We're used to the X-Men or Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Scooby Gang, so much so that we don't see that Harry's trajectory is the inverse of Buffy's. Buffy is a former cheerleader whose magic powers actually make her a geek and an outcast. Harry is a nobody-special who finds out that he's special, and becomes not just the star athlete and hero of his school, but an actual celebrity. Sure, there's ups and downs, but his trajectory is away from being the outcast and towards being the homecoming king. Which may not be as emotionally satisfying as "my greatness makes me an outcast", but is probably more realistic. In his world, being a badass is appreciated and he's realistically rewarded in his society for it.
--Amanda Marcotter "Harry Potter: Amti-Geek"
Zach Beauchamp and E. D. Kain offer corrections:
She gets a few things wrong (Ron is not "stereotypically privileged" - his family's poverty is a big deal in the books) and omits a few things (like Harry being an orphan and an outcast before he gets to Hogwarts), but it's an interesting point. Extra points for the Buffy comparison. E.D. Kain complicates Marcotte's narrative:
Potter may not be an outcast himself but he attracts outcasts. Hagrid, Neville, Luna Lovegood, Dobby – these are all social outcasts attracted to Potter because he gladly welcomes social outcasts into his circle, and because he identifies with them in spite of his own celebrity (or perhaps because of it).
