this little ditty was so bad, even before the potter wave, the locale free paper wouldn't even publish it--even with accompanying photos!!!
In the study of literature, there has long been an academic school of thought that there are only a handful of original stories and every piece of literature is a variation inspired by one of these originals. Harry Potter and his British version of the " Scooby Gang " at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, seem remarkably like cousins from across the pond to the young inhabitants of Sunnydale, California in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Characterization
1997 is the year the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was released, and Joss Weldon first aired Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Harry vs. Buffy? Harry and Buffy both begin as unsuspecting teens who suddenly find themselves chosen to fight the forces of evil, each gifted with super powers for the purpose of saving the world as they know it. And an angst ridden couple they make. First, they are both bound by a certain amount of secrecy-Harry must return yearly to his Muggle relatives where he is occasionally in mortal peril, but is restricted from using his powers outside the walls of Hogwarts. Not to mention that his warnings to the Ministry of Magic that Voldamort is not just a spirit thing, but now alive and well and ready to rumble go unheeded , until the Death Eaters actually stage smack down right in the Ministry of Magic!
Buffy spends two full seasons having to first sneak out of her bedroom window, just to get to the vampires. In the final episode of Season Two, Buffy had a lot of explaining to do-she must confess to her mother that not only is she the Slayer, but the smell of teen spirit has now reverted Angel, her 200 year old boyfriend into the uber evil vampire, Angelis. As Season Two ends Buffy delivers the mortal blow, sending Angel to some dark hell dimension just as Willow completes the incantation that restores his soul.
Second, both of these characters spend quite a bit of their time lamenting the injustice of it all. Shouldn't saving the world be enough? Shouldn't they get a deck of get out of jail free cards excusing them from high school, puberty, relationships? Harry has to endure a return to the Dursely's every year in order to ensure his protection. Buffy has to get a job at the Doublemeat Palace to pay for the plumbing. And there is always darker evil just around the corner for them both.
The main character in both series' seem to have an almost "doppelganger" counterpart. Primarily, The Brain and the Comic Relief, or as they are properly know; Hermoine Granger and Willow Rosenberg, Ron Weasley and Xander Harris. Hermoine and Willow are both brilliant and commonly referred to as the greatest witches of their generation. Ron on the other hand is a mediocre wizard and Xander has no superpowers at all, but their strength lies in their dedication and loyalty to the Chosen Ones.
While Giles as Buffy's faithful Watcher is arguably not as powerful a character as the great wizard, Albus Dumbledore, both represent the father figure absent from the young super heroes' lives. And the Ministry of magic provides the same dark foil for Harry as the Watcher's Council represents to Buffy. Add in a werewolf, professors or teachers who aren't who they appear to be, and all you are missing is a vampire, and maybe Draco Mayfoy will prove to fill that void, yet. Seven proves an important and magical number for both series, as Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran for seven season and Harry Potter will conclude with the 7th installment.
The Battle of Good vs. Evil
If the characters in Harry Potter resemble the modern day Buffy cast, the progression of the characters from innocence in to darker and darker peril, borrow movement and pace of a more Tolkienesque nature. Consider the journey of Frodo and his faithful hobbit companions as they encounter stronger and progressively more evil forces as they venture toward the darkest depths of Mordor. Although the Lord of the Rings could certainly be combined as one continuous story and Harry Potter begins each volume as a distinct adventure, Tolkien generally gives his characters a respite between battles in much the same way as Rowling's gives Harry a summer vacation usually away from the more dangerous magical world of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This respite is nowhere more obvious than at the end of Book Six where despite the death of Dumbledore and the obligatory return to the Dursley's, the book ends with Harry looking forward to attending the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour with his friends, before what is certain to become the famous final confrontation between Harry and the Dark Lord. Just as symbolic, a band of friends and faithful followers diligently work to thwart the opposing forces, yet it the end, just as it was Frodo's destiny to destroy the ring, as the bells toll for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it will be almost certainly be Harry's destiny alone as, "Either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives."
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released at 12:01 AM, Saturday, July 21, 2007.
Beverley Thompson Warrick
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