Harry Potter: The Son of the Woman That Died

[kerravonsen]

There's something that's been bugging me for a while: why is Harry Potter famous? No, I don't mean "what is he famous for?" I mean "who told the press"? Actually, I don't care so much who told the press (I mean, it was probably Dumbledore); the thing is, it's terribly unlikely for Harry Potter to be famous, not unless someone deliberately set out to make him famous (whether that be Dumbledore or the Minister of Magic or whoever...). There were no witnesses to what happened that night. Nobody apart from Harry himself, and it's not like a traumatized toddler is going to be talking to the Daily Prophet. Harry Potter is famous for something he didn't do: defeating Voldemort. It was Lily who did that. Yet it is Harry who gets all the credit.

Given that... why hasn't anyone written a story in which nobody invented the concept of "The Boy Who Lived"? A story in which Lily did get the credit, and Harry isn't famous; just one orphan among many?
Now, I've seen a story or two where someone else other than Harry is called "The Boy Who Lived", but I haven't seen any stories where there isn't a boy who got the fame. And it kind of bugs me that nobody has questioned the famousness of Harry, when, as I said, it isn't actually that likely. It's not as if someone needed to suppress the story; there was no news-story until someone made it up.

Or am I wrong? Has there been fanfic which has dealt with this?

Comments

[watervole]

I think the scar on his forehead has a lot to do with it. Plus, he was the only person left alive after that fight, therefore, clearly, he was 'the boy who lived'.

[mzlizzy]

What a wonderful idea! I've never seen it done, but love the notion.

Perhaps if Albus hadn't been the top of the Resistance chain of command, but a woman...

Hmmmmm, I find myself thinking what would have to change for Lily to get the credit she so richly deserved.

[of-anoesis.livejournal.com]

*mind boggles*

I love idea like this! Someone needs to write that fic!

[dreamflower]

I've never come across fic about that either, though I've often wondered about it: why is Harry famous?

What was Rita Skeeter doing at the time of the first war? *imagines a very young wannabe reporter buzzing around* (And given the way she wrote about other females, I can see her preferring to give credit to the baby who lived instead of the mom who made the sacrifice.)

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

There was a "witness", Voldemort's wand. Of course that would depend on who did the investigation of Voldemort's death.

I suppose we could put it down to Dumbledore's machinations.

However others were privy to some of that fateful night. Numbering among them was Hagrid who has demonstrated he's not the best person to keep a secret.

There must have been a funeral for Lily and James, yet the child was not buried with them. Therefore he must have survived. Therefore he was The Boy Who Lived. Presumably Voldemort was never known to be lenient on innocent children, before hence the boy's survival was significant. Add to that rumours and speculation as to the whereabouts of the brat and hence the mythos surrounding him.

[kerravonsen]

Well, logically, the alternative explanation is that Voldemort was defeated before he got around to killing Harry. Simple, and no need to imbue a toddler with mysterious powers.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

I suppose it depends on whether it was more generally known that Voldie was gunning for the Potters. Obviously the other Order Of The Phoenix members must have known hence their necessity of going into hiding and needing a Secret Keeper.

Clearly, someone talked.

[kerravonsen]

I suppose we could put it down to Dumbledore's machinations.

Which would make him even more of a manipulative bastard than I thought, considering that one of the reasons Harry was dumped on the Dursley's doorstep was because he was famous - a problem which Dumbledore himself had caused. Bastard.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Then, maybe not after all that requires too much doublethink even for Dumbledore.

No, I should think it grew up after the funeral. Though that does imply Harry was not immediately placed with the Dursleys too.