Cue No. 38

A gentle Fawkes theme opens this cue in the strings. Dumbledore and Harry’s relationship has grown tremendously until this point, and a moment of simplicity is needed given the darker tones that their scenes usually entail. The Family theme is played by a solo flute before being passed to clarinet, then the english horn plays an emotional and nostalgic Hedwig’s Theme with alternative harmonies underneath. The comforting reminiscence fades away quickly as Dumbledore begins discussing the journey ahead.

The Fawkes B theme appears, now synonymous with Dumbledore’s dangerous adventures, introducing the imminent peril that they will be entering. The 3-note motif comes into the texture as well, in its true form as the "Horcrux" motif. Its uses throughout the scores have always hinted at this function, but it has gone unnamed until now. The key changes, and strings hold a single note before Dumbledore makes a classic Dumbledorian quip accompanied by a short wink of Hedwig’s Theme.

Trumpets crescendo on a minor chord, then the music gains speed as Dumbledore and Harry apparate from the Astronomy Tower (unaware of what will take place there later that night). A wide shot of the ocean and the huge rock jutting out of it is supported by a massive outburst in the orchestra. Constant pulsing with flurries on top surrounds brass chords, moving from pure minor into clusters. The key changes over and over again, flowing over the audience like the waves on screen. On the wide shot of the cave, choir enters and the final modulation to F-sharp minor peaks then settles down as Harry and Dumbledore make their way to the entrance. Harp plucks single notes on the 7th scale degree, quietly introducing the unsettling nature of such a place.

A small shiver in the orchestra choreographs the moment where Dumbledore draws blood from his hand to enter the cave. The focus returns to Tom Riddle and the mission to find his Horcruxes. Appropriately, the 3-note motif comes back in the flute. Strings move through keys rapidly once again as Dumbledore opens the cave entrance. Inside, the 3-note dominates the texture, much like the final confrontation with a Horcrux in Chamber of Secrets. The first statement of a proper Voldemort theme comes in as well. They are getting closer.

Dumbledore casts light across the water, and the strings begin wandering around key centers again. Choir enters and a massive key change at the top of the phrase opens up the orchestra (accentuated by a tamtam crescendo), supporting the sheer size of the cave revealed. Fawkes B re-enters the cue as Dumbledore works out what to do next, taking the same path as the strings by modulating through different keys rapidly. The technique of constant modulation, especially in a cue like this, helps to keep the feeling of unease with no sense of a key to call home. Strings begin this exact technique again, this time lower in the violas.

A shot from deep underwater is the most ominous so far. The orchestral texture is just very low strings with a scraped gong. Above the water, a wide shot of the boat crossing the lake is only accompanied by a quiet bell tree. Magic is in the air, but it is dark and evil magic.

Upon reaching the island, minor chords move around slowly, unsure as to what is about to happen. The 3-Note motif appears over the potion basin. Upon Dumbledore’s realization that it all must be drunk in order to reach the Horcrux, choir holds a note and then rapid modulations begin happening again. The 3-note motif moves through different instrument groups, and Chamber triplets have a small variation in the horn then cellos.

A short choreographed moment plays over Dumbledore scooping the first dose of potion out of the font. He drinks it; the orchestra erupts into aleatoric writing. It builds and builds until Harry realizes that he has to be the one to force Dumbledore to drink the rest. The frightening moment then turns to a tragic one, as Harry now has to cause Dumbledore pain in order to reach their intended goal. The music becomes tonal again, with strings lamenting the situation at hand. Key changes return once again, this time slower and utilizing the Fawkes B theme.

The low register drops out while the high strings emote. Dumbledore comes out of his painful hallucinations, at which time the string section reduces to a single high note. He tells Harry that he is thirsty. Harry goes back to the empty font to see a locket at the bottom. Curiously, an echo of the 3-Note motif turning into the briefly established "RAB" theme sounds out on a distant solo trumpet.

Harry fills the font with water, but fails to extract it. Low strings finally re-enter the texture and a cold high note freezes as Harry discovers there is dark magic preventing him from obtaining water. Minor chords, reminiscent of the two-chord Chamber of Secrets motif, play deep in the violas and then cellos/basses when Harry realizes what he must do. He descends towards the lake. A crescendo leads up to the moment when Dumbledore's artificial light goes out, leaving Harry and the audience in the dark.