The real Harry Potter tragedy
Back in February, when my daughter turned eleven, I bought her the Harry Potter series for her birthday.
I figured it was time. Many of her friends had already read the books, and it remains one of those cultural touchstones that children somehow continue to discover decades after the first book was published.
What I did not anticipate was the level of obsession that would follow. She is currently reading the series three times in parallel: by herself, with me, and while recording it for a friend. As a result, she is simultaneously at three different points in the story.
She also watches videos, shorts, and discussions online. Most mornings begin with a detailed briefing about developments in the wizarding world before I have fully woken up.
A few nights ago, I was sitting at my computer while she read on the couch. Suddenly, she buried her face in a pillow and started crying. Naturally, I assumed someone had died. By this point, Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black, and Albus Dumbledore had all met unfortunate ends. Given the available evidence, another death seemed like the obvious explanation.
A few moments later, she came over to me sobbing and informed me that something terrible had happened: Harry Potter had broken up with Ginny Weasley. For those unfamiliar with the situation, Harry breaks up with Ginny because he cares about her and wants to protect her from danger. My daughter was devastated.
She explained that it would have been better if they had never gotten together than to get together and then break up. She cried, argued, and analyzed Harry’s decision from every conceivable angle.
At one point, I pointed out that when Cedric died, she was upset but did not cry. When Sirius died, she took it reasonably well. When Dumbledore died, she managed to hold herself together. “Don’t you think it’s a little funny,” I asked, “that three major character deaths caused less distress than Harry breaking up with Ginny?”
To her credit, she immediately saw the humor and started laughing.
Several days later, I am still receiving regular updates on why Harry’s decision was unfair. According to my daughter, Harry is perfectly willing to let Ron, Hermione, and everyone else put themselves in danger, yet suddenly decides that Ginny needs special protection. She has a point.
I suspect J.K. Rowling would be delighted by all of this. After all, creating characters that children care about this deeply is part of what made the books so successful.
Still, I never expected that after all the dark wizards, murders, betrayals, and battles, the event that would finally bring my daughter to tears would be a teenage breakup. Parenthood is full of surprises.
#Amusing #Books #Childhood #Daughter #Emotions #Fatherhood #HarryPotter #JKRowling #Parenthood #Perspective #Relationships
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