Cue No. 33

The low basses rumble as Harry and Cedric explore their surroundings. Violas and cellos join in clusters as the realization sets in that this place is certainly unsafe. The orchestra is static, and only moves quietly and carefully. Minor chords accompany Cedric’s observing of the Triwizard Cup on the ground, realizing it was a portkey. Harry then sees the grave of Tom Riddle Senior, and Voldemort 1 plays. Harry now knows this is not part of the tournament. This is a trap.

Peter Pettigrew appears on the other side of the graveyard, part of his theme following him in its normal statement on the harpsichord. The brass announce that his appearance may prove fatal, and the strings have frantic motion underneath. Voldemort 2 plays as what lies in Pettigrew’s arms is revealed to the audience. Without a blink, Pettigrew then kills Cedric in a flash of green light and orchestral horror. Cedric’s theme bursts out of the horns in distress and mourning.

Harry is quickly pinned up against the statue he’s seen visions of all year. He’s trapped and unable to get out. Strings begin moving over brass, bubbling, and waiting to see what happens next. Pettigrew drops the mysterious small body into the cauldron in front of him, and his theme occurs as he prepares the coming events. The Three-note motif is sung in the choir, giving the events a ritualistic feel. Tremolo strings play as the anxiety ramps up in Harry’s mind.

Voldemort 1 plays in the trumpet as Pettigrew, to Harry’s horror, cuts his own hand off and lets it fall into the cauldron. The same statement happens in a new key as he looks at Harry. Dissonance plagues the orchestra, then a huge statement of Voldemort 2 plays as Pettigrew takes Harry’s own blood for the ritual. After obtaining this last ingredient, Pettigrew moves quickly away, and the cauldron begins to bubble. A version of the music from “Meeting Tom Riddle” in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) plays as the scene unfolds. The Three-note dominates the texture and gets louder and louder as a form takes the place of the cauldron. The climax of the theme hits right as the new figure opens his eyes. Lord Voldemort has returned.

The low bass tremolos that began the cue return, this time aware of the reason for Harry’s arrival in the graveyard. The music here stands still. Nobody, not even the orchestra, knows what will happen now. A slow Voldemort 1 theme plays as he approaches Pettigrew. The Three-note plays in the piercing woodwinds at the moment Voldemort holds his phoenix feather wand for the first time in thirteen years. Low strings throb when he then begins to summon his followers. The Death Eater theme returns in full glory as they come out of the Dark Mark in the sky. Strings flurry around with giddy excitement while they appear one by one, and the orchestra forms a cluster chord as Voldemort welcomes them. Once he confesses himself disappointed at the fact that none of them came looking for him after his fall thirteen years prior, the Chamber of Secrets 2 theme plays. This is to represent that his plot to return to power has now come to fruition. High clusters interrupt as he begins unmasking the Death Eaters.

The music slowly wanders downward until the final unmasking takes place, that of Lucius Malfoy. A slower statement of the Death Eater theme plays, then a Three-note motif in the flutes. When Peter Pettigrew interrupts, his theme plays in the celesta, and Voldemort walks towards him. He rewards his faithful servant with a new hand. Sinister orchestral coloring accompanies the spell that creates a gleaming silver appendage on Pettigrew’s right arm. The harp takes a turn playing the Three-note motif, then Voldemort addresses the issue of Cedric Diggory.

Voldemort 2 plays as he puts his foot on the face of Cedric’s corpse. As Harry makes his presence known, Voldemort 1 takes over, and the violas answer the slow statement of the theme with an augmented Three-note. This continues under the dialogue until solid octaves move upwards. A quick and violent motion comes out of nowhere, and Voldemort announces that, because he now has Harry’s blood in his veins, he can touch him without dying. As he presses his finger on Harry’s scar, a gigantic Voldemort 1 theme bursts out when Harry screams in pain. Voldemort releases Harry after a large statement of the Three-note motif, and challenges him to a duel. Part of “The Dueling Club” is reprised here in a sort of sinister satire of the scene from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). Voldemort forces Harry to bow, and a cluster plays in the brass; Harry is struck down with accompanying timpani, then brass and strings begin screaming out in pain as he’s hit with the Cruciatus Curse. Hedwig’s Theme sounds quietly as Harry lies on the ground. He sends a spell at Voldemort that is quickly deflected.

The woodwinds play Voldemort 2 with high violins teasing the dies irae. The Dark Lord is monologuing over Harry’s soon-to-be corpse. He forces Harry to stand once again, with a new statement of Voldemort 1 over trills in the strings. Harry runs for a close gravestone, and Voldemort blasts a spell at him that misses. The Family theme plays nostalgically as Harry decides within himself that he’s going to face Voldemort with bravery, even if that means death. The timpani throbs as he walks out to meet his fate. Harry and Voldemort cast their spells at exactly the same time, and the magic from either side connects as the two phoenix feather wands recognize each other. A full statement of Wand of the Phoenix plays over turbulent woodwinds and choir.

Victims that have died at the hands of Voldemort begin appearing as ghosts out of his wand. They seem to be protecting Harry in this fight against evil. A faster statement of Wand of the Phoenix plays as hope grows. Finally, Harry’s parents appear from Voldemort’s wand. The Family theme with choir accompanies Lily saying that they’ve come to protect Harry, and that his escape from the graveyard is possible.

At the moment the connection is broken, motoric strings jet forward as Harry runs for Cedric’s body. He summons the Triwizard Cup and is transported out of the graveyard before Voldemort or any of the Death Eaters can get to him. As Voldemort screams in anger, a massive statement of Voldemort 1 plays. On its last note, Harry lands back in the stadium where the third task began, holding his wand, the Triwizard Cup, and the body of his friend, Cedric Diggory.