J.K. Rowling’s hidden tribute in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’
The Harry Potter universe is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated movie franchises of the 21st century. The series has recently expanded into Wizarding World, creating a web of content that includes spin-off films, theatre performances and video games. Created by the British author J. K. Rowling, the book series quickly became an international sensation after the release of The Philosopher’s Stone in 1997.
Capturing the imaginations of both adults and children alike, the success of the book series sparked a subsequent set of movies that only worked to inflate the significance of the revolutionary novels. Creating a fervent excitement for fans of all ages, the movies became commercial and critical sensations, expanding the Harry Potter universe and making way for plenty more wizarding plot lines.
Though, truly, it is the books that stand the test of time, with the novels selling more than 400 million copies worldwide and being translated into more than 60 languages in the process. Inspiring young readers from all over the world, the lasting legacy of Rowling’s novels stands as an unprecedented call for children to pick up a book and dive into a world of unexplored literary riches.
One of the many readers of the books was Natalie McDonald of Toronto, a nine-year-old girl at the time of the release of the third novel, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. She was eager, like many others, to see how the story would unfold, but McDonald tragically had terminal leukaemia. She did not have time to discover the fate of Harry, Ron and Hermione in the fourth book’s release, Goblet of Fire, before her untimely passing.
A family friend of McDonald’s, Annie Kidder, sought to change this, going to the publisher of the Harry Potter book series to ask them to pass a personal letter to Rowling, asking for a preview of the new book for the young girl. The author obliged and gave the girl a preview of the novel, a year before the rest of the world would get to read it, detailing the fate of each of the main characters. Tragically, Natalie McDonald passed away before reading the message.
Wanting to memorialise her name, Rowling honoured Natalie’s memory and on page 159 (or 180, depending on the specific copy) of Goblet of Fire, wherein a young witch named Natalie McDonald is welcomed to Hogwarts and sorted into House Gryffindor. A truly touching tribute indeed.
Despite her contributions to literature and modern cinema, Rowling has recently attracted controversy due to her view on transgender rights. This, along with the quality of the recent Fantastic Beasts movies, has called into question whether J.K. Rowling should hand over the Harry Potter brand to a new pair of hands.
Take a look at the trailer for the movie The Goblet of Fire below.
