(#) am12 2009-06-24
minor typo: "he was scene" -- should be "seen"
The conversation w/Neville was great improved upon by adding the section of Nev telling Harry of the prophecy.
I also think the scene with Hagrid provided some interesting possibilities... if Hagrid were to give Harry the photo album that might also go some way toward connecting Harry to this group.
The overriding question that governs those two paragraphs is where are you going with Harry? Is this _just_ going to be a rollicking adventure where Harry kicks butt, and remains basically a foreign detached martial arts magic user? Or is Harry going to go through some introspection and want to find out about his past, his culture, and consider if his current life is really what he _wants_ or just be a robot that does what he is told? To sum up: will Harry "grow" - that is the interesting question.
thanks for sharing
...art
Author's response
- A general state of illiteracy is part of my charm as a writer...
- Without the prophecy, it's not really a Harry Potter story, at least to my mind. The only question was who was going to tell him. I saw Neville as the best choice, but even as fixated as he was on Harry, Dumbledore would have at least tried to prep his emergency backup Boy Who Lived.
- I'm not sure if Hagrid will ever be able to approach Harry... Though it might be a fun scene.
- As to the future, Harry knows who he is and what he is going to do. He is at Hogwarts as part of a job. He isn't interested in connecting with his past or his birth parent's culture, he has a culture and sees no need to add to it.
- Yes, the life of an assassin is the life he wants, it was the goal he set for himself the first time he understood what his 'father' and 'brother' did for a living.
- I think perhaps it was expressed best in chapter 4
“As arrogant as your father Potter.” Snape spat.
“Not yet, but I hope to be, though it really isn’t arrogance if you can actually do it, and my father can do pretty much anything.”
“James Potter is dead.” Snape all but screamed.
“Yes he is,” Harry agreed, “but we are talking about my father.”