Cue No. 35

There is very little time between the end of the previous cue and the start of this one. The music quickly re-introduces the tension to the scene, then takes a turn when Dumbledore appears in the fireplace. Fawkes the Phoenix sounds out in the low brass in a both heroic and conflicted way. The headmaster of Hogwarts has arrived to fight, but knows that Harry is in grave danger. The strings immediately answer with a more distorted Fawkes, then a slow buildup leads to the beginning of the true set piece of the finale; the fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort.

A huge flurry throughout the entire orchestra announces the beginning of the battle. Dumbledore pushes Harry out of the way, and Bellatrix escapes quickly through the Floo network. On the first quick tracking shot of the battle, a big 3-note motif plays with strings scurrying around it. After this statement, the choir enters on a massive E-flat minor chord, and then quickly gives in to another statement of the 3-note. This time, the motion in the strings begins at the bottom of the range and works its way up as a giant fiery serpent ascends and launches towards Dumbledore.

Fawkes the Phoenix interrupts Voldemort’s advances with a quote from its battle-mode appearance in "Dueling the Basilisk" from Chamber of Secrets (2002). Choir then interrupts the texture again, this time over the shot of water from the fountain being cast around Voldemort. The keyboard percussion instruments begin furiously playing tone rows over the choir’s long chords, and the strings on top of the orchestra furiously play trills, unsure of where to go next.

Dumbledore pushes Harry aside yet again, Voldemort escapes from the watery prison, and the orchestra picks up the tempo. Motoric strings build towards another spell being thrown from one side to another. Voldemort defends himself from the latest attack, and the camera holds on him. Muted horns build, and then a huge chord sounds out with full orchestra and choir as he retaliates, breaking every window in the Ministry atrium.

A huge statement of Voldemort 1 plays while a rain of glass falls. Voldemort 2 answers its brother theme in the unison horns, accompanied by choir. After this full statement, the choir continues to hold, and the timpani punctures the texture with loud strikes below. The low strings rumble when Voldemort realizes Dumbledore truly is a match for him. The woodwinds slither around in their lowest ranges, a gust of wind wraps Voldemort in shards of glass, and he disappears.

Solo trumpet ascends as the camera moves towards Harry. Muted horns and aleatoric strings add to the building intensity in the orchestra, timpani pulses finish out the crescendo, then Harry collapses to the floor. He begins seeing visions of torment. Voldemort has possessed him and has resorted to causing him emotional agony. The strings alone take over this entire part of the cue. Nearly the entire section is made up of suspensions, all of them rising as well, giving the texture a constant feeling of unease.

Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville, and Ginny enter the atrium to see Harry struggling on the floor. Upon seeing them, he finds the strength to fight back against Voldemort’s internal attack. Thoughts of his friendships and the love they share begin to enter his mind, and the strings re-organize themselves into the Trio theme. Voldemort immediately feels threatened, and the theme goes away, favoring the former suspensions. Harry fights harder though, and wins against the possession, helped by a final Trio theme as he breaks free.

All instruments cut out, leaving the a capella choir holding a chord over the floating glass around Harry. The 3-note motif returns low in the horns, and Voldemort is over Harry, still taunting him with his words. Before anything else can happen, Ministry officials accompanied by none other than Cornelius Fudge enter the atrium through the Floo network. Voldemort knows no more can be done, and disappears with an unsettling waterphone accompanying him. There is no more hiding; the world now knows that Voldemort truly has returned, and the Second Wizarding War has begun.