[HPforGrownups] The Rise and Fall of LV...(was Re: Wizarding Top Ten

[Rick H. Kennerly]

No: HPFGUIDX 187949

potioncat wrote:
>  
>
>
> I had an ulterior motive for the "Top Ten" question and I have to 
> admit, the answers took an interesting turn. I'd like to comment on 
> that later. Right now I'd like to try a different approach.
>





I'll bite. 

First of all, there is no evidence Professor Binns would have got up to 
19th century, much less modern history.  In fact, once he'd set his 
curriculum before he died, there isn't any evidence he COULD add new 
material.  He just kept giving the same lecture series over and over and 
over--as he'd done while alive.   That said, however, one generation is 
not enough to write the whole history of what happened (you only have to 
compare the Wizard of Oz to story the that emerges in Wicked to know 
there were two sides of the story.)  There is still considerable debate 
about certain aspects of WWII and clearly broad differences concerning 
the history of our involvement in the Vietnam war. 

Certainly McGonagall, Flintwick, Trewlawny, et. al., being academics, 
deserve great credit for heroic actions and holding the fort until the 
alumni calvary arrived.  As do the main student characters, the student 
body that stayed, and Dumbledore.  The truth about Snape will remain 
ambiguous and subject to interpretation because Harry just didn't make 
the time to write down what he was saw and only passed down an oral 
history.  The pensieve will be sold when Hogwarts is closed by the EPA 
because of all the unhealthy candle and cauldron fumes and end up on 
Trelawney's great granddaughter's dinner table holding wax fruit, until 
it is broken during her eviction. 

But if it's written well, the REAL history will be made up of lots of 
little vignettes told by insignificant actors and stitched together like 
a quilt--I'm a fan of Howard Zinn-style history and don't care for the 
Great Man interpretations.  Then the JKR canon stands as a pretty fair 
telling of events and will be even more so when (and if) the Scottish 
Book is published.  There are many gaps in the final battle that need to 
be filled in, though.  Moonie and Tonks are dead, but there's no clue 
how they died on the steps of Hogwarts.  I'd like to imagine that Lupin 
sacrificed himself by taking a hit meant for Tonks, that Tonks took out 
the DE that killed Lupin and was then mercifully back shot by another 
DE--but that's just the romantic in me.  Of course, in all the confusion 
of combat, the fortunes of war dictate that Lupin and Tonks would have 
more than likely have been hit--unheroicly--by a deflected or ducked 
curse and were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I hope the 
first story makes it into the history. 

It will be the generation after Albus Severus's or his children where 
the historical mischief will happen.  I imagine that the well-heeled, 
"pure blooded" aristocracy of the wizarding world, such as the Malfoys, 
will become the equal of modern day Holocaust deniers or those who 
believed we could have won Vietnam at Tet. There will be a lot of 
rewriting of events, erasing of details, and blurring of lines.  The 
Ministry of Magic will, being the kind of beast it is, write the 
official history to show itself--it's misteps and shortfallings--in the 
best possible, all knowing light. 

Of course, I worry about Harry--peaking early in life, nothing will 
compare to the vitality and engagement of high school, war and fame 
rolled into life before his 18th year.  How can the rest of life be 
anything less than disappointing?  I saw this a lot with my Vietnam 
cohort--we'll be seeing it with our Iraqi veterans and my Dad's WWII 
generation.  There is no curse in life greater than peaking early.  I 
remember early in my career an accountant--former medevac helicopter 
pilot in VN with some 1500 missions and who had to walk home several 
times when his bird was shot out from under him--who was let go because 
he just didn't seem thrilled with business and the start-up world.  
After having lived that, who would be thrilled with turning a galleon?  
What was that Churchill said?  There's nothing quite as exhilarating as 
being shot at and missed?  Something like that.  Mr. Weasley will finish 
out a better, more rewarding, and more interesting career unjinxing 
toilets than Potter as an Auror after LV's downfall. 

I imagine Harry dying a divorced, dissolute drunk at the Veteran of 
Wizards War hall. Ginny understanding his predicament but hanging on too 
long ends up a lonely broken single mom.  And AS, succumbing to the 
pressure of growing up in his father's shadow, will waste his life 
free-basing Kneasel droppings.  Hg?  That's just too sad to even think 
about.  She eventually gives up wizarding, goes to college to get a 
proper education, and becomes a dentist like her parents, writing 
childrens books on the side.  Ron joins her and, making use of his 
drivers license, becomes a long haul trucker hauling fruit out of 
California and hauling migrant elves into the country to displace the 
too expensive native born slave elves.  He works, of course, for a gang 
of goblin.

Peeves.

-- 

Rick Kennerly
Virginia Beach, VA
www.mouseherder.com 
<http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1213141578&ref=name>



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