Haven't seen this mentioned much

[the-bitter-word.livejournal.com]

It is the crackiest DH alternate ending ever -- and it's purportedly from Rowling herself. Quoting from New York, "In this version, Harry defeats Voldemort with a time-reversing spell that eventually freezes the Dark Lord as a child in his parents' embrace, and the epilogue is even more controversial: Harry is the headmaster at Hogwarts, Ginny turned herself into a bird instead of growing old (totally normal behavior), and their great-great grandson, 'Tom,' has evil stirrings."

If this was from Rowling, she was channeling the twins and doing a good job of pulling the guy's leg. On the other hand, claiming it's from her gets a lot of readers for his fanfic -- not that the story's been widely reported.

Another link while I'm here:

Here's a writer who, after more investment than most readers, realizes she is wholly-underwhelmed by the books, and wonders why those who analyze the books or participate in fandom even bother (without providing an answer). Some of it's a cheap attack on fans from a person who claims to be ordinary but clearly feels superior. Even so, I can recognize myself as one of her targets, and it's kind-of amusing. I'll probably look for the critical book she was reading.

I hope this is OK. If not, mod, please delete.

Comments

[oryx_leucoryx]

It should take more than time reversal for Tom to end up in his parents' embrace, since canonically his father left before he was born and his mother didn't live long enough to embrace him.

[the-bitter-word.livejournal.com]

Well, Rowling's said she doesn't re-read her own books ... but I don't know what to make of the story. It's just bizarre.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

I don't think even Rowling could have written something like that. Each bit on its own isn't any worse than Rowling's own mistakes and errors, but as a whole I don't think there's enough there in common with the earlier books?

Harry Potter is an everyman

Ain't that the truth. Although he *was* a hero, prepared to die to save his friends/society.

(Even if he'd been brainwashed into doing it from a young age.)

I do agree with the overall sentiments of the second article:

If the adult world suddenly developed a craze for reading Mr Men, and everyone was reading Mr Happy on the Tube, would we endow Mr Happy with fake depths, until he became Mr Putting a Brave Face on Some Secret Sorrow?

I know people here in deathtocapslock enjoy the intellectual challenge of going as far as they can with Rowling's worlds - it tickles me pink how you can arrive at conclusions that we all KNOW Rowling would eschew in a horrified heartbeat - but, on the other side of the fandom, I've witnessed people just like those that the author describes - fans trying to wring issues of *depth* and substance out of Rowling's work which they sincerely want to attribute to her. Which ends up looking ludicrous, since the woman simply didn't put in any such effort in the first place.

[oryx_leucoryx]

Before DH much of the in-depth theorizing was intended at guessing future books - how one's favorite aspect of the storyline (or backstory) would turn out. Once DH was out and it turned out the most simplistic and straightforward answers were the correct ones (no, the missing unknown Horcrux was not the cursed necklace, nor any of the rubies on Gryffindor's sword, nor Macnair's axe, nor Madam Pince's featherbrush; nor was it located in a dragon-nest in some northern island, nor in the chimney stack of the abandoned mill near Spinner's End etc) there was a lot of creative energy in need of better use. It's a shame much of it went into explaining how deep Rowling's work was when she just proved it wasn't.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

I fully appreciate and agree with your comment. I wasn't privy to much of the industry going into unravelling the pre-DH puzzle - mainly just the MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL, the SHIPPING :-) - but yes, it's quite sad now to think of all that wasted intelligence, across the globe, which accepted in good faith Rowling's hints and implications that there would be a clever grand plan unveiled at the end that explained everything. Only to see with DH that she hadn't had a clue when she was encouraging them all along. So sad.

It's a shame much of it went into explaining how deep Rowling's work was when she just proved it wasn't.

Word.

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

My fave crazy essay is "The Hufflepuff Cup is in the Hogwarts Trophy Room Transfigured into the Medal for Magical Merit". Not to forget "Weasley is Our King", or the ideas about Stubby Boardman and Mark Evans.

[eviltracey.livejournal.com]

I thought the alternate ending was satire myself. Greg Palast doesn't seem familiar with the series. (But I like the thought of Harry & Ginny's offspring being Voldemort 2.0 myself; it's far more realistic than Rowling's own "All was well.")

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

I thought the alternate ending was satire myself.

It didn't seem *clever* enough to be 'satire'. Hmmm. Yes. Just double-checked dictionary.com to make sure I know the meaning of the word. The 'alternative ending' didn't seem to mock or ridicule Rowling's work or view it sarcastically or with irony. It was just a rambling hodge-podge of things with no real comment or reflection on the real ending to make it a 'satire'.

(But I like the thought of Harry & Ginny's offspring being Voldemort 2.0 myself; it's far more realistic than Rowling's own "All was well.")

I know there are a lot of fans who deplore how the epilogue leaves the magical world exactly as it was before - Slytherins still despised, no clues as to progressive policies regarding other magical sentients, etc. That's never vexed me too much but I've seen others moot the possibility of Albus Severus, for example, becoming the next Dark Lord.

(I remember having my socks knocked off me by reading 'The Golden Age' by Arsinoe de Blassenville on fanfiction.net, where Harry's (spoilt) children almost/maybe cause the destruction of the wizarding world.)

[charlottehywd.livejournal.com]

No, you're totally right here. He might be an everyman for wizards, but not for us normal people.