Cue No. 32

Ron and Hermione’s theme opens this cue delicately in the flute. The harp ascends into a light orchestrated statement, then settles at the transition to the stairwells somewhere in Hogwarts. The flute plays Malfoy’s theme as Harry notices him ascending the spiral stairs. He decides to follow.

Down the hallway, the music abandons melody in favor of texture and harmonic changes. This section strongly resembles sounds from early 2000s scores by Williams, and emphasizes the feeling of “developing doom” associated with other uses of it. Choir enters on the reveal of the Vanishing Cabinet, and the Chamber of Secrets two-chord statement plays in both the winds and the choir.

Low tamtam accents the cabinet door swinging open and the reveal of the bird’s disappearance. The Chamber of Secrets 2 theme plays, and Borgin & Burkes is revealed to be the location of a twin cabinet. Malfoy’s theme comes back, this time in the strings. When he sees that the bird has been sent back to him dead, a waterphone pierces the orchestral texture. Strings carry out the end of the cue as Malfoy cries to himself.