WORLD LITERATURE

HARRY POTTER BOOKS

T h e r e a r e m a n y f a m o u s c h ild r e n ’s b o o k s lik e ‘S e c r e t S e v e n ’ a n d ‘F a m o u s
F iv e ’ a r e a r o u n d . T h e y a r e r e a d a n d g r e a tly a d m ir e d b y c h ild r e n . O n e o f s u c h
b o o k s w id e ly r e a d a n d lik e d b y c h ild r e n a ll o v e r th e w o r ld is th e H a rry P o tte r
s e r ie s o f fo u r b o o k s th a t in c lu d e ‘H a r r y P o tte r a n d th e P h ilo s o p h e r ’s S to n e ’,
‘H a r r y P o tte r a n d th e C h a m b e r o f S e c r e ts ’, ‘H a r r y P o tte r a n d th e P r is o n e r o f
A z k a b a n ’ a n d ‘H a r r y P o tte r a n d th e G o b le t o f F ir e ’. Its a u th o r is J .K .R o w lin g . T h e
s e r ie s is a b o u t th e a d v e n tu r e s o f H a r r y P o tte r a n d h is fr ie n d s R o n a n d H e r m io n e
in H o g w a r ts , w h ic h is a w iz a r d in g s c h o o l. I c o n s id e r th e fo u r th b o o k o f th e s e r ie s
n a m e ly ‘H a r r y P o tte r a n d th e G o b le t o f F ir e ’, w h ic h r u n s to v o lu m in o u s 6 3 6 p a g e s
i n t h e p o p u l a r p a p e r b a c k e d i t i o n a s t h e magnum opus o f t h e a u t h o r a m o n g t h e
lo t.

T h e s e r ie s is a b o u t a y o u n g w iz a r d c a lle d H a rry P o tte r w h o lo s t h is

p a r e n ts d u r in g H a llo w e e n w h e n h e w a s o n e y e a r o ld a n d b r o u g h t u p b y h is a u n t
a n d u n c le a n d s e n t to H o g w a rts , a w iz a r d in g s c h o o l. T h e fo u r b o o k s c o n c e rn
a b o u t h is a d v e n tu r e s in H o g w a r ts . T h e b o o k s a r e fu ll o f fu n n y a n d a w fu l in c id e n ts
th a t m a k e th e b o o k s in te r e s tin g to c h ild r e n a n d c a p tu r e th e ir im a g in a tio n .

T h e m a in c h a r a c te r s o f th e H a r r y P o tte r s e r ie s a r e H a r r y P o tte r h im s e lf a s
th e h e r o o f th e s to r y , H a g r id w h o r e s c u e d H a r r y P o tte r fr o m th e D u r s le y s , th e
u n c le a n d a u n t o f H a r r y P o tte r , D u m b le d o r e w h o is th e h e a d m a s te r o f H o g w a r ts ,
R o n a n d H e r m io n e a s th e b e s t fr ie n d s o f H a r r y , D r a c o M a lfo y a s h is e n e m y , L o r d
V o ld e m o r t a s h is b e te noi r e a n d th e v illa in o f th e p ie c e , a n d P ro fe s s o rs o f
H o g w a r ts lik e S n a p e o f S ly th e r in H o u s e , M c G o n a g a ll o f G r y ffin d o r H o u s e , S p r o u t
o f H u ffle p u ff H o u s e a n d F litw ic k o f R a v e n c la w H o u s e . A ll th e s e c h a r a c te r s m a k e
in te r e s tin g r e a d in g b y th e ir v a r ie g a te d o d d itie s a n d a n tic . T h e c h a r a c te r s a r e w e ll
k n it to th e s to r y .
 S o m e o f th e in c id e n ts in th e s e r ie s m a k e la s tin g im p r e s s io n s o n th e
r e a d e r s . A fu n n y in c id e n t I fo n d ly r e c a ll fr o m ‘H a r r y P o tte r a n d th e G o b le t o f F ir e ’
r e la te s to P r o fe s s o r M o o d y tr a n s fo r m in g D r a c o M a lfo y in to a fe r r e t a n d b o u n c in g
h im u p a n d d o w n . A n o th e r in c id e n t fr o m th e s a m e b o o k th a t c a u g h t m y
im a g in a tio n is th e fig h t b e tw e e n H a r r y P o tte r a n d L o r d V o ld e m o r t. T h e h ila r io u s
c o m b a t in v o lv e s H a r r y P o tte r a fte r b e in g h it b y C r u c ia tu s a n d Im p e r iu s c u r s e s o f
L o r d V o ld e m o r t, s to p p in g h is A v a d a K e d a v r a c u r s e a n d e s c a p in g fr o m th e la tte r
in a tig h t m o m e n t w h ile h e r e a lly h a d n o p la c e to g o .

A fu n n y in c id e n t I r e c o lle c t is fr o m ‘H a r r y P o tte r a n d th e P h ilo s o p h e r ’s

S to n e ’ w h e r e in H a g r id m a k e s a p ig ’s c u r ly ta il c o m e o u t o f D u d le y D u r s le y ’s p a n t
fo r D u r s le y s b e in g r u d e to h im . ‘H a r r y P o tte r a n d th e C h a m b e r o f S e c r e ts ’ p o r tr a y
th e d e a th d a y p a r ty o f a g h o s t, N e a r ly H e a d le s s N ic k , w ith p ile s o f r o tte n fo o d to
b e e a te n b y g h o s ts a tte n d in g fr o m a ll o v e r th e w iz a r d in g E n g la n d . A n in te r e s tin g
in c id e n t fro m ‘H a r r y P o tte r a n d th e P r is o n e r o f A z k a b a n ’ c o n c e rn s th e
u n fr ie n d lin e s s o f R o n a n d H e r m io n e . R o n a c c u s e s H e r m io n e ’s c a t o f k illin g h is
p e t r a t c a lle d S c a b b e r s . H e r m io n e s a y s s o r r y a n d b o th m a k e u p th e ir d iffe r e n c e s .
T h e in c id e n t o f H a g r id m e e tin g H a r r y P o tte r o n a r o c k w a y o u t o n s e a in ‘H a r r y
P o tte r a n d th e P h ilo s o p h e r ’s S to n e ’ a ls o m a k e s in te r e s tin g r e a d in g .

T h e in c id e n t th a t to u c h e d m e m o s t in th e e x tra v a g a n z a o f th e fo u r
v o lu m e s o f m o r e th a n 1 3 0 0 p a g e s o f J .K .R o w lin g is fr o m ‘H a r r y P o tte r a n d th e
P r is o n e r o f A z k a b a n ’ c o n c e r n s th e m e e tin g o f S ir iu s B la c k a n d H a rry P o tte r
w h e r e in th e la tte r le a r n s th a t S ir iu s B la c k w a s r e a lly h is g o d fa th e r a n d h a d
n o th in g to d o w ith th e d e a th o f H a r r y ’s p a r e n ts , J a m e s a n d L ily P o tte r . H e fo u n d
o u t in th e m e e tin g th a t it w a s h is p a r e n ts ’ a n o th e r fr ie n d , P e te r P e ttig r e w , w h o
w a s r e s p o n s ib le fo r th e tr a g e d y . B o th o f th e m m e e t P e te r P e ttig r e w a n d fin d o u t
th e tr u th a b o u t w h a t h a p p e n e d in th e fa te fu l n ig h t. It is r e a lly a to u c h in g e v e n t in
th e life o f H a r r y P o tte r .
 I h o p e th a t J .K .R o w lin g w ill c o n tin u e to w r ite m a n y m o r e b o o k s lik e H a r r y
P o tte r a n d c o n tin u e to e n th r a ll c h ild r e n a ll o v e r th e w o r ld b y h e r im a g in a tiv e a n d
c o lo u r fu l s to r ie s . It is in te r e s tin g to k n o w th a t J .K .R o w lin g is p r e s e n tly w o r k in g o n
th r e e m o r e b o o k s o n th e H a r r y P o tte r s e r ie s , a n d c h ild r e n fr o m a ll o v e r th e w o r ld
a r e e a g e r ly w a itin g fo r th e m . I h o p e th a t th e b o o k s w ill b e a s in te r e s tin g a s th e
fir s t fo u r o f th e s e r ie s .

THUNDERPOINT

“ T h u n d e r p o in t” is a fic tio n a u th o re d b y J a c k H ig g in s . It is a n in te r e s tin g

w o r k o n a fic tio n a l c h a r a c te r c a lle d S e a n D illo n , a fo r m e r IR A s o ld ie r c a u g h t b y
Y u g o s la v ia n s b u t b a ile d o u t b y C h a r le s F e rg u s o n , th e le a d e r o f G r o u p 4 o f
B r ita in , a n in s titu tio n th a t in v e s tig a te s te r r o r is ts . H e is fa c e d w ith tw o o p tio n s fo r
h is r e le a s e . O n e o f th e m is to d ie a t th e h a n d s o f th e Y u g o s la v ia n s a n d th e
s e c o n d is to jo in C h a r le s F e r g u s o n . H e c h o o s e s th e s e c o n d o p tio n . F e r g u s o n
w a s w o r k in g o n a c a s e o f u tm o s t im p o r ta n c e . H e c h o o s e s S e a n D illo n to
u n d e r ta k e it.

M a r tin B o r m a n n , th e R e ic h s le ite r o f G e r m a n y u n d e r A d o lp h H itle r is s a id

to h a v e e s c a p e d in a s u b m a r in e c a r r y in g s o m e p a p e r s o f u tm o s t im p o r ta n c e in a
b r ie fc a s e , w h ic h if r e v e a le d w o u ld d e s tr o y th e c a r e e r s o f m a n y C a b in e t M in is te r s
o f E n g la n d . O n e o f th e M in is te r s , P a m e r , a s k s th e h e lp o f o n e o f h is fr ie n d s ,
S a n tia g o , to g e t th e b r ie fc a s e to h im to s a fe g u a r d h is p e r s o n a l in te r e s ts . T h e fig h t
e n s u e d b e tw e e n S e a n D illo n a n d S a n tia g o fo r th e b r ie fc a s e e n d s w ith th e
b r ie fc a s e c o m in g to th e p o s s e s s io n o f S e a n D illo n a n d th e p a p e r s th e r e in r e v e a ls
th e in v o lv e m e n t o f M r P a lm e r in a n t i -n a t i o n a l a c t i v i t i e s . S e a n D illo n k ills b o th
S a n tia g o a n d P a m e r in th e p r o c e s s a n d th e b r ie fc a s e r e a c h e s th e P r im e M in is te r .
T h e P r im e M in is te r fin d s h is o w n u n c le ’s n a m e a ls o fig u r in g in th e s e c r e t p a p e r s
a n d g e ts th e s e c re t p a p e rs d e s tro y e d o n th e p le a th a t w r o n g s c o m m itte d b y
p a r e n ts s h o u ld n o t tr a n s fe r to s o n s .
 T h e fic tio n s h e d s lig h t o n c o r r u p tio n a t h ig h e s t p o litic a l le v e ls in c o n tr a s t to
th e c o m m itm e n t o f th e p r o fe s s io n a ls d o w n th e lin e to s a fe g u a r d th e in te r e s ts o f
th e c o u n try .

CLOSING TIME

“ C l o s i n g T i m e ” i s a n i n t e r e s t i n g f i c t i o n a u t h o r e d b y w o r l d -r e n o w n e d w r i t e r ,
J o s e p h H e l l e r o f “ C a t c h -2 2 ” f a m e . I t i s a s t o r y o f a m a n c a l l e d a s J o h n Y o s s a r i a n ,
a n o ld m a n a lw a y s s u s p e c tin g th a t h e is u n d e r s u r v e illa n c e . H e h a s g o t a fr ie n d
c a lle d a s C h a p la in A lb e r t T . T a p p m a n , a c h a p la in w h o h a d s e r v e d in th e W o r ld
W a r II, w h o is b io lo g ic a lly p r o d u c in g h e a v y w a te r , w h ic h in tu r n w a s p r o d u c in g
th e g a s , T r itiu m . T h e y h a v e to s e e w h a t e ls e is c o m in g o u t o f T a p p m a n . If it is
P lu to n iu m , it w a s v e r y b a d . If L ith iu m c o m e s o u t o f h im , it c o u ld b e c a ta s tr o p h ic
a s it m a y c a u s e th e e n d o f life o n E a r th a s L ith iu m D e u te r id e is u s e d to m a k e th e
le g e n d a r y H -B o m b . T h i s w o u ld in d e e d b e a b ig b lo w fo r th e d u b io u s M & M
E n te r p r is e s w h o a r e tr y in g to p a te n t h im a n d s p e n d in g a lo t o f m o n e y to g e t it
d o n e . T h e n o f c o u r s e , is th e P r e s id e n t o f th e U n ite d S ta te s o f A m e r ic a w h o h a s a
tu to r c a lle d a s N o o d le s C o o k a n d w h o lo v e s to p la y v id e o g a m e s . O n e d a y , h e
p r e s s e s th e b u tto n n e a r h is d e s k s e v e r a l tim e s , w h ic h is p o p u la r ly c a lle d in th e
U n ite d S ta te s o f A m e r ic a a s th e F o o tb a ll. It la u n c h e s a ll th e B a llis tic m is s ile s a n d
b o m b e r s a n d fig h te r p la n e s in to th e a ir to w a r d s th e S o v ie t U n io n . H e d o e s s o
w ith o u t k n o w in g w h a t it is s u p p o s e d to d o . Y o s s a r ia n a n d a ll h is fr ie n d s g o
u n d e r g r o u n d to e s c a p e th e o n s la u g h t o f th e R u s s ia n s .