Harry Potter and the Girl on Fire
With the final Hunger Games movie coming out, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like if the Chosen One were chosen as tribute. If the character were to teleport into the non-magical world of Suzanne Collins’s novels, would he still be the Boy Who Lived?
To begin with, how would he end up as tribute? We can always rely on our lovely Gryffindor to step up as a volunteer and walk toward his death. Volunteering might not be the most Harry-like way, however. Something tells me Harry would end up being chosen. His name would pop up like it’s the Triwizard Tournament all over again. As he once said, “I don’t go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me.” Or would it be a well-thought-out conspiracy? Someone ask Dumbledore’s portrait, please.
Let’s get one part cleared up. Harry would not have his wand during the games. While we can argue that Collins doesn’t mention the wizarding world since she’s too focused on Muggle affairs, the fact is that any wands would get taken away beforehand. The Capital respects no personal privacy, and there is no way for Harry to hide his wand from them. I highly doubt it would be presented in the Cornucopia as his weapon of choice – and that goes for his broom as well.
What I’m more concerned with is how far his abilities could go without a wand. For argument’s sake, let’s assume there’s no Apparating in the arena. If there are wizards in Panem, then someone from the Department of Magical Games and Sports would have to be hired for the Hunger Games. Back in the day when Harry was bullied by “Ickle Dudleykins” and the gang, he managed to jump across a school building to escape, and at the time he was just a boy who believed flying motorcycles only existed in dreams. While wandless spells are very much a thing, I hate to admit I doubt Harry’s proficiency in it. He did have a lot of issues with nonverbal spells, and we can’t blame it all on Snape. Wandless magic is only used by very powerful and disciplined wizards and witches, and while Harry may be powerful, discipline is not his greatest strength (at least as a teenager, that is). That being said, Harry is quite the extraordinary wizard, and I would love to watch him in action with or without his wand in hand.
Even if he had no magical abilities in this crossover, he would still be quite spectacular as a tribute. He is an athlete, and a Snitch in time saves nine. Apart from physical capabilities, his determination and willpower would drive him forward. Even though his good soul would never let him go for the kill, self-defense and survival instincts would help him be among the last men standing. Besides, he ought to have learned a trick or two from Hermione in those months spent hiding, traveling, and sleeping in tents.
It may be that I’m still in post-book stress (you know, that time after you’ve finished a book, the movies based on it, and any fan fiction you can get your hands on, yet your soul is still aching), or that booking tickets for the last installment of a beloved series brings back a lot of memories, but all I can do is daydream of Harry and the Hunger Games crossovers. Mostly, it is the million-dollar question that keeps me up at night: Who would win in a battle to the death, Harry or Katniss?
May the odds be ever in your favor.