Harry is a clever and competent wizard
A recurring theme in fandom I find endlessly tiresome and disappointing is the portrayal of Harry as an academically struggling student whoās lamentably hopeless at Potions and middling in all other subjects aside from DADA, and who, alongside Ron, is in constant need of Hermioneās guidance. Itās present almost everywhere. Itās reinvented canon. And itās shoved down new readers and non-fansā throats alike. Please, thereās an HP wiki available for your perusal. Donāt go about consulting popular fics and the Hermione-biased movie directorās visions to draw your ideas of Harry and Ronās psyche!
Itās doubly aggravating when this depiction is used to highlight Hermione, Draco, or so-and-so classmateās magical Einstein-levels of genius and reinforce the false narrative that Harryās singular claim to brilliance lies in Quidditch, and that heās got nothing more than fluff and snitches between his ears on top of being oblivious to the point of idiocy. That apart from excelling in Defence, he doesnāt have much upstairs... (And even then a minority of the fandom portray DADA as akin to gym class where itās all honing muscles, muscle memory, and reflexes, with Harry framed as an archetypal gymbro on top of being a himbo. What?!)
So weāre just going to overlook his devastatingly biting wit and clever asides? Or brush aside how he repeatedly demonstrates his ability to perform well under pressure? His keen intuition and how he carefully retains seemingly insignificant, misfit puzzle pieces until the eureka moment strikes and he seamlessly integrates them into the bigger picture?
Take these two examples from Philosopherās Stone with an intrepid tiny Harryā
Harry was quite sure the unsettled feeling didnāt have anything to do with work, though. He watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in its mouth. Hagrid was the only one who ever sent him letters. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy . . . never . . . but ā Harry suddenly jumped to his feet.
āWhereāre you going?ā said Ron sleepily.
āIāve just thought of something,ā said Harry. He had turned white. āWeāve got to go and see Hagrid, now.ā
āWhy?ā panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.
āDonāt you think itās a bit odd,ā said Harry, scrambling up the grassy slope, āthat what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if itās against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, donāt you think? Why didnāt I see it before?ā
Quirrell cursed under his breath.
āI donāt understand . . . is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?ā
Harryās mind was racing.
What I want more than anything else in the world at the moment, he thought, is to find the Stone before Quirrell does. So if I look in the mirror, I should see myself finding it ā which means Iāll see where itās hidden! But how can I look without Quirrell realizing what Iām up to?
He tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell noticing, but the ropes around his ankles were too tight: he tripped and fell over. Quirrell ignored him. He was still talking to himself.
āWhat does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!ā
And to Harryās horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself.
āUse the boy . . . Use the boy . . .ā
Quirrell rounded on Harry.
āYes ā Potter ā come here.ā
He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Harry fell off. Harry got slowly to his feet.
āCome here,ā Quirrell repeated. āLook in the mirror and tell me what you see.ā
Harry walked toward him.
I must lie, he thought desperately. I must look and lie about what I see, thatās all.
Bravery alone wasnāt enough to overcome his troubled upbringing with the Dursleys, or Quirrelmort, or Diary Tommy, or the final leg of the Horcrux hunt ā it required a combination of mental agility, resourcefulness, and cunning to evaluate the situation, outsmart his opponents, and tip the odds in his favour. Harry needed to survive. To survive, he needed something other than mere guts. Harryās ability to think on his feet and leverage his intelligence to gain the upper hand in challenging scenarios remains a testament to his brilliance and his remarkable presence of mind. He isnāt the foolhardy, impulsive Gryffindor who leaps into danger headlong without prior planning everytime.
(For that matter, Gryffindors are more than their ābraveryā which has somehow been twisted into being synonymous with ārecklessā ā Sirius being a prime example of this, when in GOF he was urging Harry caution in their communications, despite the fandom conveniently only zeroing in on the depressed, cooped up version of him in OOTP, sigh. Bravery is fortitude, pluck, tenacity, strength of moral fibre, resilience, and heart as well.)
Some other less-mentioned examples of his quick mind: Harry wondering about Snape and Karkaroff being on a first-name basis; remembering Nicholas Flamel just from a long-ago glance, and again, Stan Shunpike despite their single encounter; Harry coaxing out Slughornās secret (no, it wasnāt all the Felix Felicis); Harry putting himself in Voldemortās shoes, and Ron and Hermione deferring to his superior, albeit scary, knowledge; and Harry frightening Ollivander with his deductions about the wands. (It wasnāt solely Hermioneās brains that enabled their chances of survival in DH, letās ditch that false narrative.)
The most laughably contrived bit in fanon is the unfounded notion that Hermione lets the boys cheat off her work to coast by in class. Fanon is wrong on both counts. Hermione would sooner report the boys for cheating than allow them to copy off her, and Harry isnāt anywhere close to scraping the bottom of the barrel in class, and neither is Ron. The handful of instances in canon where she looks over their assignments and helps correct mistakes isnāt cheating. Her input is akin to getting a second pair of eyes or a beta reader to ensure their work is up to snuff ā heaven forbid a student help out a friend by suggesting some tips and tweaks. (Or attend tuition or retain a personal tutor or three.)
The āthatās why Harry isnāt a Ravenclawā jokes get pretty stale once you realise a large portion of the fandom genuinely think he isnāt a smart kid or has never read a book of his own volition/interest in his life. But Harry enjoyed reading his new books late into the night before starting Hogwarts (he found Hedwigās name in A History of Magic, after all). Admittedly, studying is a feat in and of itself when you have zero access to books, but some cunning can turn around your luck!
Nevertheless, Sirius had been of some help to Harry, even if he couldnāt be with him. It was due to Sirius that Harry now had all his school things in his bedroom with him. The Dursleys had never allowed this before; their general wish of keeping Harry as miserable as possible, coupled with their fear of his powers, had led them to lock his school trunk in the cupboard under the stairs every summer prior to this. But their attitude had changed since they had found out that Harry had a dangerous murderer for a godfather ā for Harry had conveniently forgotten to tell them that Sirius was innocent.
āOh, Potter canāt differentiate between a salamander and newtās eyes.ā
āAsking him to skin shrivelfigs is a tall order since he canāt wield a dagger properly.ā
āHe used shredded jobberknoll feathers when the recipe called for a fine powder. Poor Hermione will have to take over yet again to save his stupid arse.ā
Itās these many variations and renditions of Harryās alleged, often exaggerated, ineptitude in fandom content and making a monkey out of him, which I come across more often than not, that are an instant turn-off.
The widespread idea that Harryās success in the subject can be attributed solely to the Princeās book is misguided and further undermines his intelligence ā and this jaundiced belief thatās crystallised itself as canon, of Harry and Ron putting on a double act as stupid slouches in class and therefore deserving of Snapeās derision and the Slytherinās put-downs, is a far cry from the truth. Snapeās opinion of Harryās intelligence or ability should be taken with a grain of salt, given that Harry has been described as a bright and talented child since his first year, by the Professors, Dumbledore, and the Sorting Hat. Even the resident megalomaniac described him as ānot unintelligentā. You know whatās actually canon?
1) Snapeās biased approach towards Harry and Neville caused them to have an unwarranted fear of failure and reprimands. The Potions classroom was a hostile and unwelcoming learning environment for these two boys.
2) Harry is pretty confident when left to his own devices in class in OoTP before Snape flushed his effort down the gutter.
Snape, meanwhile, seemed to have decided to act as though Harry were invisible. Harry was, of course, well used to this tactic, as it was one of Uncle Vernonās favourites, and on the whole was grateful he had to suffer nothing worse. In fact, compared to what he usually had to endure from Snape in the way of taunts and snide remarks, he found the new approach something of an improvement and was pleased to find that when left well alone, he was able to concoct an Invigoration Draught quite easily. At the end of the lesson he scooped some of the potion into a flask, corked it, and took it up to Snapeās desk for marking, feeling that he might at last have scraped an E.
He had just turned away when he heard a smashing noise; Malfoy gave a gleeful yell of laughter. Harry whipped around again. His potion sample lay in pieces on the floor, and Snape was watching him with a look of gloating pleasure.
āWhoops,ā he said softly. āAnother zero, then, Potter . . .ā
Harry was too incensed to speak. He strode back to his cauldron, intending to fill another flask and force Snape to mark it, but saw to his horror that the rest of the contents had vanished.
āIām sorry!ā said Hermione with her hands over her mouth. āIām really sorry, Harry, I thought youād finished, so I cleared up!ā
āAfter this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me,ā Snape went on. āI take only the very best into my N.E.W.T. Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying good-bye.ā
His eyes rested on Harry and his lip curled. Harry glared back, feeling a grim pleasure at the idea that he would be able to give up Potions after fifth year.
Ron found it quite easy to ignore as they spent most of Saturday and Sunday studying for Potions on Monday, the exam to which Harry was looking forward least and which he was sure would be the one that would be the downfall of his ambitions to become an Auror. Sure enough, he found the written exam difficult, though he thought he might have got full marks on the question about Polyjuice Potion: He could describe its effects extremely accurately, having taken it illegally in his second year.
The afternoon practical was not as dreadful as he had expected it to be.
With Snape absent from the proceedings he found that he was much more relaxed than he usually was while making potions. Neville, who was sitting very near Harry, also looked happier than Harry had ever seen him during a Potions class. When Professor Marchbanks said, āStep away from your cauldrons, please, the examination is over,ā Harry corked his sample flask feeling that he might not have achieved a good grade but that he had, with luck, avoided a fail.
Whereas in Ch 15 of OoTP, Snape had marked Harryās essay on moonstones as Dreadful and claimed it to be a realistic expectation of OWL grading:
āI have awarded you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your O.W.L.,ā said Snape with a smirk, as he swept among them, passing back their homework.
āThis should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in your examination.ā Snape reached the front of the class and turned to face them.
āThe general standard of this homework was abysmal. Most of you would have failed had this been your examination. I expect to see a great deal more effort for this weekās essay on the various varieties of venom antidotes, or I shall have to start handing out detentions to those dunces who get Dās.ā
He smirked as Malfoy sniggered and said in a carrying whisper, āSome people got Dās? Ha!ā
And yet, Harry did very well on his OWLs before he even got a whiff of the Princeās book.
Care of Magical Creatures EE
Defense Against the Dark Arts O
Harry and Ron studied (!) both days of the weekend before Potions OWLs (!) without Hermione (!), and still Harry wasnāt sure heād secure a good grade yet ended up scoring an EE. Exceeds Expectations, which yāknow translates to: Surpasses Expectations, So Much Better than Expected, Rather Brilliant.
Unless you believe that anything less than the top percentiles is rubbish, Harry is not a ācertifiable dunceā. Thereās no denying heās a competent and clever wizard and easily punches above his weight when heās properly motivated and applies himself. Intelligence is a genetic trait, and Harry comes from nerdstock.
If he could achieve those grades whilst serving 7-hour torture sessions with Umbridge, suffering from Voldemort and Snape tearing into his mind, and putting up with the government slandering him in his second most important school year, running on fumes and sheer will (constantly disruspted sleep routine? Ugh!), then yeah, remove all those crutches, and heād be raking in straight Os for most of those subjects. (It sort of sounds like āexcuse our mental health and and anxietyā for us if we perform poorly in exams, but not for Harry āheās an idiot throwing teen tantrumsā. Someone give me a hammer.)
āYouād need top grades for that,ā said Professor McGonagall, extracting a small, dark leaflet from under the mass on her desk and opening it. āThey ask for a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s, and nothing under āExceeds Expectationsā grade, I see. Then you would be required to undergo a stringent series of character and aptitude tests at the Auror office. Itās a difficult career path, Potter; they only take the best. In fact, I donāt think anybody has been taken on in the last three years.ā
Did he earn the grades? Yes. The Auror program ran aptitude tests, too, and only took the best, yes? Not because heās a hothead with a daredevil streak and impulse issues, yes? Not because his dream was to be an Auror since his third year, or that he was only exceptional at fighting, or some such nonsense. After all, Barty Crouch Jr, he of the impeccable OWLs record, saw something worthy of Auror material in Harry and planted the seed in his mind. (Reminder: Barty also said Hermione should consider joining the Aurors too because her āmind works the right wayā.)
And Moody thought he, Harry, ought to be an Auror! Interesting idea . . . but somehow, Harry thought, as he got quietly into his four-poster ten minutes later, the egg and the Cloak now safely back in his trunk, he thought heād like to check how scarred the rest of them were before he chose it as a career.
If Harry was incapable of telling up from down in Potions, the Princeās annotations would have been like casting pearls before swine. Worse still, Harryās supposed lack of know-how would have caused more harm than good. The book only helped to refine the skills and knowledge he had cultivated over five years of study. Having a comfortable learning environment, an encouraging teacher, and superior instructions allowed Harry to maximise his potential and excel in class. (This phenomenon of underachiever-to-star pupil can happen in real life and is not unique to Harry. It happens with neurodivergent students with slightly different needs, students who require a more personal teaching style, and students stunted by an unhealthy learning environment. When their needs are met and supported, they tend to thrive and reach their potential.)
To put it into perspective, imagine taking an average kid whose expertise in cooking extends to making beans on toast and putting them in a professional kitchen. Imagine asking this kid to fillet a salmon and very finely slice lemons for garnish, tasks that require careful hands, finesse, and patience. If the kid canāt distinguish between a paring knife and a boning knife, they donāt stand half a chance. Theyāre liable to mess up the fish from the get-go. They might use a petty knife for everything and present a terribly executed dish; or they might cleverly choose a smaller knife but misuse it, not knowing that the flexibility and sharpness of a blade vary depending on their purpose, and end up seriously hurting themselves. Either way, filleting a fish is best left to seasoned home cooks and the pros.
In contrast, Harry is identical to a proficient home cook who knows the ropes but lacks some finesse and the fancy carving and plating skills of a trained culinary student. He has a firm grasp of the necessary theory and techniques and knows how to prep ingredients correctly, but may fumble the ideal application of said techniques, lacks an inborn zeal for the craft that lends to creativity, and overlook the finer details, particularly when heās weighed down by fear of censure and humiliation. His level of success hinges on variables such as his confidence, familiarity with a recipe or method, and the type of environment heās in. Talent is like a little seed; when nurtured, it will flourish.
Slughornās NEWT class was small, admitting twelve students out of a fortyish-student batch. No Gryffindor, apart from the Golden Trio, made the cut, and they were joined by the lone Hufflepuff, four Ravenclaws, and four Slytherins. Essentially, only a dozen students achieved an EE or O to qualify for NEWT Potions. Fanon will tell you most of the Slytherins have been tinkering with cauldrons in their diapers, but canon shows that only two other Slytherins, besides Draco and Blaise, made the grade. So, how are we still perpetuating this incorrect interpretation that Ron and Harry were barely keeping up academically when theyāre more adept than half their year?
Harry and Ron arenāt academically inclined or driven by an obsessive urge to pore over books most hours of the day for fun, so what? Let them joke around and play chess and cards and broom race in the rain without bringing their brains and academics into the equation. Let Harry be a proper child/teen when heās not busy hunting clues and crushing evil plots. Stop making the sum of HJP be āPowerful Himboā or āSaviour Complex and Running on Luckā, which is pretty disrespectful towards a character who has shown himself to be so, so competent and well-rounded.
Itās such a huge thorn in my side that both Harry and Sirius (of all people, when heās twinning with James as the insultingly effortless mavens during their time at Hogwarts!) habitually have their intelligence questioned and maliciously devaluated, or blown off entirely. So I had to sit and get this chaotically demonstrative commentary off my chest. Thank you, if youāve read till the end!
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