Wrapping up the album is a trio of tunes ranging from the fairly straightforward "The Sacking Of Trelawney to the tentative slow burn build up of "Flight Of The Order Of The Phoenix" which begins with downplayed symphonics and slowly gains momentum thanks to a rippling cadence of drums, whirlwind strings, and emphatic horns. The piece also grows and builds with a succinct sense of kinetic energy that seems to capture the notion of magic in a musical context. For "The Ministry Of Magic," Hooper delivers a devilishly wicked little ditty that would be right at home in a Broadway production of Harry's exploits: the images of prancing magicians up to no good come readily to mind while listening to this particular section of the soundtrack. It again plays into the more traditional trappings of film score. The title of "Darkness Takes Over" pretty much sums it all up for this track, which is nothing short of a menacing swell steeped in serious undertones. The dark fairy tale elements come back into play toward the tail end of the piece thanks to tinkling bells and assorted melodic percussion. Harp and flute ripple through "Umbridge Spoils A Beautiful Morning" which manages to be both playful and devious at the same time. It's back to the quietly menacing motifs on "The Death Of Sirius," which again showcases Hooper's excellent use of space to create a sense of unease and dread. Or "The Sirius Deception," which brings the tumultuous percussion right into the fore from the get-go before lapsing into string driven surges of energy. Naturally, this is all buffered with ever-so-brief flights into more standard Hollywood compositional structures such as on "A Journey To Hogwarts," which sounds akin to the earlier work of Williams. By the time the album has reached the halfway mark with "The Kiss," Hooper has more or less played his hand, revealing that he is more in tune with downplayed texturing, unrelenting use of space, and disconcerting elements of quietude. Clashing strings and voices make up the nucleus of "Possession," while "The Room Of Requirements" goes for a dark fairy tale feel, awash in tinkling menace and drifting voices that seem to mimic the sound of wonder and the unknown. This is slightly shattered with the advent of whirring strings and rumbling kettle drums near the end of the movement, however. In many ways it's almost as if Hooper were a disciple of vintage Brian Eno, going for a drifting sense of detachment through the use of tones. With "The Hall Of Prophecies" Hooper continues to mirror the dark side via reined in elements of menacing nuance, preferring to go for the less is more approach by working bits of elongated notes into open, empty space to create a pseudo vacuum of not-quite white noize. It's at stark contrast to the title, not sounding militaristic in the least. Meanwhile "Dumbledore's Army," begins with quiet restraint and slowly builds up into an effervescent boost of positivity comprised of intermingling strings and woodwinds.
Drifting, ominous space rules "Dementors In The Underpass," which utilizes haunting male and female choruses to create a densely dark atmosphere of foreboding awe. "Another Story" goes for a more traditional sound, but this might be because it actually incorporates elements of Williams' original Harry Potter theme, building upon it with acoustic ambient textures that eventually bleed into subdued symphonics. The entire feel is one that conveys the sense of a mischievous flight of fancy. The very next track, "Professor Umbridge," is delivered in a light-heartedly playful manner, relying on swooning interplay between the strings and bell derived percussion. This is immediately evidenced on "Fireworks," which begins with a playful Aaron Copelandesque feel before blitzing off into screaming rock guitar theatrics. Hooper's music revels in upbeat symphonic jubilation, keeping in tune with the scores composed by his two predecessors, while branching out with his own signature sound.
This time around relative newcomer Nicholas Hooper has gotten the nod (he's actually onboard for the next film, as well), making the shift from largely scoring for television into summer blockbuster territory. Following on the heels of the venerable John Williams, who scored the first three films and Patrick Doyle, who composed the music for the last episode. A new composer has been anointed for the fifth installment of the Harry Potter film franchise.
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