Right by his side - or not, as the case may be.

[alchemyangel351]

My first cliché post - how exciting! Why are Ron and Hermione always there, right by Harry’s side, at the final battle (see previous entries for daftness of final battle cliché

Comments

[sophierom]

Great point. I like how you picked up on that trend from canon. The HP series is, after all, a coming of age story, and while friends are important, so is self-reliance. I think, however, since so much of fanon is so often about the secondary characters, I can understand why this cliche developed. If a fanfic author is writing about Hermione, then s/he might feel compelled to make her a bigger player in the big showdown. There's a natural urge to make one's main character THE main character of Potterverse. Still, I think some of my favorite fics are those that accept Hermione (or Ron's) secondary status and even have those characters deal with the implications of NOT being able to help Harry in that final showdown. There's a lot of drama in such a situation: the best friend waiting, feeling helpless or useless. So, I think it's wonderful when fanfic authors take time to explore what, as you point out, is likely to be a canonical ending: Harry going it alone. Thanks for the post. All the best, Sophie

[rickfan37]

That is a very, very good point! Anyway, at the end of the day, they're still going to be children at the end of Book 7...since when does either the Muggle or Wizarding western world send its children into battle? Even future Death Eaters don't take the Mark until they're grown (or am I confusing canon and fanon again? Have we been told?)

I believe Harry will, ultimately, face Voldemort alone.

[divinereverie]

Hermione and Ron will be at the final battle to do what all other sidekicks at final battles do -- DISTRACT THE OTHER SIDE'S SIDEKICKS!

[jodel_from_aol]

Oh it is a positive cliché of this kind of *story* that when it comes down to it, "The Hero Must Face the Villan Alone". I don't know where the kiddies get the idea that it could be anything else.

I've already posted an essay over on Red Hen dealing with the indicators that we've got so far on the resolution of the adventure of Harry Potter and the Dark Lord and it's long, so I'm not going to repeat it here, but unless Rowling suddenly decides to sidestep and play The Magic Flute Harry is going to go into the final resolution entirely on his own.

And even if she does play The Magic Flute, Ron and Hermione are bound to drop out of the running before the final confrontation.

And now the image of Ron Weasley as Papagino won't leave me alone...

[canonball13]

Agreed.