1. The Hero Cycle The Stages of the Hero’s Journey

2. Departure (or Separation) 1.The Call to Adventure 2.Refusal to the Call 3.Supernatural Aid/The Meeting with the Mentor 4.The Crossing of the First Threshold 5.The Belly of the Whale

3. Departure (or Separation) The call to adventure

4. a. The Call to Adventure In the Harry Potter series, Harry, the hero, is an orphan who lives under the stairs in his aunt and uncle’s home. The heralds are the messenger owls from Hogwart’s and Hagrid. 1. Departure (or Separation)

5. Refusal of the Call The hero initially refuses the call to adventure. When this happens, the hero suffers somehow, and eventually chooses the quest.

6. b. Refusal of the Call In Harry Potter, Harry is unable to even read the invitation from Hogwart’s. His increasing frustration with his family cause him to lose control and cast a spell on his cousin Dudley, leading to further punishment. 1. Departure (or Separation)

7. Supernatural Aid/The Meeting with the Mentor The hero often encounters a mentor who gives both psychological and physical weapons (usually a wise old man).

8. c. Supernatural Aid/The Meeting with the Mentor Professor Dumbledore is Harry’s role model and mentor as the headmaster of Hogwart’s and the only wizard Voldemort was known to fear. 1. Departure (or Separation)

9. Crossing of the Threshold The hero takes responsibility for/ownership over the journey

10. The “Belly of a Whale” –OR- THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL The hero eventually must cross into a dark underworld, where he will face evil and darkness, and thereby find true enlightenment. The ‘belly of a whale’ may be an ambiguous place of dark dream-like forms.

11. e. The Belly of the Whale Harry Potter is increasingly plagued by his connection to Voldemort until he learns how to use it to his advantage. Departure (or Separation)

12. Initiation 1.The Road of Trials 2.The Meeting with the Goddess 3.Women as Temptress, or Temptation From the True Path 4.Atonement with the Father 5.Apotheosis 6.The Ultimate Boon

13. The Road of Trials Once in the other world, the hero is repeatedly challenged with mental and physical obstacles that must be overcome.

14. a. The Road of Trials In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry is cast into the Triwizard Tournament and emerges ready to fight true evil. 2. Initiation

15. The Meeting with a Goddess or divine- like being After completing the Road of Trials, the hero often encounters a goddess-like woman

16. Temptress or Temptation from the True Path In some hero’s quests the hero will encounter the goddess, but before he can unite with her, he must prove his worthiness by overcoming the temptation of the Woman as Temptress.

17. b. The Meeting with the Goddess Ginny Weasley is just a girl when she first meets Harry, but her loyalty and unwavering support make her the backer of a hero. 2. Initiation

18. c. Woman as Temptress, or Temptation From the True Path Harry is initially distracted by his attraction to Cho and her relationship with Cedric. It is only after he sees Ginny in another relationship that he realizes his true feelings for her, and upon winning the Quidditch match for Gryffindor sweeps her off her feet. 2. Initiation

19. Harry is also tempted in every book by the corrupt power Voldemort has to offer through his various traps and horcruxes.

20. Atonement with the Father The hero may encounter a father-like figure of patriarchal authority. “Father” and “son” are often pitted against each other for mastery of the universe.

21. d. Atonement with the Father In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius Black escapes from prison seeking to kill the last of the Potters. In actuality, Sirius was framed for the betrayal of Harry’s parents and as Harry’s godfather, becomes his new role model (and guardian in name only). In Harry Potter in the Order of the Phoenix, Harry is pitted against Dumbledore when he seemingly ignores Harry entirely. After Dumbledore’s death, Harry finally sees all Dumbledore planned. 2. Initiation

22. Apotheosis (Deification) The Hero’s idea of reality is changed; he may find himself able to do new things or able to see a larger point of view, Allowing him to sacrifice himself.

23. e. Apotheosis In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Harry discovers that Voldemort accidently made Harry a horcrux when he killed Harry’s parents. Harry allows Voldemort to kill him to make Voldemort mortal, the only chance that someone else might kill him. 2. Initiation

24. The Ultimate Boon Having reconciled with the father and achieved personal enlightenment, the hero’s psychological forces are again balanced. His new found knowledge, or boon, also has potential to benefit society.

25. f. The Ultimate Boon Harry’s death made Voldemort vulnerable. 2. Initiation

26. Return 1. Refusal of the Return 2. The Magic Flight 3. Rescue from Without 4. The crossing of the Return Threshold 5. Master of Two Worlds 6. Freedom to Live

27. Refusal of the return Having reconciled bliss and enlightenment in the underworld, the hero may not want to return with the boon.

28. a. Refusal of the Return Harry must decide whether to pass on, possibly remaining with Dumbledore, or to return to the living and help fight Voldemort’s army. 3. Return

29. The Magic Flight A mad dash is made by the hero to return with the prize.

30. b. The Magic Flight Harry returns from the dead but feigns his death to allow Voldemort to bring him back to Hogwart’s. 3. Return

31. Rescue/Help from Others The hero may need to be rescued or helped by someone else.

32. c. Rescue from Without Draco Malfoy’s mother does not reveal Harry’s death to Voldemort because Harry indicates that Draco is alive and well, thus allowing Harry’s ruse to reunite him with his friends at Hogwart’s. 3. Return

33. The Crossing of the Threshold Before the hero can return to the real world, he must confront another threshold guardian. The first threshold was a symbolic death; this is now a symbolic rebirth.

34. d. The Crossing of the Return Threshold Harry has his final battle with Voldemort himself, revealing why good will overcome evil in the process. 3. Return

35. Master of Two Worlds Once the final threshold is crossed, the hero is now free to move back and forth between the two worlds at will. He has mastered the conflicting psychological forces of the mind.

36. e. Master of Two Worlds Although Harry knows and understands the Unforgiveable Curses and understands the motivations of Voldemort all too well, he has conquered them and no longer fears “turning evil” himself. 3. Return

37. Freedom to Live With the journey now complete, the hero has found true freedom, and can turn his efforts to helping or teaching humanity.

38. f. Freedom to Live Harry Potter is a free contributor to a wizarding world that is safe from the discovery of muggles and the threat of evil wizards like Voldemort and his Deatheaters. 3. Return