Mugglenet.com's Harry Potter Should Have Died - Emerson Spartz [56]
At the meeting of the Slug Club, Professor Slughorn asks Blaise all about his mother, a beautiful woman with the nasty habit of marrying rich men who tended to die suddenly after their weddings, leaving her a wealthy woman. That sounds like a great story, but we only have that one tantalizing detail. What sort of life did Blaise have growing up with a succession of new fathers? Did he ever know his own father? And what about his rather disturbing mother with her possibly murderous lifestyle? Blaise shows curiosity when Draco mentions becoming a Death Eater in HBP, so we know he has not yet taken that drastic step, and it is unclear if he ever will. Is he really that much like Draco? What happens to him during the Battle of Hogwarts? Does he marry someone in Harry’s circle of acquaintances? Does Harry ever get to know him?
Verdict
Andromeda Tonks is the unknown Black sister, and Blaise Zabini is the mysterious Slytherin. In spite of a family resemblance to Bellatrix, Andromeda is good at heart, which is proven by her marriage and her delightful daughter, Nymphadora Tonks. But what is Blaise really like? Should we believe that he is just another throwaway Slytherin destined for bad things? Verdict: Tell us more, lots more, about Blaise Zabini.
Are the HP books for adults or children?
For Adults
There is nothing childish about the Harry Potter books as is evidenced by the millions of adult fans seen reading them on subways and airplanes. These books have no age barriers with their intricate plotlines and flawed characters. It’s true that Harry is an innocent child at the beginning, but his life is already marred by the death of his parents and the abuse from the Dursley family. So the series isn’t a comforting story of wish fulfillment for kids, but a tale of near-tragedy written on an adult level. Yes, the fantastic magic and the lighthearted humor are there for all ages. But most adults come back to the books for the complicated adult characters such as Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Bellatrix Lestrange. Adults can read between the lines and see nuances of character that children never see.
J.K.R. doesn’t try to tone it all down, because she is writing for herself and never pulls any punches: People curse each other in anger, raise their voices, fight and bleed, feel lust and unrequited love, contemplate suicide, abuse alcohol and potions, and even become deadbeat parents. The Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort, and werewolves like Fenrir Greyback are similar to real-life sociopaths, preying on children, mentally and physically abusing people, and committing murder. And the good folks don’t always walk the straight and narrow either, but have to choose between what is right and what is easy. Even Harry faces moral dilemmas and sometimes takes a turn to the Dark Side. And all the characters change and grow in every book, some showing painful remorse, and others dying unrepentant. J.K.R. could have kept it all shallow and fun for the kiddies, but she wove in the darkness and depth to create a place where adults could feel the danger. The children do not remain pure and simple, but grow into complex passionate adults.
So an adult reader may start out viewing the books as a variation of C. S. Lewis’s Narnia, but will discover a plot out of Greek tragedy. These books are more like Stephen King’s The Shining, than R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps for kids. Think Macbeth instead of The Wizard of Oz. The true philosophical depth would go right over the head of the average child, with long passages about the state of Voldemort’s soul, Dumbledore