The Necessary Inversion of Enacting Justice in the Harry Potter Series

Anyone directly following the depicted examples of exacting justice in fictional literature has a fairly good chance of winding up in prison, especially since a good number of stories and novels have (notably ones involving archetypal heroes) the protagonists enabled to take matters into their own hands and carrying out their own justice???from rescuing a kidnapped princess to saving the universe. This falls in stark contrast to what Western society considers acceptable, in terms of legal standards, for readers may cheer the vigilante who finally avenges his father???s death; however, the legal system frowns upon individuals circumnavigating the laws to administer justice. Thus, there exists an inversion in principals: people are instructed to let the courts do the work and yet are presented with virtually countless examples of exactly the opposite. Certainly, this is not a new theme in literature, for even around 800 BCE, Homer had Odysseus carrying out his own version of justice as he violently slew dozens of men who had usurped his home and had ill intentions toward his wife. While this phenomenon may not be problematic for adults, some may consider it unwise for growing children to be exposed to such a radical inversion in teachings. Young adults are in a transition, or initiation, phase, having to learn important lessons to utilize throughout life. Why complicate matters by inverting justice for them? Should not the hero simply be calling the authorities or filing a complaint and allowing the judicial system time for due\ud 2\ud process? While it would not likely be very entertaining, there are other reasons for this inverted justice to be considered beneficial: while the methods of solving problems differ in fiction, other lessons can be obtained???children can learn to evaluate whether justice is being properly upheld and they can see that individuals may disagree and take steps to fix or improve the system, though the methodology changes in real life