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hackthis_archiveHarry Potter
Necessary Evil
Draco says: You knew the end of the story before it started.
Harry says: No, I didn’t.
Draco laughs: Yes, you did.
*
There is a common misconception that any story worth telling must have certain elements to make it worth reading: a plot, a setting, a protagonist that learns some important lesson about the state of the world before it’s all over. The key point, though, is the protagonist. He, or she, must overcome adversity. He, or she, must fight against the mythical forces of evil for what is right and honest and true.
After all, there’s not much good in having a protagonist if there’s nothing antagonistic for him to overcome.
Winning is only important when somebody else loses.
*
Draco says: You can deny it until your Mudbloods control the Ministry and Longbottom shags the Weasel, but at the end of the day you know it’s the truth.
Harry says: You’re fucking deluded, Malfoy.
Draco laughs, again: Tell yourself whatever lies you have to to get to sleep at night, Potter, I don’t really give a niffler’s arse. But the truth is that you need me.
Harry says: I’d Avada Kedavra myself first.
Draco just looks smug: Without me you’re nothing. Without me you’ll never win, and you know how much I love to win.
*
Love makes people messy.
In stories ‘love’ is for friends and family. It should not be for people the protagonist is supposed to hate because that clearly does not follow the guidelines of what’s to be expected. The protagonist is not supposed to feel empathy for the antagonist.
That is not how the story goes.
The problem, again, is that love is one of those dodgy elements in the potion. It makes people emotional and unstable. Love makes people do things that don’t follow the story guidelines. Perhaps this is why people have issues with stories like they have issues with love, and this is why they make divisions.
Good and evil.
Right and wrong.
Love and lust.
Except that love isn’t really something that can be categorized and stuck inside a box of Quidditch supplies.
*
Draco says: I hate you more than you will ever know .
Harry says: You’re scum, Malfoy. The feeling is mutual.
Draco points out: This is how it’s always going to be. There will never be any change. Nothing else really matters but that fact, right? But then he pauses: Is this the part where I’m supposed to applaud your strength of character and fortitude?
*
There is another common belief that in a proper story good must triumph over evil.
The problem here is that good and evil are just subjective points of view for any given person. What’s right to one person, may very well be wrong to someone else.
Sometimes good and evil really aren’t that far apart.
Sometimes you can find them in the same person.
*
Harry says: I’m trying to save lives here, Malfoy.
Draco asks: Are you really so sure your way is right?
Harry looks suitably affronted: Of course I’m doing it right.
Draco smirks: Having a battle of wits with the unarmed is so trying sometimes. Potter, that’s what everyone thinks until it’s too late.
*
If looks could kill they both would have died a long time ago, but obviously they haven’t because that’s not how this story is meant to go. Of course this story doesn’t actually have an ending yet, so really no one can accurately say how it should go, but there are ideas.
There are always ideas.
*
He says: You need me, Potter. You don’t have to admit it, because I already know it.
Harry says: You’re full of shit, Malfoy.
Draco says: There would be no Boy Who Lived unless there was a You Know Who for him to vanquish. There will be no great Mudblood Revolution without Death Eaters to fight against.
It’s hard to be a hero when there’s no villain to vanquish.
The more you deny it, the more you know it’s true, without out me around there’s really no point in you. This is why when you die, I’ll die, too.
-end-
Note1: *Fight Club, baby!
Note1: One of my betas is in Vegas, which is where I’m supposed to be going for NYE too, but I think I shall pass. I have no idea where my other beta is, if you see her though, please tell her to send up a signal flare or something.
Note2: Something tells me that I owe this formatting concept to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
silviakundera, but I’m not sure why. Sil, did you already do this? If so, my bad, I’m totally not trying to do a five-fingered discount on you.
Note3: Apparently even Fay’s icons are inspirational. Dedicated to her genius.
Draco says: You knew the end of the story before it started.
Harry says: No, I didn’t.
Draco laughs: Yes, you did.
There is a common misconception that any story worth telling must have certain elements to make it worth reading: a plot, a setting, a protagonist that learns some important lesson about the state of the world before it’s all over. The key point, though, is the protagonist. He, or she, must overcome adversity. He, or she, must fight against the mythical forces of evil for what is right and honest and true.
After all, there’s not much good in having a protagonist if there’s nothing antagonistic for him to overcome.
Winning is only important when somebody else loses.
Draco says: You can deny it until your Mudbloods control the Ministry and Longbottom shags the Weasel, but at the end of the day you know it’s the truth.
Harry says: You’re fucking deluded, Malfoy.
Draco laughs, again: Tell yourself whatever lies you have to to get to sleep at night, Potter, I don’t really give a niffler’s arse. But the truth is that you need me.
Harry says: I’d Avada Kedavra myself first.
Draco just looks smug: Without me you’re nothing. Without me you’ll never win, and you know how much I love to win.
Love makes people messy.
In stories ‘love’ is for friends and family. It should not be for people the protagonist is supposed to hate because that clearly does not follow the guidelines of what’s to be expected. The protagonist is not supposed to feel empathy for the antagonist.
That is not how the story goes.
The problem, again, is that love is one of those dodgy elements in the potion. It makes people emotional and unstable. Love makes people do things that don’t follow the story guidelines. Perhaps this is why people have issues with stories like they have issues with love, and this is why they make divisions.
Good and evil.
Right and wrong.
Love and lust.
Except that love isn’t really something that can be categorized and stuck inside a box of Quidditch supplies.
Draco says: I hate you more than you will ever know .
Harry says: You’re scum, Malfoy. The feeling is mutual.
Draco points out: This is how it’s always going to be. There will never be any change. Nothing else really matters but that fact, right? But then he pauses: Is this the part where I’m supposed to applaud your strength of character and fortitude?
There is another common belief that in a proper story good must triumph over evil.
The problem here is that good and evil are just subjective points of view for any given person. What’s right to one person, may very well be wrong to someone else.
Sometimes good and evil really aren’t that far apart.
Sometimes you can find them in the same person.
Harry says: I’m trying to save lives here, Malfoy.
Draco asks: Are you really so sure your way is right?
Harry looks suitably affronted: Of course I’m doing it right.
Draco smirks: Having a battle of wits with the unarmed is so trying sometimes. Potter, that’s what everyone thinks until it’s too late.
If looks could kill they both would have died a long time ago, but obviously they haven’t because that’s not how this story is meant to go. Of course this story doesn’t actually have an ending yet, so really no one can accurately say how it should go, but there are ideas.
There are always ideas.
He says: You need me, Potter. You don’t have to admit it, because I already know it.
Harry says: You’re full of shit, Malfoy.
Draco says: There would be no Boy Who Lived unless there was a You Know Who for him to vanquish. There will be no great Mudblood Revolution without Death Eaters to fight against.
It’s hard to be a hero when there’s no villain to vanquish.
The more you deny it, the more you know it’s true, without out me around there’s really no point in you. This is why when you die, I’ll die, too.
-end-
Note1: *Fight Club, baby!
Note1: One of my betas is in Vegas, which is where I’m supposed to be going for NYE too, but I think I shall pass. I have no idea where my other beta is, if you see her though, please tell her to send up a signal flare or something.
Note2: Something tells me that I owe this formatting concept to
silviakundera, but I’m not sure why. Sil, did you already do this? If so, my bad, I’m totally not trying to do a five-fingered discount on you.Note3: Apparently even Fay’s icons are inspirational. Dedicated to her genius.
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no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 12:53 pm (UTC)If I find one of your betas in my linen closet I'll send them your way (highly unlikely, but who knows).
no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 03:46 pm (UTC)Well, they do tend to get misplaced that way, so thank you all the same.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 12:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 03:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 04:21 pm (UTC)I wrote a found object for TOS a few days ago.
But I've not been reading much in HP lately. Only my very favoritest writers can command my attention. Of which, you would be one.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-31 09:29 am (UTC)Why thank you, the feeling is of course, mutual.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 01:28 pm (UTC)That's the kind of thing that makes me question why I bother. I can't do it half as well, half as interesting (well, okay, *sometimes*, *rarely*), so why do it at all?
*sigh*
Sorry. I'll take my complex back to my own lj now.
And dude, this so rocks.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 03:50 pm (UTC)I have plenty of complexes of my own, let's not have them all mingling and getting ideas from each other.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 01:31 pm (UTC)And, of course, the theme of villians being necessary is one I've recently become quite attracted to, so I loved the line: It’s hard to be a hero when there’s no villain to vanquish.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 03:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 01:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 03:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 04:40 pm (UTC)This was excellent, just excellent.
Thank you.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-31 09:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 05:59 pm (UTC)I especially loved this line: Having a battle of wits with the unarmed is so trying sometimes. Bless him.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-31 09:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-30 07:24 pm (UTC)And: This was great. So meta, so snarky, pitch perfect right down the line.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-31 09:32 am (UTC)Cool beans!
And: This was great. So meta, so snarky, pitch perfect right down the line.
I had no idea what the hell was happening when I wrote it, but I'm so glad it seemed cohesive when you read it. Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2003-12-31 10:30 am (UTC)Sometimes you can find them in the same person.
This is absolutely...right. H/D as it should be written, always, and I sincerely worship every sentence here. Just, yes. *memories*
no subject
Date: 2003-12-31 12:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-03 01:03 pm (UTC)This rocked. And it feels rather Foucault, actually, which is cool. I do love your Draco.
*yawns* *stumbles off*
no subject
Date: 2004-01-05 10:18 am (UTC)You said it felt Foucault. I heart you. Did you ever get hold of that book I told you about? Also, I'd like to actually write something longer than 500 words but it's like my brain is full of peanut butter.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-05 10:28 am (UTC)Also, I'd like to actually write something longer than 500 words but it's like my brain is full of peanut butter.
Word. I'd like to write anything. I think I may go back to writing a few drabbles, just to see if anything gets kickstarted. Hmm. *off in search of inspiration. somewhere.*
no subject
Date: 2004-01-03 10:54 pm (UTC)as for your story, you know i'm going to say i adore it. it's the simplicity of your stories that gets me in the end; the very basicness of your structure and the concepts, which simply highlights the complexity of the emotions and the writing. god, i love this shit.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-03 10:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-05 10:23 am (UTC)i've been feeling rather crappy about my writing recently, but you have totally made my day, thank you!