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I think the pattern may also be able to include a – reinforcement of the theme – in a ‘Dumbledore heart-to-heart’ scene following the major confrontation. (of course the nature of the DD scene is very different in books six and seven…)

And I have to add that I love Greg’s quote: “Bad PR move on Voldemort’s part.”

The series has seven books that are essentially organized into two trilogies (the first three books and the last three books) hinged together by the fourth book. The first three are lighter and juvenile without any understanding of a “greater plan”. The transition from the first trilogy to the second trilogy is the resurrection of Voldemort which arouses a more complex intertwined plot that the reader soon learns has been brewing all along. Books 1 through 3 continue to raise questions while books 5 through 6 answer questions.
Another important note on this is that the seven books have a parallel structure. That is to say, book 1 mirrors book 7, book 2 with book 6, and book 3 with book 5. I won’t go into detail about how this is done because many of the comparisons are obvious.
The Harry Potter story as a whole follows a traditional story line, with the first trilogy rising out of the introduction towards the fourth book which is the climax, followed by the second trilogy which descends to the conclusion.

Anyway, I’m not sure if this was the right place to post this but I’m new to your website and I just wanted to throw my thoughts into this topic. I wish I could read along as you go through the books but unfortunately I didn’t bring any of mine to college with me.

Can’t wait to see what you have in store!

Kira

I think a clarification is needed about the Catholic discussion on Harry Potter. The media is reporting this in a sensational way, as usual, spilling copious amounts of ink on the Catholics who are against Potter and very little on balanced reporting. The Washington Post article is a good example. The Vatican newspaper didn’t come out unequivocally against Potter. It published two essays, one for, one against. The WP reports this, but only reports the content of the “against” article, making it look like Catholics are involved in a unified anti-Potter crusade for silly reasons.

Granger wrote a few years back that even the reporting on the Pope’s concerns with Potter was not fair or accurate.

That said, if you do manage to get B16 on your podcast, I want to be a guest again for that one

I think the Catholic Church should worry more about what evils its own priest have been doing rather than try to get publicity bashing childrens books. I have read Harry Potter as have my children and it is nothing more than a good against evil battle where good wins. There are so many other questionable things our children are exposed too that go unaddressed so this doesn’t hold water at all. The Catholic church hss a history of twisting pagan holidays and reinventing them to suit their needs and views. Given the past history of this church and it’s currentsins it is guilty of against children I think that it’s role in establishing any guidelines in morality is now worth as much as a wooden nickle. Perhaps they will use the money obtained from the faithful to continue to buy the silence of it’s victims and distract us by attacking a popular story that has done much more good than the Catholic Church can remember.When faith in God and Jesus is strong and parents do what they can and care anyone can see that it is the leaders of the church that are the true danger to our kids and not a fictional boy wizard in a popular story.