“Goin’ Back to Hogwarts”: Fans and Redemption of Antagonists in Harry Potter’s Fanfiction
Harry Potter is a literary series that has swept the world with its unique magic filled universe, and as such its fans refuse to let the world created by J.K Rowling be something found only in the pages of the original books, or in our TV screen, so they have take it upon themselves to expand or reshape Harry Potter in many interesting ways. The Harry Potter universe has become a fanfiction phenomenon, its fans are not bound by the same restrictions that authors are, and so they write compelling stories in which they often defy the wishes of the original author. Through fanfiction, fans address issues they might have had with the original text by reshaping …show more content…
An article about fanfiction and pacifism reads “fanfiction authors are asking readers to look at the villains as real people and not monsters, which makes just fighting and killing them seem unpalatable” (Lady Geek Girl). Fans see antagonists as misunderstood characters in need of empathy from the rest of the characters, mainly the protagonist. Fans see a reflection of themselves in these antagonists since as the article also explains, there is some sort of tragic backstory that we can relate too. Unlike the hero, however, who may also have a tragic background, they do not receive the same kind of support and acceptance, making them all the more relatable. In Harry Potter, the main villain is Voldemort, a villain that has frequently been compared to Adolf Hitler due to his similar ideology, and yet he receives the same kind of redemption in some …show more content…
Isolation is a very famous fanfiction story by Bex-chan, and it continues after the events of Half-Blood Prince in which Dumbledore was killed by Snape. Draco’s failure to kill Dumbledore puts him at odds with Voldemort and so now his Death Eaters want to kill Draco. In this version, Hermione is left behind at Hogwarts, while Harry and Ron look for the Deathly Hallows, the way to kill Voldemort, and Draco is forced to hide at Hogwarts in Hermione’s room. Draco and Hermione spent plenty of time with one another and eventually they develop romantic feelings for one another. Draco states that “If there was anybody, and he meant anybody, other than her that could chase away his demons, then there would be no need for this.” His newfound love for Hermione gives him the strength to stand up to Voldemort, his father and to fight alongside Hermione. Through this story’s portrayal of Draco, and its justification of his past action, it suddenly becomes the tale of the underdog character trying to find courage to stand up to real evil. Draco, much like Voldemort in A Very Potter Musical, simply needed the help and understanding of another
Harry Potter is a literary series that has swept the world with its unique magic filled universe, and as such its fans refuse to let the world created by J.K Rowling be something found only in the pages of the original books, or in our TV screen, so they have take it upon themselves to expand or reshape Harry Potter in many interesting ways. The Harry Potter universe has become a fanfiction phenomenon, its fans are not bound by the same restrictions that authors are, and so they write compelling stories in which they often defy the wishes of the original author. Through fanfiction, fans address issues they might have had with the original text by reshaping …show more content…
An article about fanfiction and pacifism reads “fanfiction authors are asking readers to look at the villains as real people and not monsters, which makes just fighting and killing them seem unpalatable” (Lady Geek Girl). Fans see antagonists as misunderstood characters in need of empathy from the rest of the characters, mainly the protagonist. Fans see a reflection of themselves in these antagonists since as the article also explains, there is some sort of tragic backstory that we can relate too. Unlike the hero, however, who may also have a tragic background, they do not receive the same kind of support and acceptance, making them all the more relatable. In Harry Potter, the main villain is Voldemort, a villain that has frequently been compared to Adolf Hitler due to his similar ideology, and yet he receives the same kind of redemption in some …show more content…
Isolation is a very famous fanfiction story by Bex-chan, and it continues after the events of Half-Blood Prince in which Dumbledore was killed by Snape. Draco’s failure to kill Dumbledore puts him at odds with Voldemort and so now his Death Eaters want to kill Draco. In this version, Hermione is left behind at Hogwarts, while Harry and Ron look for the Deathly Hallows, the way to kill Voldemort, and Draco is forced to hide at Hogwarts in Hermione’s room. Draco and Hermione spent plenty of time with one another and eventually they develop romantic feelings for one another. Draco states that “If there was anybody, and he meant anybody, other than her that could chase away his demons, then there would be no need for this.” His newfound love for Hermione gives him the strength to stand up to Voldemort, his father and to fight alongside Hermione. Through this story’s portrayal of Draco, and its justification of his past action, it suddenly becomes the tale of the underdog character trying to find courage to stand up to real evil. Draco, much like Voldemort in A Very Potter Musical, simply needed the help and understanding of another