Recently someone asked me whats so special about Harry?
Others have also wondered out loud. Time and time again through the 7 books that have created history...a lot of my friends have asked me whats so great about this guy? Why is he the main character. He's not like a big guy , he's like this scrawny lil kid who out of pure dumb luck survives the relentless murderous pursuit of a wizard who is so dark and feared that people won't dare speak his name. Voldemort himself said these things aloud in the graveyard in HP and the Goblet of Fire. He himself credited his most formidable opponent as someone with no special qualities.
Usually the most prominent character or the protagonist of any book/ sitcom/ movie is portrayed as-
Really good looking (a certain sparkly vampire and former potter cast member comes to mind) or dangerous and mysterious (Batman) or invulnerable and larger than life (superman) or incredibly cool (spidey) or extremely rich (iron man) and so on and so forth.
What then was Harry's draw?
Harry was definitely not the best at magic in his class. That was Hermione .
The reason why Harry Potter as a character is fascinating for me is because he struggles under the immense pressure of constant expectations, unparalleled fame since when he was a baby for a feat he had little to nothing to do with and death hovering over his head .
He still somehow manages to appreciate the small things in life that all of us take for granted-
Family & Friendship
School
Home
and kindness
Harry is special mind you. He is the most appropriate protagonist because he has the most heart. The strongest presence of mind and a ridiculous power of will which i believe is also one of the reasons he is able to conjure one of the most powerful patronuses there are which on one occasion fought off a 100 dementors. His presence of mind in difficult situations is what sets him apart. He may not be the smartest, but he is definitely most resourceful when backed into a corner. A boy who has been subjected to various trauma and handed fame that he did not care for yet somehow finds the time to find happiness in simply spending time with his best mates. He doesn't dwell on the past nor does he waste time feeing sorry for himself. Sure his past haunts him...but more often than not it further motivates him. His bravery and his choices are what make him the ideal hero. His choice to not go after the elder wand and instead go after thr horcruxes is something I find admirable. Even though Ron Weasely keeps prodding and insisting that they go after the wand he says they should get to the horcruxes first. Driven by duty. Clearly
He is also an extremely able leader. The way he orchestrates Dumbledore's army is admirable. He is also pretty darn good at dueling mind you. Well above average. A fantastic flyer and seeker and that everyone knows. He is an average kid at the end of the day who may not be the best of the best...but has more heart, more will, more courage, more sense of right and justice than any other character. He maintains a perfect balance between being practical and yet just. Usually the two do not go hand in hand. He even makes the ultimate sacrifice for the people he loves. His ability to deduce things (may be not as technically good as hermione) is quite amazing.
Harry Potter may not be an Edward Cullen. But in my book he's more hero and special than fang boy could ever hope to be.
We could all learn a thing or two from Harry... Like when life seems bad, gloomy and unfair...remember that there is always hope for happiness...
EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!!!!!
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