Inspired by the thread in fanfiction discussion.

What parts of Harry Potter canon made you facepalm, rip your hair out or just in generally infuriate you?

Mine would be a draw between Hermione's reaction to Snape's copy of Advanced Potion Making and everyone dismissing Harry's concerns about Malfoy being a Deatheater.

Everyone's comments about 'why would Voldemort want a sixteen year old Deatheater?' make me cringe every time I read them. It's like in sixth book everyone suddenly came down with a case of the stupid.

 

I think it's quite understandable that people are hesitant to believe that Voldemort would initiate Death Eaters that young. Also Harry's history with Draco Malfoy (wrongly suspecting him of being Slytherin's heir, their general animosity) makes it easy for people to dismiss his suspicions.

What I never really liked was the "neither can live while the other survives" part of the prophecy. It's not really a "headslapping moment" but I never liked how that prophecy took away Harry's free will to choose his side in the war. To leave that line out wouldn't have changed much. Harry would still be "the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord", Voldemort would still have come after him (even did so in canon without knowing the second part of the prophecy) and canon!Harry would still have fought against him.

That line only ensured that Harry was forced to oppose Voldemort which cheapens his 'decision' to do so in my opinion. I think had Harry been able to chose saving himself by joining Voldemort and if he'd then chosen to fight against Voldemort (as canon!Harry would have done imo) his character would've been stronger. It's the "to do what's right vs to do what's easy" thing, and in my opinion that line of the prophecy took the "to do what's easy" option away, which makes his decision "to do what's right" less impressive.

 

Pretty sure there was a fairly important discussion between Harry and Dumbledore regarding Harry's choice to fight Voldemort despite the existence of the prophecy...

 

Except for - you know - Harry and Co. ending up in many dangerous life or death situations fight Voldemort. On top of thinking Voldemort would have any issue with using child soldiers.

 

Been a while since I read the books from start to finish, in which book is that discussion? And if it was up for discussion to defy the prophecy anyway, then why include that line? Also if Harry had ever decided to join Voldemort (I don't think canon!Harry would have) I guess Voldemort would have expected him to share the second half of the prophecy or simply taken it from his mind, which in the end means Harry doesn't really have that option. So he can either fight or hide.

On the Way to Greatness has a scene where this comes into play, when the two Death Eathers offer Harry a place at Voldemort's side. Harry thinks about it for a moment, but in the end knows he could never accept because the prophecy already made that decision for him.

Had canon!Harry ever thought about joining Voldemort I think that line in the prophecy ensures that he wouldn't have gone trough with that plan.

@Download: In general Voldemort didn't use child soldiers though - or at least it was never mentioned. Draco Malfoy was initiated as a Death Eater to make up for his father's failure. His situation was an exception. I'm not saying it wasn't stupid that Ron and Hermione didn't believe him, only that I could understand where they were coming from.

 

It's in Book 6. Dumbledore explains that the prophecy is not automatically self-fulfilling. If Voldemort had just ignored it it would not have come to pass, but because he paid heed to it he set up a person with exactly the right weapons to destroy him. On Harry's part his choices and history ensured that he would continually try to fight Voldemort because Voldemort had given him good reason to.

So it's not a matter of 'the prophecy said so'. The prophecy basically summarises the state of being between Harry and Voldemort. Neither can live while the other survives because Harry will never be happy until Voldemort is dead (because parents, Sirius, etc.) while the Voldemort cannot stand to have someone like Harry live on principle.

The same holds true for the other lines of the prophecy, though I won't give a step by step explanation.

 

I never had a problem with that. Most extremist groups recruit young.

 

Yea, they'll recruit anyone they have a use for.

 

Headslapping moment in canon:

"Ono! My godfather is being tortured by Death Eaters... let's take a seven-hour ride by Thestral to get to London, rather than pop down to Hogsmeade and use the Floo which could get us there in a few minutes."

"Or you could use that mirror that Sirius gave you and just talk to him."

"Don't be ridiculous; he can't answer the phone while being tortured."

"Perhaps not, but you may have a chance to negotiate with his captors, so they don't torture him any longer than necessary."

"Damnit, Hermione, are you a Gryffindor or some non-adventure-enabling-harpy?"

"Don't try to limit me- I can be both if I want."

 

Harry only found about the gift from Sirius being a mirror after he died, so that's a moot point.

 

I recently saw the Sixth movie. Near the beginning, well he accuses Draco Malfoy. My god.

I wanted to smack the stupid out of the brat. In doesn't read so bad in the book but the movie...wow. Damn. Just wow.


Also, Sixth book. Brilliant idea Harry, hiding in Draco's compartment. Fucking. Brilliant.

And the prophecy is technically wrong anyways, because the reality is that neither can DIE while the other survives.

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I can't remember which fanfiction it was that pointed this out, but Harry's parents could have....you know, left the damned country. And as they were soldier's in a war, willing ones, they were targeted by Voldemort anyways. If Canon!Harry ever had that epiphany, that his parents did not in fact have to declare openly against Voldemort and instead volunteered to fight in that war, and thus morally, were as culpable in their own deaths as any volunteer soldier in history, then I would wager he would hold a lot less shit against Voldemort than he does in canon.

Of course, in canon, the main reason he misses his parents is because the Dursley's are such shits to him.

On the Way to Greatness basically just issued a bullshit cop-out. The real excuse Harry could have and should used was what Voldemort planned to do with the Muggleborns. Or hell, just ask Voldemort for his memory of what happened that night. It won't look nice, but morally? Voldemort was acting to eliminate what he thought was a threat to his very being. Pro-Active self defense. And in action, he immediately killed a man who was going to resist, and offered Lily a chance to walk away, alive.

There is a fic out there that does a quick and dirty re-write of canon, where Harry takes up Voldemort's offer....in the 1st year. He asks a question, and such, hands Voldemort the stone....which turns out to be fake.

Later, in 6th year, Harry Potter is the one who kills Dumbledore and runs off.

 

The only thing I have to headslap about is that people on this site are still, after so many years, going on and nitpicking and bullshitting about this series. It was old six years ago, you're just beating a dead horse now.

 

Neither can live while the other survives. Harry can't truly live his life knowing that the dark lord is out there. He is compelled to help people. Voldemort can't truly live his life knowing somebody has the power to kill him, he fears death so much. He is compelled to seek and destroy any such person. Therefore, neither can live while the other survives.
Your way wouldn't make sense. Voldemort died while Harry was alive, and Harry could have been killed after being hit by Voldemort's AK but before Voldemort died.

 

Because it remains incredibly stupid. And we are bored. And I found it.

https://forums.darklordpotter.net/showthread.php?t=1960

 

Also many of us weren't here six years ago.

 

The only thing I have to headslap about is that people post scathing comments about people talking about Harry Potter on a site called Dark Lord Potter.

Why don't you not fucking read it if you don't like it?

 

Oh okay, we'll just keep having this cycle of discussions where contrarian teenagers want to seem cool and smart by picking apart a beloved young adult series about magic and friendship, and writing and requesting fanfics where Harry becomes a dark lord or is a psychopath or the host of other adolescent shit I keep seeing in the request forums. Forgive me if I think DLP needs to finally grow up and drop the "dark lord" thing so we can stop attracting these idiots.

Burying my head in the sand is implying I approve when I don't, so no, I'm not going to ignore it when I have something to say about it.

Also for someone saying to others that they should ignore things they don't like, you sure do go on a lot of tirades about things you don't like.

 

No, it's different. He said that you shouldn't be part of a diacussion if the only comment you're going to make is: this shouldn't exist because I dislike it, even though is completely relevant. If you don't agree with the diacussion, post constructive criticism or just don't.

Telling someone to ignore everything they don't like is retard, as is distorting what someone said.

 

I think Harry very well could have left Voldemort alone (assuming the man didn't kill anyone Harry actually knew). It's not like after the battle in first year (hell or even second year) Harry has any drive to kill Voldemort and everything related to him. That's one of the strengths of Harry's (and Dumbledore's) character, their capacity to forgive (or at least live and let live).

 

This thread is a) in the forum for discussing Harry Potter, b) on topic, c) obviously being enjoyed by many people in this thread.

If you have outgrown the forum, fuck off and don't read it. Otherwise, eat a dick and shut up.