Oh, good point, the author’s prepared for Hermione to take on Azkaban. The trick will be motive.
If Hermione harrows Azkaban for Harry’s sake, that’s Hermione the faithful NPC, not Hermione who has wishes and dreams of her own.
If Hermione harrows Azkaban because it’s the right thing to do, that will be pure awesome.
As you say, if Hermione believes Harry is dead, especially if she believes some other innocent is about to be sent to Azkaban, she could spring into action quite on her own.
I think you’ve convinced me 66% that Hermione, not Harry, takes on Azkaban.
What I don’t feel so confident of is that the author will manage to do this in a way that Hermione’s motive is “because it’s the right thing”. The gravitational pull of “Harry causes all interesting good things” is strong.
Avoiding the “Harry causes everything good” gravitational field isn’t an insoluble problem. But EY has a lot of other balls to juggle besides the harrowing of Azkaban.
″ You have courage enough for Gryffindor, said the calm voice of the
Sorting Hat in her memory, but you will do what is right in any House
I give you. You will learn, you will stand by your friends, in any House
you choose. So don’t be afraid, Hermione Granger, just decide where you
belong...”
“Why, no,” said Professor Quirrell. “I stopped trying to be a hero, and went off to do something else I found more pleasant.”
“But you don’t have to be a hero, Miss Granger,” said Professor Quirrell. “You can stop anytime you please.”
That idea… …had occurred to her before, several times over the last two days.
People become who they are meant to be, by doing what is right, Headmaster Dumbledore had told her.
Hermione Granger, I shall be less subtle than is usual for a mysterious old wizard, and tell you outright that you cannot imagine how badly things could go if the events surrounding Harry Potter turn to ill.
The most powerful wizard in the world had told her that, when he was talking about how important it was that she not stop being Harry’s friend.
Staying with Harry is not for Harry’s sake, it is the right thing to do. I think you’re over constraining the solution.
And I wouldn’t say that the harrowing of Azkaban is the point—it’s the destruction of the dementors. The continual torture provided by the dementors is what makes Azkaban an abomination.
Although wouldn’t it be strange to have someone else defeat Death besides Harry? He’s learned much more about death than he knew when he first cast the True Patronus, and he has the invisibility cloak.
A Hermione who risks all against Dementors “to help Harry” is not nearly as interesting to me as a Hermione who risks all against Dementors because they’re evil regardless of Harry.
We’ll all help our friends. Pick any evil person in history—they had friends. If they’re a political leader, they had lots of admirers.
The fic itself has Harry make the point that if you’re only interesting in helping an “us” and not a “them”, that’s a pretty weak sort of good that easily turns to evil.
I think in a fic so full of extraordinary characters, Hermione deserves to be extraordinary enough to do awesome things even for strangers, even when she doesn’t think her friends will benefit, because a world without dementors is just better.
Oh, good point, the author’s prepared for Hermione to take on Azkaban. The trick will be motive.
If Hermione harrows Azkaban for Harry’s sake, that’s Hermione the faithful NPC, not Hermione who has wishes and dreams of her own.
If Hermione harrows Azkaban because it’s the right thing to do, that will be pure awesome.
As you say, if Hermione believes Harry is dead, especially if she believes some other innocent is about to be sent to Azkaban, she could spring into action quite on her own.
I think you’ve convinced me 66% that Hermione, not Harry, takes on Azkaban.
What I don’t feel so confident of is that the author will manage to do this in a way that Hermione’s motive is “because it’s the right thing”. The gravitational pull of “Harry causes all interesting good things” is strong.
Avoiding the “Harry causes everything good” gravitational field isn’t an insoluble problem. But EY has a lot of other balls to juggle besides the harrowing of Azkaban.
Staying with Harry is not for Harry’s sake, it is the right thing to do. I think you’re over constraining the solution.
And I wouldn’t say that the harrowing of Azkaban is the point—it’s the destruction of the dementors. The continual torture provided by the dementors is what makes Azkaban an abomination.
Although wouldn’t it be strange to have someone else defeat Death besides Harry? He’s learned much more about death than he knew when he first cast the True Patronus, and he has the invisibility cloak.
A Hermione who risks all against Dementors “to help Harry” is not nearly as interesting to me as a Hermione who risks all against Dementors because they’re evil regardless of Harry.
We’ll all help our friends. Pick any evil person in history—they had friends. If they’re a political leader, they had lots of admirers.
The fic itself has Harry make the point that if you’re only interesting in helping an “us” and not a “them”, that’s a pretty weak sort of good that easily turns to evil.
I think in a fic so full of extraordinary characters, Hermione deserves to be extraordinary enough to do awesome things even for strangers, even when she doesn’t think her friends will benefit, because a world without dementors is just better.