There's Something Special About Harry...

[Ebony Elizabeth Thomas]

No: HPFGUIDX 11421

>From SS, Ch. 1 (p. 11 PB)--

"The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around.  You know 
what everyone's saying?  About why (Voldemort)'s disappeared?  About what 
finally stopped him?"
--McGonagall

If there's nothing special about Harry, why is the opening chapter of the 
series called "The Boy Who Lived"?  Just a creative hook?  Simply conveying 
obvious information?  Or... is there truth in advertising?

At this point, Dumbledore knows that the Potters are dead.  When answering 
Minerva, he doesn't comment on a mother's love or the power of ancient magic 
from the dawn of time.  He says...

"We can guess.  We may never know."

While his response may shoot holes into the Prophecy and Heir-of-Gryffindor 
arguments, it doesn't count as a point for the 
"Harry-as-ordinary-boy-caught-in-extraordinary-circumstances" camp, either.  
Quite the contrary.

This afternoon, I had a long talk with a parent who was introduced to Harry 
Potter this month via her son's reading SS for my class.  She's a chemist 
and is now converting her co-workers to HP mania.  Do you know what she 
talked on and on about?  Not Ron.  Not Hagrid.  Not Snape... I tried to 
engage her with the same thoughts from the thread I'm finding so 
interesting.

"There's something about Harry..." was her theme for 15 minutes.  Prompted 
by one question from me:  "How did you and your son like the book?"

My thoughts?  If JKR's point at the end is that ordinary people do 
extraordinary things in extraordinary circumstances, I buy it.

However, isn't the tale of an extraordinary kid who does ordinary things 
just as worthwhile?  *Especially* in the fantasy genre?

I'd say that Harry Potter falls into the second category.

--Ebony

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Ebony AKA AngieJ
(H/H Special Agent, First Class)

"'We start by recruiting members,' said Hermione happily.  'I thought two 
Sickles to join--that buys a badge--and the proceeds can fund our leaflet 
campaign.  You're treasurer, Ron--I've got you a collecting tin 
upstairs--and Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down 
everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting.'

"There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at the pair of them, and Harry 
sat, torn between exasperation at Hermione and amusement at the look on 
Ron's face."

--from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, p. 225, 1st Amer. ed.

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