Heralds of a New Story

Following in my series on archetypes as started with Threshold Guardians and the Forbidden Door and continued with Those Tricky Twins and That Peevish Peeves, let's look at a storyline archetype that is usually a sign that change is near.

Heralds, quite literally, are messengers.  In a story, they usually bring news about impending change, challenges to overcome, and calls the heroine to adventure. As with most storyline archetypes, the character of the Herald can be presented positively or negatively, an ally of the heroine, or a tool of the antagonist. Or, the Herald role can be fulfilled by an inner call within the heroine and not take on the role of an outside person at all.

Although multiple Heralds can, and do, occur throughout the Harry Potter series, we’ll look at the first Herald in each book who brings the news of the initial challenge, or call to adventure, for that year.

1. PS/SS--Hagrid serves in the first role of Herald, breaking down the door to bring Harry his letter from Hogwarts. He informs Harry that he is a wizard and is also the one who first tells Harry about Voldemort.
2. CoS--Dobby arrives in Harry's home at the worst possible time, and in a rather odd manner foretells the doom which awaits Harry if he should return to Hogwarts
3. PoA--Aunt Marge in her rude abuse of Harry serves as a Herald by forcing him to consider all he does not know about his parents, his identity--the prime theme of the story, and pushing him out of the house
4. GoF--Mrs. Weasley, through her letter inviting Harry to the Quidditch World Cup, invites Harry to explore the Magical World more fully
5. OotP--The Dementors, then the letters from the MoM; The Dementors force Harry into the action which precipitates the flurry of letters and his call to the hearing; we also learn later that the Dementors were envoys of Umbridge.
6. HBP--Dumbledore, through his advance letter and then in person, Dumbledore arrives to take Harry to Slughorn and start him on his new quest to delve below the surface of important Slytherins, such as Slughorn, Voldemort, and even Snape.
7. DH—I think there are two sets of early heralds in this last book. Both Daily Prophet biographies regarding Dumbledore serve to alert (and alarm) Harry to his need to reconsider his pedestaled opinion of Dumbledore. Then the arrival of the OotP guard, willing to risk their lives for him, call Harry to his need to accept the help of others in his quest to eliminate Voldemort.

Except for Aunt Marge, all these heralds have a recurring role throughout the series.  JKR does not give this role to a mere walk-on character.  Also, she uses a nice variety of heraldic devices -- letters, invitations, newspaper articles, magical manipulation (from Dobby), taunts, even the attempted sucking of souls.

Heralds don't have to always be someone arriving on your hero's doorstep with an invitation.  Be creative.  And if you do have the traditional herald with a message, at least make him fun and different -- like a giant arriving on an island with a magic pink umbrella and sausages in his pocket!

What heralds have you used lately?

Those Tricky Twins and That Peevish Peeves

Following in my series on archetypes as started with Threshold Guardians and the Forbidden Door, I would like to look at a storyline archetype that, in the write hands, can be one of the funnest to portray. Tricksters.

Tricksters are usually the center of fun, mischief, and mayhem in the story. They delight in upsetting the status quo or in “taking the mikey” out of other characters or the hero. They present the hero with a challenge unlike other characters as they question authority and promote chaos--encouraging the hero to question as well.

For tricksters in Harry Potter, we need look no further than Fred and George Weasley. They fit the Trickster description to a Wesley sweater embroidered T. Their spiritual counterpart is Peeves, which is why it was so delightful at the end of OotP, when Gred and Forge passed their mischievous torch to Peeves, and he seized it wholeheartedly.

Like many fans, I find Peeves and the twins’ antics totally amusing, and I fully understand why Dumbledore keeps Peeves about the place. In holding your reader's attention, it’s important to have someone kick things up a bit, to foster a constant element of surprise.

Without the Trickster upsetting the status quo, life would not only be duller, but the hero’s path more difficult. Tricksters provide aide for the Hero, if only indirectly. Not only can they poke the hero’s flaw (oh Potter you Rotter) quite painfully, but by showing clearly a different mindset, an opposing world view, an alternate way of being, they enable the hero to do the same. As Ginny says, when you’ve hung around Fred and George for a while, you start believing anything is possible.

JKR magnificently uses her Tricksters to not only upset the status quo, but to propel her hero onward in his quest. Without Fred and George, Harry would definitely not have discovered as many secrets about Hogwarts and his father. And without Peeves poking at his wounds, Harry might not have peered as deep into his own inner conflicts.

In what way have you used a Trickster archetype recently?

Peeves picture credit.

Threshold Guardians and the Forbidden Door

As writers, whether consciously or unconsciously, we employ the use of archetypes to transport our characters better into the reader's mind. In my understanding, there are two types of archetypes: those I like to call character archetypes which distinguish personalities (the nurturer, the librarian, the femme fatale, the bad boy), and another set I call storyline archetypes (the hero, the trickster, the shadow, the mentor, the threshold guardian) which defines that character's role in the story.

Each of these sets of archetypes deserve a post on their own, which I will do in the future. Today, however, I'd like to focus on one particular storyline archetype--the threshold guardian.

Threshold Guardians are placed at portals to new worlds or gateways to new challenges to keep the unworthy out. A Guardian may be a good-hearted ally of the hero, looking out for his best interest, or he may be an accomplice of the villain, seeking to harm or hinder the hero from completing his quest. Either way, as part of his quest, the hero will be tested by his ability to overcome or win over the many Threshold Guardians he will encounter along the way.

From the Portrait of the Pink Lady, to Dobby sealing the entry to Platform 9¾ in CoS, to the grindylows guarding the “treasures” in the lake during the Triwizard Tournament, Harry encounters numerous thresholds and their guardians throughout the series. However, I’d like to focus on one type of Gateway and Guardian to look at closer.

In his book The Writer's Journey, author Christopher Vogler talks about the Law of the Secret Door (p. 112-113) (also related to Carl Jung's "Forbidden Door"). Many myths include a set-up whereby the heroine is told she must never eat from a certain tree, never open a certain box, or never pass through a certain door, upon pain of death. Of course the myths I’m referring to are Eve in the Garden of Eden, Pandora with her box, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast. We all know what happens, what is sure to happen anytime this sort of situation presents itself in a story. If you have children, you probably have this happen quite regularly in your life as well.

The power of curiosity is universal. In the words of the immortal Dumbledore, "Curiosity is not a sin.... But we should exercise caution with our curiosity... yes, indeed" (p. 598, GoF). Whereas later in the series Harry more strongly develops his own driving need to set the world right by stopping Voldemort, in the first three books, curiosity is one of the prime motivators driving on Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

It seems to me there is a forbidden door in each book, and a guardian to go with it. This forbidden door leads directly to the Inmost Cave where the Ordeal (part of the Hero's Journey that we will discuss in another post) occurs:

1. PS/SS -- Forbidden Door: right hand side of the third floor corridor that they are forbidden from entering
   Guardian: Fluffy
   
   
2. CoS -- Forbidden Door: haunted girls’ restroom (with Percy forbidding Ron to go anywhere near it)
   Guardian: Moaning Myrtle
   
   
3. PoA -- Forbidden Door: The Shrieking Shack
   Guardian: Whomping Willow (and Crookshanks leads the way)
Beyond these first three books, the Secret Door and its Guardian gets a bit murkier, but they’re still there.
4. GoF -- Forbidden Door: Portal to the Graveyard
   Guardian: Pseudo Mad-Eye. This is an interesting one because not only is Pseudo Mad-Eye the portal’s Guardian, he’s also a shapeshifter in disguise. Talk about combining your archetypes!
   
   
   
5. OotP -- Forbidden Door: Harry’s mind holds the secret door in this book. His dreams show him clearly the secret door to the DoM, and his mind holds the “forbidden” and dangerous connection to Voldemort.
   Guardian: Snape, through Occlumency lessons, guards the door to Harry’s mind.
   
   
6. HBP -- Forbidden Door: Tom Riddle’s cave is symbolic of the secret door which was forbidden him as a youth and he has explored fully as an adult.
   Guardian: Voldemort has set many protections on his cave to protect his Horcrux, but it seems to me that the Inferi serve as the classic Threshold Guardians.
   
   
7. DH -- Forbidden Door: I would argue that the secret door in this last book is one that Harry, in the end, refuses to break into. It is the door into Dumbledore’s tomb to retrieve the Elder Wand. Voldemort violates this sacred space, stealing the wand, whereas Harry finally gets control over his fears and ambitions and follows Dumbledore’s wishes by focusing on the Horcruxes and leaving the Elder Wand to Voldemort.
   Guardian: Dumbledore would thus be the guardian of this last secret door.

Forbidden Doors are special thresholds and great tools for writers. They set up reader expectation for something powerful and dangerous to occur once that gateway is breached. They pull your readers in, engaging their own curiosity as they urge your heroine on through the secret door, then hold their breath as to what fate will befall her for her trespass. Make sure you have a powerful, interesting Guardian for such a special door.

Can you name some other Threshold Guardians from Harry Potter, both Secret or other? Have you worked with the Law of the Secret Door in any of your work?

Picture credit