In a bleak and mundane world, a child born to mysterious circumstances discovers they have a gift, but that gift is forbidden by the bad people that resent how awesome the gift is and want to punish special people that have the gift, so that special chosen one of destiny must embrace their destiny and restore the good and proper status quo with a little(a lot) of help from their friends. :so-true:

That isn't just Harry Potter or Star Wars, mind. That's also Terry Goodkind's cryptofascist slop, among many others.