The legend of Harry Potter, or as he came to be remembered, Mala Suerte, is one that is well known by any seafarer worth his salt.
Even in far Japan, or down south in the Americas, his name is known. It is never in contention that he existed (or, as some would believe, exists still), for the impacts of his actions, his legend, still linger now, in more civilised times.
Yet, in all my travels to catalog his story, follow the trail of Mala Suerte where it might lead me, have I ever come across the origin of his tale. All I have found is hearsay and myth. Some say he was born from the seas themselves, a physical manifestation of their chaos. Others would swear he was a noble heir who turned from his position, or the heir of Merlin himself. The now famous ravings of an insignificant merchant from the time, one Vernon Dursley, claim that Mala Suerte was once the man’s slave before he became a seafarer, an unwanted nephew foisted off on the madman’s family.
None of these tales, however, hold the truth I seek. Does the tale of Mala Suerte, of Harry of the Lament, even have a beginning? And, if it does, is it one I am willing to find?
Excerpt from ‘Here Came Misfortune’, by Patrick Selvy