Harry Potter: An Explanation

I bet you thought I would try to explain the obsession with Harry Potter which, in my father's words, is "sweeping the nation." Or perhaps my devotion to it in this page. Well, there isn't enough space on the net, but I do try to look at some of the reasons the books work so well in Why Harry Potter Works. What I AM going to attempt to explain here is the plotline etc. of the series itself for those of you worhtless rejects bums I mean, um, perfectly wonderful people, I'm sure, who have just been off visiting another planet for the last couple years, who haven't yet "had the time" to read the books. No, I totally appreciate that... I just don't understand. Homework shmomework!

Anyway, the basic premise is, Lord Voldemort, an evil wizard, has been holding sway. That is, until he tries to kill James Potter. He succeeds, but due to the love of a mother for her son, James and Lily's baby boy Harry lives. This inexplicable defeat of the most powerful wizard ever sends Voldemort into near-death and gains the baby a lightning scar and an inheritance of some of Voldemort's powers, such as the ability to talk to snakes. However, the Dark Lord still exists in a life-like enough form to try to attack Harry nearly every year from the time he turns eleven and enters the wizarding world. Anyway, the orphaned boy is sent to live with his horrible Muggle (magic-less) aunt and uncle and their despicable pig-like bully of a son, who torments poor Harry-- friendless because everyone is scared Dudley will beat them up if they befriend him, forced to wear Dudley's huge hand-me-down clothes and sleep in a closet beneath the stairs-- until one day he is stolen away by a large man with a pink umbrella named Hagrid, who takes him to Hogwarts, a rambling, magic-and-secret-passage-filled castle and the home of the best school of wizardry.

There he meets a new friend, Ron Weasley, and his extensive and red-headed siblingry, as well as his new archenemy Draco Malfoy, the wise headmaster Dumbledore, strict Professor McGonall, the nasty Slytherin Head and Potions Professor Snape, the Quidditch team captain Oliver Wood, Peeves the Poltergeist, Nearly-Headless Nick, and the annoying Know-it-all Hermione, who as we all know is the best character of all (see here), and who eventually becomes friends with Harry and Ron despite previous snobbishness after an incident with a troll, and who basically is top in all of her classes and good at everything except Divination because she is cool like that. Each year, as I mentioned, although in such a horrendous tangle of a runon that I wouldn't be at all surprised if you had missed it, and also if you miss it again this time, Voldemort musters his strength to try to finish off Harry for good, but is miserably defeated, as he should be. Each book represents one year at Hogwarts. Did I mention Hermione is the coolest?

Anyway, the books are very good and well written and no, they are not just silly kids books just because they are about kids (see Harry Potter: Just for Kids?), so don't even speak snidely about teachers who assign them to their classes as if they are a bunch of stupid idiots who are so far beneath your own immensely overpowering intellect, beacause they made the New York Times bestseller list I'll have you know, and thank you very much!

The End

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