Knight2King
| Fan Theory | |
|---|---|
| Fan Theory: | Knight2King |
| Synonyms: | K2K |
| Origin: | lizardlaugh & ixchelmala |
| Fandom(s): | Harry Potter |
| Dates: | 2004-2005 |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Knight2King was a fan theory that posited that that Ron Weasley would travel in time in the later books of the series so as to become Dumbledore. The theory was proposed by lizardlaugh & ixchelmala after the publication of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Knight2King acquired more detail in later incarnations and become somewhat controversial and notorious. It eventually gained J.K. Rowling's attention and was debunked.
As support for their theory, lizardlaugh and ixchelmala cited the chess game in the first Harry Potter book.
What is so interesting about this game is that Ron actually plays *two* roles. He is both the Knight, fighting in the war, and the metaphorical player, giving the orders, when, as we all know, Dumbledore is the one calling the shots, directing the troops in the larger game (the war). Dumbledore is the metaphorical chess player in the war on the side of good. If he is a piece in the game (and he most certainly is), he is the King. However, in the game the trio plays, it is RON who directs all the action. It is Ron who is the metaphorical player. How do we reconcile this?
Rowling gives us the answer in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Weasley is Our King.[1]
K2K chronicled matching body type, matching scars, taste in food, history, and symbolism. It also noted that Rowling had a strong penchant for character reversal—Ron, the anti-intellectual, would thus be the logical choice to become the consummate academic, Dumbledore.
The theory received attention from all corners of Harry Potter fandom, with reactions varying from "put down the crack pipe" to "it all makes so much sense, and Hermione is McGonagall!" (references needed)
In April 2005, Rowling took the time to debunk the theory herself:
Dumbledore is really Ron/Harry ‘from the future’
Your inventiveness knows no bounds, and I do not mean that sarcastically; these theories open up exhilarating new vistas of possibility… but they’re wrong. Could it be that by speculating that Harry/Ron becomes Dumbledore, you are seeking reassurance that neither dies young?[2]
Lizardlaugh and ixchelmala responded:
Ms. Rowling, your inventiveness knows no bounds and has opened up many exhilarating new vistas of possibility to explore for us, your fans. For that, we thank you and hope you enjoyed reading our wild speculations as much as we enjoyed making them. We are thrilled and honored that you mentioned our pet theory on your site. We may have been wrong, but it was all in the spirit of ‘if you have your wits about you, you can figure it out’. We are very much looking forward to HBP.[citation needed]
The theory remained in currency for a short while afterwards by those who thought JK Rowling was using intentionally misleading language in her post, but soon faded into obscurity.
Links
References
- ^ Unplottables: Weasley is Our King, written January 8th, 2004; accessed April 19th, 2009. The page has a much fuller exegesis of the idea.
- ^ J.K.Rowling Official Site, Section: Rumours. Accessed April 19th, 2009.