Why I love Fanon Harry more than Canon Harry
Fanon Harry rocks my socks because fanon writers don't make Harry out to be a dick. Personally I think we just love Harry more than JKR.
It accured to me today, when I discovered the wonders of Ron/Harry fic, that I don't really care about the pairing be it het, slash, or threesome. What makes a good fic for me is the characters. As a major Harry fan I'll read just about any pairing with him in it and some other side pairings.
But what is it about fanon Harry that is so awesome for me that it doesn't even matter who he's shagging? It's that fanon authors sympathize with Harry in a way that JKR, by virtue of her chosen perspective (through Harry) can't. Whether Harry's evil, snarky, bitter, or a prissy golden boy fanon always approaches him with an air of "this is our guy, lets give him the benefit of the doubt". Whereas JKR always makes Harry look like an ass.
This observation really sunk in for me while I was reading HBP. The contrast between fanon Harry, who I'm very friendly with, and canon Harry was so startling to me. Curious boy that Harry is he's always digging around investigating things that probably aren't any of his business. In HBP Harry's insistence that something was up with Malfoy and he needed to be watched came across as belligerent and annoying. Harry has these same personality traits and behaviors in fanon, but he doesn't usually look like such a dickwad in the stories I read. And you know why that is? do yah? It's because JKR wants him to look like a dick.
Jo has set up a formula where Harry gets involved in a mystery that nobody else really sees but which he is convinced of. So each year Harry continues to investigate even as those around him become increasingly skeptical of his theories. And of course at the end of the year it comes out that Harry was right, somebody should have been looking into that shit all year long. JKR purposely makes Harry look like a paranoid, demanding little shit to build suspense. The way she tells her stories, it is simply more interesting if nobody believes Harry. Makes for the perfect plot receipe for disaster.
Fanon can portray Harry as curious, independent, and stubborn without having to stick to JKR's chosen method of plot development, which incidentally makes Harry appear to be very annoying. And that is why I often find myself admiring the literary skills of fanfic writers (who might be considered the illegitimate children of the literary community) more than the supposed prowess of JKR (not that I don't thoroughly enjoy her books anyway).
It accured to me today, when I discovered the wonders of Ron/Harry fic, that I don't really care about the pairing be it het, slash, or threesome. What makes a good fic for me is the characters. As a major Harry fan I'll read just about any pairing with him in it and some other side pairings.
But what is it about fanon Harry that is so awesome for me that it doesn't even matter who he's shagging? It's that fanon authors sympathize with Harry in a way that JKR, by virtue of her chosen perspective (through Harry) can't. Whether Harry's evil, snarky, bitter, or a prissy golden boy fanon always approaches him with an air of "this is our guy, lets give him the benefit of the doubt". Whereas JKR always makes Harry look like an ass.
This observation really sunk in for me while I was reading HBP. The contrast between fanon Harry, who I'm very friendly with, and canon Harry was so startling to me. Curious boy that Harry is he's always digging around investigating things that probably aren't any of his business. In HBP Harry's insistence that something was up with Malfoy and he needed to be watched came across as belligerent and annoying. Harry has these same personality traits and behaviors in fanon, but he doesn't usually look like such a dickwad in the stories I read. And you know why that is? do yah? It's because JKR wants him to look like a dick.
Jo has set up a formula where Harry gets involved in a mystery that nobody else really sees but which he is convinced of. So each year Harry continues to investigate even as those around him become increasingly skeptical of his theories. And of course at the end of the year it comes out that Harry was right, somebody should have been looking into that shit all year long. JKR purposely makes Harry look like a paranoid, demanding little shit to build suspense. The way she tells her stories, it is simply more interesting if nobody believes Harry. Makes for the perfect plot receipe for disaster.
Fanon can portray Harry as curious, independent, and stubborn without having to stick to JKR's chosen method of plot development, which incidentally makes Harry appear to be very annoying. And that is why I often find myself admiring the literary skills of fanfic writers (who might be considered the illegitimate children of the literary community) more than the supposed prowess of JKR (not that I don't thoroughly enjoy her books anyway).