Post-Potter Depression: A Possible Cure?

Chessmedalist, you may have just saved us all. How can we ever repay you?—Sparkitors

Are you suffering from Post-Potter Depression, ever after reading last week’s post about potential treatments? Are you desperate to find a way to reconnect with the wizarding world? Well, you can breathe a sigh of relief: I’ve unearthed a potent remedy. Now what, you may be inquiring, is the panacea that I have exhumed from the bowels of the internet? Why, it’s simple: it’s the James Potter series!

Sure, J.K. Rowling didn’t write the series (although in 2008 there was speculation that she did), but that doesn’t make it any less authentic. Boldly taking over where Rowling left off, author G. Norman Lippert has been writing and publishing the series on his website as fan-fiction. He has posted three works so far: James Potter and the Hall of Elder’s Crossing, James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper, and James Potter and the Vault of Destinies. In addition, he has published a spin-off novel, The Girl on the Dock, which is set during the summer between Curse of the Gatekeeper and Vault of Destinies. Finally, he is planning to publish a prequel to the entire Potterverse, Ruins of Camelot, which will be available at your local bookstore this fall. The novels are absolutely fantastic, and I would contend that The Girl on the Dock and The Vault of Destinies surpass even the brilliance of several of Rowling’s novels.

The novels follow the misadventures and exploits of James Sirius Potter, Harry’s eldest son. Faced with evils even greater than those his father conquered, James has realized that he cannot hope to succeed unless he works with others (whereas Harry often attempted to act alone, due to his inherent nobility and a stubborn independent streak). The responsibility of rescuing the universe from diabolical plots against wizarding security is a huge one, and it seems to have fallen upon James’ brave and ready shoulders. But the new threats facing the wizarding world seem simply too powerful to defeat; I’ll try to explain the plot further without spoiling any of the details.

In these novels, an organization called The Progressive Element has taken to claiming that Voldemort was a revolutionary who advocated complete equality with the Muggles, and that he was unjustly murdered by Harry Potter. The PE eschews the use of violence in favor of reason and debate, and as such, attracts a sizable group of followers. They also advocate the abolition of the International Statue of Secrecy, argue against so-called “Auror tyranny,” and have infested both the Slytherin House and the vast majority of Alma Aleron University (the wizarding school in the United States). These wizards and witches, however, are not what they seem: prejudiced at heart, the group cunningly wishes to destroy the Muggles by creating tensions between the wizarding and Muggle worlds in the name of equality.

But the problem isn’t limited to them: terrorist organizations such as W.U.L.F. (Wizard United Liberation Front) have been attempting to overthrow the natural order and plunge the world into chaos. As if that weren’t enough for James and his friends to deal with, several members of the PE have been secretly attempting to unite three ancient relics in order to resurrect the most powerful wizard of all time. If this attempt succeeds, it will not only revive the wizard (or more accurately, the sorcerer), it will also facilitate the advent of a living force which will attempt to unleash Armageddon upon the Earth.

It doesn’t help matters that James and his friends, Ralph (a Slytherin) and Zane (an American Ravenclaw), have discovered that Voldemort has also established a bloodline, and therefore an heir. And finally, on top of everything else, a young witch unknowingly unleashes a seemingly unstoppable force intent upon creating chaos among all the universes.

Yikes. Sounds heavy, right? It is, but all of the imminent danger makes for an incredible read. What truly ensures that Lippert’s novels will be well-received by Potter fans is that, like Rowling, he expertly weaves both humor and emotion into a dark plot. I found myself laughing at clever jokes integrated into all three novels, and discovered that two of the three had a significant emotional impact on me, similar to the last two HP novels. In short, if you’re a die-hard Harry Potter fan, you should definitely read these novels. I can promise that you won’t regret it!

Wow. We are SO in! Have you guys heard about these books?

Related post: Coping with Post-Potter Depression