The epilogue again...

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 172828

I have to say that I tend to agree with those who disliked the 
epilogue. I had hoped, knowing that the last chapter was going 
along this line, that it might be something like a mini version  
of the Appendix B "The Tale of Years" in Tolkien's "Return of 
the King" where he gives a potted summary of what happens 
to the main characters after Frodo sails from the Havens.

Over the last year, to get away from the diet of everlasting 
threads about Snape and about Horcruxes, I've spent some 
time with fan fiction. Some is awful beyond belief but there 
is some very good stuff out there. I have read one with a Battle 
of Hogwarts very like the one in DH. However, another one I 
read imagined an ending of the intense rivalry between Harry 
and Draco. After a good story, it went to an epilogue where we 
saw their two families at intervals over about fifteen years and 
the friendly rivalry at Hogwarts. It was just as sappy and 
unconvincing as JKR's own home-grown version.

I wrote  a few months ago that I am not a Ginny fan. I didn't 
really want to see Harry end up with her because I feel she 
has the potential to become like Molly who has Arthur under 
her thumb; mark you, I think Harry has probably more ability 
to stand up to this.

On the question of ages, I did write again recently that many 
young people don't get married until their late twenties. It 
does give them a bit of time to enjoy some freedom before 
the responsibilities of marriage and family and work gradually 
squeeze the boundaries of choice. Looking at our epilogue, 
Harry is 36, approaching 37. Albus is 11, Lily is 9 so I presume 
James is maybe 13. This would suggest that they had been 
married about 14 years – Harry would have been 22 approaching 
23. So he would have had 5 years or so of freedom.

I know it sounds silly but I would have liked to see Harry as a 
mysterious, deep bachelor, a magnet to all the girls but who 
keeps himself as a free spirit, someone I could envy as having 
the charisma which I ain't got. :-(

I suppose there is wiggle room for people to imagine what 
Harry and the others had been up to in the intervening years: 
teaching at Hogwarts or with adults, maybe  an Auror, maybe 
some Quidditch. And there is also room to speculate beyond 
2017
. So the fan fiction mill could provide something.

Perhaps JKR may pick up on the disappointment which has been 
expressed about the epilogue and might even re-draft it. it is only 
the last chapter after all. Tolkien rewrote part of "The Hobbit" and 
Conan Doyle got back into Sherlock Holmes. For the moment, let 
us hope for the suggested encyclopaedia: that could provide a lot 
of talking points.