Cues No. 5 & 6

The trio theme has its first appearance in this score, providing an emotional underpinning to Harry, Ron, and Hermione having a laugh and being reunited. This statement, now lower in pitch compared to previous iterations, lends a maturity to the motif. It represents a strong bond between these three friends, and conveys a deep sense of understanding for what they’ve all been through, and a love they have for each other.

On the burning Daily Prophet spinning in the middle of the room, Draco Malfoy’s face appears on one of the photos. The fragments of a new theme play over this image, setting up his own thematic material for this score. This snippet transitions into uneasy woodwind chords pulsing high and low over a long, sustained choir. The camera pans down in Spinner’s End. Alto flute in unison with harp harmonics choose notes almost at random to follow the two witches down the alleyway. This instrument combination will return a couple more times in this cue as the sort of glue that holds the returning themes and mood together.

Upon reaching the front door, Peter Pettigrew appears on the other side of the blurry glass. His motif, sounding in its original form, gets an appearance on the harpsichord. Once the mysterious characters have entered the home, a small “coda” to the Pettigrew motif mimics Snape when he quickly shuts him out of the room.

Flute paired with harp harmonics return as Narcissa Malfoy begins an urgent discussion with Snape. Piano chords flow around the texture, unsure of where the conversation is going. The strings hold for a moment, then a spliced up Chamber of Secrets theme begins. It is clear now that Voldemort’s current plan is the topic of discussion. A capella choir sings the two-chord quasi-motif from Chamber of Secrets that appears whenever Voldemort is being discussed without actually being present, then lead us to a half-statement of the previously heard Malfoy fragment.

Malfoy’s theme is a dark lullaby that serves as an emotional anchor for his mysterious quest that unfolds throughout this film. Flute paired with harp harmonics once again return to play this theme. Though only half of it appears in this cue, it is a clear display, and sets up a thread for the audience to follow as Draco weaves in and out of the story. It stops halfway through the statement, along with the air in the room, because Bellatrix tells Snape to make the unbreakable vow. Snape agrees.

Incidental music from Sorcerer’s Stone plays almost note for note underneath the beginning of this sequence. This is purposely placed to show that Snape’s intentions have not changed since the beginning of the story, and will be crucial in finishing it. The music transitions into the 3-note motif, re-igniting the existence of the omnipresent villain, and a harp plays the full Chamber of Secrets accompaniment.

Flute descends, perhaps with Snape’s internal feeling about this situation, when the vow is made complete. Whatever mission Draco is on this year, Snape is now bound to complete it. The low strings settle down, and the scene quickly changes.

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A quick, excited pulse begins this cue as the camera flows up towards Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. Fred and George have not been seen in the story since their grand exit towards the end of Order of the Phoenix. Since then, their joke shop has become the talk of the now-decaying Diagon Alley. The Double Trouble variation associated with their triumph at the end of the previous film makes a return over this scene. This time it is much lighter and dance-like.

Umbridge’s theme gets a brief reprise as the camera pans past a toy of her sailing across the joke shop. The Double Trouble variation gets a second statement with completely different orchestration and texture. As soon as that changes again, the triplet figure from the opening pulses transitions into a “filler” texture that keeps the momentum, but halts any melodic development. This is placed here to divert attention to the fact that Hermione is noticing herself being fancied by Cormac McLaggen. The original texture, along with the opening pulses, returns once the twins reject Ron’s request for a discount, and the trio heads out.

Outside, the mini-dragon model in the candy machine provides a fun opportunity for a quick Norbert statement, which is a theme that hasn’t been heard since Goblet of Fire. This quiet easter egg of a statement settles down, and the trio are left in a nearly abandoned Diagon Alley. Even the most innocent parts of their childhood seem to have faded away as they walk down the empty streets.