<p>Just read an article like this on Slate, and it articulated what I felt all this time.</p>
<p>And that is that despite the books’ pretensions, we should empathize with Draco Malfoy’s jealousy and hatred for Harry, than embrace the Boy Who Lived as some kind of everyman hero. Remember that rich guy in high school who coasted through everything because he could throw the football 60 yards? That’s pretty much Harry, sans the sex appeal. </p>
<p>Let’s just summarize his “accomplishments”.</p>
<p>1) Surviving Voldemort’s attack</p>
<ul>
<li>his mother did all the work</li>
<li>only accomplishment would have been being cute enough to make said mother sacrifice herself for him, but then again, that’s natural parental instinct</li>
</ul>
<p>2) Thwarting Voldemort’s attempt to steal the Philosopher’s Stone</p>
<ul>
<li>wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without inheriting the invisibility cloak</li>
<li>was on the wrong trail until the end (i.e. Snape)</li>
<li>could only solve 1 out of the 4 obstacles (Hermione knew how to put Fluffy to sleep, escape from the entangling vines, and Ron won the chess game)</li>
<li>again, at the final fight, his mother did all the work, blessing him with incendiary skin</li>
</ul>
<p>3) Tom Riddle’s Diary</p>
<ul>
<li>again, displays a lack of mind for detective work, suspecting Draco, even Hagrid, of being the heir of Slytherin, before realizing the truth at the final confrontation</li>
<li>Dumbledore had to aid him with powerful weapons, such as Fawkes and the sword of Gryffindor</li>
<li>could not even hope to defeat the basilisk until Fawkes blinded the beast</li>
<li>granted, he eventually killed the monster, so that’s partial credit</li>
</ul>
<p>4) Aiding Sirus Black</p>
<ul>
<li>again, relies heavily on smart brave friends (Hermione) and powerful magical items that he did not make or find (time-turner and Marauder’s map)</li>
</ul>
<p>I could go on and on, but I think you all get the gist of it. Harry Potter is really good at three things: making loyal and useful friends, inheriting really cool stuff, and flying a broom. (Hell, leave out the last part and you have Dubya himself!) For this, he is worshipped by the magical community within, and the reading world on the outside. If I could rollerblade well, have Q from 007 as my benefactor, and hire a bodyguard, I could be the savior of the world as well!</p>
<p>Anyway, the only thing Harry can take credit for is that A) he has good judgment of character and B) he’s a good athlete, sort of. Point A is barely a credit since he did not seek out Ron Weasley as much as he was forced to share a cabin with him on a train to Hogwarts; the same goes with Hermione Granger. Point B is his only true accomplishment, yet nobody wants to root for the jock with the massive inheritance. But who are we fooling outselves here? Harry never has money problems, he is a gloryhound on the pitch, and he is foolishly idolized by millions.</p>
<p>I propose that we should push Harry out of the limelight and instead recognize the triumphs of his friends for a change. Ron Weasley is a success story from the lower classes, while Hermione Granger fights the prejudice of blood purity.</p>