has to defeat an evil man and is guided by an elderly wise professor who is also male. Sarah Zettel wrote the essay “Hermione Granger and the Charge of Sexism”, an essay that responds to the fact that though the books do focus on male characters mainly. However, Hermione Granger and a few other of the female characters are very prominent and important factors in the book that prove that the books are not sexist nor are they feminist texts.

In her essay, Zettel writes about three different essays that make similar claims against the Harry Potter series. The three essays in question claim that the boks all make it seem that the
females in the book are less appealing than the male characters, that they are less likeable, and that Hermione Granger specifically is weaker, is not as self-possessed and much less adventurous than her male friends. However, Hermione Granger is often known referred to as one of the smartest students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Zettel proposes “All three essays also share a primary weakness: They make their charges with no consideration to larger context (Page 2).” Hermione may not be athletically inclined, but she is exceedingly smart and extremely brave. At only eleven years old she chooses to go with Harry and fight evil with him, at twelve she brews an illegal and difficult potion in order to turn into another person, at thirteen she helps a convicted felon escape, and the list goes on. She continues to prove that she is extremely smart and that Harry Potter would never have been able complete his mission of defeating the dark lord without Hermione.

Another observation that Zettel makes is: “It is Schoefer, however, who makes the clearest misinterpretation by removing quotes from context. In her essay, she makes great objection to the assessment of Ginny in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Page 3).” The essays that Zettel is reviewing are obviously very biased against the Harry Potter books but cannot back up their accusations with any proof from the books. They refuse to look at the books and take much of the information out of context.

Finally, Zettel claims: “It’s not that Hermione doesn’t care what Ron and Harry think of her, it’s that she doesn’t let their opinions get in the way of doing what she knows to be right (page 13).” Hermione Granger is a feminist and the Harry Potter series are not sexist. Despite the books having a strong male presence, they do a good job of showing the female characters as strong individuals who know they are valuable. Despite the fact that the female characters are not the main characters, they are influential, smart and strong women who make sure that the books are not sexist.

The Other Potter – Harry Potter Re-Mix

Prologue:

October 31, 1981

Godrics Hollow

Lily and James Potter have been hiding in Godric’s Hollow for a few months with their twins, Harry James and Harmony Mae. A prophecy warned them that their children would be in great danger which was always on Lily Potter’s mind.

 

‘The two with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark them as his equals, but they will have powers the Dark Lord knows not… either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while one survives… the two with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…’

 

Alice and Frank Longbottom were tortured for information to the point where they are no longer able to take care of themselves, let alone their son who was just a day older than Harry and Harmony. Had the prophecy only mentioned one, Neville very well could have fit the role of the prophecy. Though she wished that her children were not the children of the prophecy, she was glad that no one else fit the role.

 

It was almost midnight and James had yet to leave the twins’ nursery. They both felt so anxious, constantly staying in their home. Not being able to see anyone other than Peter, their Secret Keeper, was also taking a toll on them. James missed Sirius and Remus more than was imaginable. Lily missed Larissa, Sirius’ wife, just as much.

 

Today was even worse. It was like something was going to happen, but what they did not know. They had not been informed that they were found out nor did any of the whispers bring news of Voldemort coming after them.

 

James wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her forehead. “They’re sleeping soundly. I wish that I could say the same thing for us.” He let her go to rub his tired eyes behind his glasses. “How do we keep doing this Lily? I can’t stand not helping outside of this. I love getting to spend time with the twins, but I feel like I can’t actually help them while I’m in here.”

 

All of the sudden they wards on their home warned them that their home was no longer safe. Someone had found them.

 

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

 

Three hours later

 

Larissa sat holding her god-children. Dumbledore had explained to her his theory on what happened to the children. She was to take Harmony and move, preferably out of the country. She was going to have a harder life than Harry, in dealing with the events of the night. Harry would live with his mother’s sister and her husband, muggles, but the spell that Lily cast on Harry would require him living with them. She had not had time to cast it on to Harmony before her death.

 

Harmony would from now on, be known as Harmony Mae Black, the daughter of Sirius and Larissa. She would think that her older brother was Orion Remus Black, not Harry James Potter. She could not know who she truly is, not until he returned.

 

Her husband would remain in jail, though Larissa knew he did not do what they claimed he did. She had to think of their son and their god-children. The evidence against him was too great, they would not listen to her. Remus already believed that Sirius did it. No one knew what happened. He was the Potter’s Secret Keeper after all.

 

Chapter one

 

August 1, 1995

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America

 

“Mom! Orion stole my brand-new broom!” Fifteen year old Harmony Black ran into the kitchen, panting. “It’s mine! I literally just got it for my birthday YESTERDAY from Draco!” Her red hair was pulled back into a pony-tail to keep the unruly curly hair out of her eyes. She looked enough like her mother, who had a more strawberry blonde hair color compared to Harmony’s rich red, but that was the only similarity. Harmony looked nothing like her father, Sirius, either. But she had only known him for the first year of her life, before he was sent to Azkaban for killing and endangering muggles. It was something she often thought about, but never had the courage to ask her mother about.

 

Sixteen year old Orion Black waltzed into the kitchen after his younger sister. He had his father’s curly dark brown hair and his mother’s dark brown eyes. “You’re such a tattle Har.” He was just like his father, never listening to anything his mother said and had a bit of a bad-boy reputation. However, he had the biggest heart and wanted to be a healer, like his mother.

 

“Both of you stop. We need to talk.” Larissa was sitting down at the kitchen table. She stared at the two children she raised. Even though only one was her biological child, she felt that Harmony was her child. She was not prepared for the news that she had received just a few months ago, but now it was too much of a reality. Harmony was going to have to return to her biological brother and fulfill the prophecy.

 

Orion and Harmony looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Their mother never acted in such a way. She was normally fun, easy-going, and hardly ever was this serious.

 

“Is it dad?” Harmony asked quietly, finally looking back at her mother, but still refusing to sit down. “Did they find him?”

Larissa felt the tears form. She hadn’t seen Sirius since he escaped Azkaban. She had been right all along, he didn’t betray anyone, yet he couldn’t come home to her. “No…” She was cut off by a knock at the door. Knowing who it was, Larissa walked out of the kitchen and across the hall to the front door.

 

“Can you hear what she’s saying?”

 

“No… but I think she’s talking to a group of people.” Orion ran a hand through his shoulder length locks. “This is freaking me out. I don’t like this. Something is wrong. If it’s not dad… then what is it?”

 

The two teens quickly stopped talking when their mother and a small group of people entered the small kitchen.

 

“Orion, Harmony… I wanted to tell you this before they got here but it’s time you both sat down.”

 

The two sat down in sync, for once completely silent and stared at the group of strangers. One woman was short and plump with bright red hair who just stared at Harmony, like she wanted to hug or cry. Another man both teens knew was Alastor Moody, meaning something very important was going on. There was also a girl with spiked pink hair who Harmony automatically wanted to be friends with.

 

“Harmony… I-I don’t really know how to tell you this…” Tears were once again in Larissa’s eyes. “I did not give birth to you. Sirius and I… we…. You are not our daughter by birth. Technically, I am just your legal guardian. We legally changed your name once we moved here from England when you were just a little over one… when your birth parents were killed by Lord Voldemort.”

 

The young girl stared blankly at the woman who she had always thought was her mother. Nothing was processing. How could Larissa not be her mother. Sure, they looked nothing alike, but how could they not be related.

 

“You were born on July 31, 1980 to Lily and James Potter. I was your mother’s best friend and Sirius was James’. I was the medi-witch who delivered you. Everyone was so excited that you two were healthy, because many people were too stressed to have children. Sirius and I were lucky enough to have Orion before I was attacked for being married to a blood-traitor and after that attack, I was not able to have any more children. Your birth name is Harmony Mae Potter and you are the twin sister of Harry James Potter.” Larissa watched as Harmony’s face went completely white. She knew that all of those talks with Draco were running through Harmony’s head. Before anyone could react, Harmony bolted out of her chair and out the door with Orion bolting after her.

 

“Nymphadora, go after them. We’re going to pack everything up and start taking it to Headquarters. We don’t have time for childish games.” Moody grumbled out before limping to the living room and waving his wand.

 

The girl with pink hair nodded and followed behind the two teens. She eventually found them at a beautiful white gazebo. The two teens were sitting together on a bench with Harmony resting her head on Orion’s shoulder. They looked like siblings in that moment. Their whole world came crashing down on them and even worse, they realized it was all a lie.

 

“I’m your brother Har. No matter what.” The young boy tried to comfort the girl, but he looked just as devastated. “Come on. You know that I’ll always be here to annoy you. We both just get a new brother, because you will always be my sister.”

 

“And here I thought you’d use this situation to tell me that you finally don’t have to deal with me anymore or admit that I’m your sister.”

 

“Never.”

 

Tonks didn’t want to break the moment, but she knew that Mad-Eye would be expecting them back. She took one step towards the two and fell up the two steps of the gazebo. Blushing bright red, the woman tried to fix herself and keep her dignity before she spoke. “Sorry, this is a common occurrence.” Taking a deep breath, the woman composed herself fully. “We need to get you two back to your house… we need to be back in London by the end of the night. We’ve got a portkey to take us where we’re going. Everything will be fully explained once we make it to England.”

 

Harmony signed and wiped her puffy eyes. “I don’t want to go, but I’m assuming I don’t have a choice. I have to leave all my friends, the life I’ve lived for fifteen years, everything I’ve known. I have to leave it all behind and live a new life. Hope that I can make new friends, that I’ll fit into a culture that I haven’t been a part of since I was a little over one years old. None of this is fair… I mean I’ll have one friend, but I don’t think I’ll even have him once he finds out who I really am.”

 

There was nothing that could be done. Harmony had to come back and fulfill the prophecy if they had any hope of defeating Voldemort. Still, Tonks felt bad for the girl. Her whole world was completely changed and she would need some time to adjust, but if she actually got that time is the real question.

 

The trio made it back just to see everything in boxes. Harmony’s guitar was in its case next to her broom. She traced her initials that were etched into the handle. “These aren’t my initials.”

 

Larissa hugged Harmony close. “I’m so sorry love. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. Regardless though, you are my daughter. I’ve raised you for a little over thirteen and a half years. Your mother was my best friend and seeing as she couldn’t raise you, I’m glad that I could.” Feeling how stiff Harmony was in her arms, Larissa knew the girl was angry with her. “I know that you’re angry, but you’ll realize why it had to be this way eventually. You’ve been lied to, I know. However, once you meet Harry you have to know this. He’s lived with your mother’s sister and her husband. They’re muggles and they hate all things magic, they hated Lily, and I know they mistreated Harry. He did not have the good childhood that you had. I fought to keep him too, but… well Dumbledore wouldn’t let that happen.” Brushing some hair out of Harmony’s eyes, Larissa tried to get the girl to look at her. “Just give him a chance when you meet him. I know he won’t be happy with who your best friend is… but I also know that you two will need each other to get through everything.”

 

“Yes, this is all very touching. We need to get going! Now, everyone to their places. Harmony, you go with Mrs. Weasley and Nymphadora. Orion, you’re going with your mother and I. We’ll all meet back at headquarters.” Mad-Eye glared at everyone with his one good eye, while the other whirred around.

 

Harmony felt the sensation of being pulled from her bellybutton, before everything whirled around her.

Fanfiction Post

My idea for the remix is to take a fanfiction I wrote a few years ago and completely revamp it by fixing the few plot holes that are present, fix the grammar, go into a little more detail in certain areas, and add at least two more chapters. It is an alternate universe fanfiction, meaning, it does not completely follow the canon actions.

 

The plot of this story is Harry and his twin sister, Harmony, were separated for their own good after the events in Godrics Hollow and were not told about each other for their own safety. Harry was raised by his aunt and uncle, but Harmony was raised in the United States with their Godmother Selena Black (the wife of Sirius Black) and was raised as Harmony Orion Black and not Harmony Lily Potter. Harmony was kept away from her muggle relatives due to the fact that she took more of Voldemort’s soul than Harry did. After the return of Voldemort, Harmony is brought back to England to reunite with her brother and come to Hogwarts for closer observation.

The Malfoy’s compared to Muggle Aristocracy

In their chapter, “Were the Malfoys Aristocrats?: The Decline and Fall of the Pure-Blooded”, Laura Loiacono and Grace Loiacono propose the idea that despite the fact that the world of Harry Potter does not have actual aristocratic titles, there are still certain families who can be seen as aristocratic by definition. The main example used is the Malfoy family. The Malfoy family portray themselves as cold, uncaring upper-class individuals who fight to maintain a hold onto their own class privilege.

One of the points that the authors makes is about the home that the Malfoy’s live in. Malfoy Manor is the only residence mentioned in the series that has reference to being a manor house. “Manor houses are a holdover from the medieval period, when feudalism (also called the “manorial” system) assigned legal and economic power over an area to the lord of the manor; centuries after the end of feudalism, there are very few buildings left in Britain today that can legally lay claim to being a manor (Page 177).” The authors further claim that the Malfoy’s ownership of a manor home is one of their biggest claims to being considered “aristocratic” in the wizarding world.

Another point that the authors make points out the use of servants. “Muggle aristocrats in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries employed servants, although they did not exert quite the level of control over the servants in their employ that wizards exert over their house-elves (page 177-178).” Muggle aristocrats, as well as other wealthy employers, would use servants to do whatever work they deemed unworthy of their status. The wizarding community used house-elves as their servants, and though not all of them were as torturous to their house elves as the Malfoys were to their previous house-elf, Dobby, muggle aristocrats were in return not always nice to their servants.

Marriage is another resemblance that the Malfoy’s have in comparison to muggle aristocrats. “Because a “pure” ancestry underlay both groups’ claims to superiority, marriage outside the group would shame the whole family and “contaminate” their line of descent (page 178).” The examples that the authors give from the Harry Potter universe, is Andromeda Black, who married muggle born Ted Tonks and had a daughter, Nymphadora Tonks, and her family burned her off of the family tree and disowned her for it. In real life, Vita Sackville-West married Harold Nicholson, a man with no title, her family was upset due to the fact that she decided to marry beneath her station. Marrying the right person was very key to maintain station and to disregard that to the Malfoy’s and aristocrats is beyond imagination.

Overall, it is very interesting to see the comparisons between the Malfoy’s and the aristocrats we have experienced in the real world. The author’s ideas are very convincing and despite the fact that the wizarding world does not give such titles, I believe that the idea that the Malfoy’s are as close to aristocracy as the Harry Potter universe gets. They feel entitled, have money, power, servants, and believe that their beliefs are the superior way of life, like many aristocrats are portrayed in the muggle world.

Emily Shook Reading Journal One

In her chapter, “Was Voldemort a Nazi?: Death Eater Ideology and National Socialism”, by Nancy R. Reagin, we see the comparisons between Voldemort and Hitler and the ideas that they shared and differed. The two men both took the idea of a “pure race” and felt that any person who was not of their “pure race” needed to be wiped off the face of the Earth. Adolf Hitler felt that the Aryan race was the one true race, while Voldemort felt that only pure-blooded witches and wizards were fit to practice magic.

However, both of these men did not have man things in common other than their want to rid the world of any “impure” races and the fact that they were both hypocritical. In the “Harry Potter” series, Lord Voldemort was a “half-blood”. A “half-blood” is a person who is the child of a witch or wizard and a non-magic person which is also known as a muggle. When the article was written, there were speculations that Adolf Hitler was half Jewish, though, again, at the time the article was written the fact had yet to be proven or disproven. The main comparison between Lord Voldemort and Adolf Hitler is this quote from Reagin: “What is distinctive about Hitler and the Nazis among fascist movements-what made them such a useful comparison for Rowling-was their racial policies (Reagin, 129).”

Many people tried to conceal their heritage during World War II and J.K. Rowling used this method in the Harry Potter Series as well. “Those who tried to conceal Muggle ancestry were vulnerable to being found out and turned in, because in such a small population, those who had “unusual” (not traditional wizarding) names must have stuck out (Reagin, 139).” Though it would not work for many, the idea of trying to save a family from either death or torture would be a reason to risk the chance. Just like in Nazi Germany, the people would fake a pureblood line to try and avoid being found out. “The National Socialist regime made proof of “Aryan” ancestry a requirement for many government benefits and positions; those who wanted higher-ranking positions in the Party or the government (for example, SS officers) might even have to produce proof of “pure” ethnic German ancestry going back to 1750 (Reagin, 139).” In order to survive happily and move up in ranks, you needed to be able to produce this ancestry, if you didn’t have it, you needed to fake it.

However, unlike Hitler who was constantly seen in the public eye, Voldemort preferred to safeguard his own power and keep his immortality as well as searching for the Elder Wand. Hitler gave speeches that made many who heard them feel so moved, and feel like what he was saying was exactly how life was supposed to be. Voldemort, really did not give public speeches. He told his followers what they needed to hear and as long as his wants and needs were met, he allowed them to do what they wanted as well. “Although Voldemort seems to have focused primarily on the Elder Wand during Deathly Hallows, he was certainly willing to let his followers pursue their vision of pureblood superiority while he was abroad (Reagin, 132).” Voldemort, though he believed in the pureblood cause, was more concerned with having and maintaining power and being immortal, rather than making sure that there would only be purebloods left in the world, rather than letting muggleborns learn magic or marry into pureblood or even halfblood families.

In conclusion, though Voldemort and Adolf Hitler were very similar in their racial policies, they went about maintaining their power and expanding their presence in different ways.