Howl’s Moving Castle

Sophie returns to the castle to find that Howl, Michael, and Calcifer already know about Mrs. Pentstemmon’s death and Howl’s appointment as Royal Magician. Howl resolves to attend his old tutor’s funeral regardless of it probably being a trap set by the Witch of the Waste.

The next morning, Howl explains that the Witch knows about all the castle’s entrances except the Porthaven one. He leaves mysteriously to visit Wales and then returns soaking wet and with a cold. Sophie criticizes him for obviously going to visit Miss Angorian when Lettie must be wondering why he hasn’t visited her. Howl, Michael, and Calcifer plan how to move the castle’s locations, but Howl’s cold gets worse, and he puts himself on bedrest. He calls for Michael continuously to bring him books, medicines, and other things he needs for the castle-moving spell. Though people keep knocking at the castle’s doors, everyone ignores them.

Meanwhile, Sophie is feeling cross with Howl and mends his other suit so he can stop wearing the one she accidentally put an attraction spell on. She finds that her mending is making the suit smaller, but Michael promises to have an enlargement spell ready for her when she’s finished.

The next day, while Howl is resting in bed, an insistent thumping on the door causes Sophie and Calcifer to finally give in and open it. A shape-shifting dog-man comes in. It is Lettie’s other lover, sent by her in search of the witch rumored to work with Howl who may be able to take the curse off of him.

Sophie checks on Howl upstairs. He laments about the Witch’s curse, how three symbols—mermaids, mandrake root, and wind “to advance an honest mind” (280)—have three weeks left to appear. Sophie is fed up with Howl’s vanity and need for attention. She demands to know why Howl continually breaks up with women after he’s made them fall in love with him. Howl responds that “’I brought it on myself by making a bargain some years ago, and I know I shall never be able to love anyone properly now’” (281). Sophie notices that the window in Howl’s bedroom looks out onto Megan’s backyard in Wales. Howl and Sophie bicker about Sophie’s snooping. 

Michael returns from an errand to Market Chipping with the news that the building of a former hat shop is for sale, and they can move one of the castle’s entrances there. Howl agrees, suggesting the Porthaven entrance, as that is “where Calcifer actually is” (285). Sophie is saddened to realize Fanny sold the family business but mentions it to no one. The dog is accepted by everyone; over the next few days, he is gradually incorporated into the household. Though Howl is still unwell, he and Michael make preparations for moving the castle. Howl asks Sophie what preference she has for one of the entrances; she responds “I’d like a nice house with lots of flowers” (287). Howl briefly leaves in the disguise cloak to purchase the hat shop.

In preparation for Mrs. Pentstemmon’s funeral, Howl asks Sophie to clean the suit with the attraction charm on it. When alone, Sophie cuts it up, finishes mending the other suit, then she and Michael use his enlargement spell on it to make it Howl’s size.

At breakfast, Howl comes downstairs in a suit a mile long, the spell having gone awry. Howl blames Sophie, takes the scraps of his other suit, and retreats into the bathroom for several hours. He comes out fully in black, refusing to tell Sophie which suit he has mended. He then turns into a dog, which will be his disguise for the day. When Sophie questions him as to why he is bothering to wear black at all if he’s going to be a dog, Howl says it is out of respect for Mrs. Pentstemmon. 

Several hours after Howl leaves for the funeral, his voice resounds in the castle: “’Brace yourself, Calcifer! She’s found me!’” (300). Calcifer immediately blurs into dozens of faces and flares his flames, engaged in lending Howl his magical strength as Howl fights the Witch of the Waste. The castle rocks, large blasts sound, and Sophie and Michael wear two disguise cloaks and enter Porthaven. Lettie’s dog-man follows them. Once outside, they see Howl and the Witch fighting on black, tumultuous clouds in the sky. Porthaven’s townspeople are outside watching as well. The fight moves over the harbor. Sophie notices mermaids collected near the harbor wall, a sign of Howl’s curse. Howl and the Witch use illusions to distract and battle each other.

Sophie, Michael, and the Porthaven townspeople flee out of the town into the marsh. Finally, sounds of fighting disappear. Sophie and Michael return to the castle’s Porthaven door with the dog-man; at the door is Howl disguised as a small kitten. They all enter and Howl immediately goes to Calcifer’s side, where they can regain strength together. Howl explains that he doesn’t know who won, but that the Witch has had her fire demon for a century and relies mostly on its strength in a battle. With their Porthaven location exposed, Howl officially decides that Calcifer must be moved to the hat shop.