If one were to compare the overall conflict against Voldemort within the books to a trick archery shot, the components become clear. Voldemort is the target, Dumbledore the archer, Hogwarts the bow, and the Golden Trio are the arrow. For an arrow to fly true, it requires a weighted arrowhead to keep momentum, fletching to cause just enough drag to keep it on track, and a shaft to separate the two and lengthen the moment arm so they don't destabilize it by their own contrary natures. Hermione is then the obvious head, Ron the drag, and Harry gets the shaft. Of the three, I'd call Hermione most heroish, really.
Given that the arrow did strike bullseye after passing through various turbulence and obstacles, an archer making the shot could be called a hero, probably even more since he dropped dead while it was still in flight, but since the arrow was, in fact, human beings rather than scraps of wood and metal, he is a monster, and no less so than Voldemort who also twisted and seduced others into his service. Possibly more so since Voldemort did so with at least some form of consent on their parts, but that is offset by the general torture and murder perpetrated by Tom and his minions.
As for the Trio... who cheers for the arrow? Who mourns if it breaks on impact, so long as the strike was true? Harry was the viewpoint character, so we as the readers are coerced in a way into caring, but since I can't condone cheering the archer, nor the target, and least of all the crowd who stood by and watched, it should be no surprise that it requires major enough changes to the events that the last two or three books are invalidated and the above paradigm with them for me to enjoy an HP story.
- CD, Yeah, I know, it's been chewed over already, but it just kind of came together in the archery metaphor this afternoon and I wanted to share it
ETA: The above also explains why I feel the RW/HG couple would go nowhere, now that I think about it.
ETA2: You could even make an argument for Snape as the bowstring, pulled taught between two opposing points and used to drive the arrow forward by the power of that tension.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
Given that the arrow did strike bullseye after passing through various turbulence and obstacles, an archer making the shot could be called a hero, probably even more since he dropped dead while it was still in flight, but since the arrow was, in fact, human beings rather than scraps of wood and metal, he is a monster, and no less so than Voldemort who also twisted and seduced others into his service. Possibly more so since Voldemort did so with at least some form of consent on their parts, but that is offset by the general torture and murder perpetrated by Tom and his minions.
As for the Trio... who cheers for the arrow? Who mourns if it breaks on impact, so long as the strike was true? Harry was the viewpoint character, so we as the readers are coerced in a way into caring, but since I can't condone cheering the archer, nor the target, and least of all the crowd who stood by and watched, it should be no surprise that it requires major enough changes to the events that the last two or three books are invalidated and the above paradigm with them for me to enjoy an HP story.
- CD, Yeah, I know, it's been chewed over already, but it just kind of came together in the archery metaphor this afternoon and I wanted to share it
ETA: The above also explains why I feel the RW/HG couple would go nowhere, now that I think about it.
ETA2: You could even make an argument for Snape as the bowstring, pulled taught between two opposing points and used to drive the arrow forward by the power of that tension.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows