Harry Lacks Self Confidence (WAS: Spiders, Snake, Sarcasm, Sound, Size)

[erisedstraeh2002]

Richelle wrote (regarding Harry saying "Don't worry, I will be" there 
to save the day):
 
> My thoughts are still that they are trying to sum up in a single 
> line Harry's perceptions.  In the first *movie* for example, Harry 
> scarcely even touches his wand. Now he's joined the dueling club, 
> he's not afraid any more to get out there and try something.  He 
> believes in himself, and the rest will come.

Now me:

I've been trying to figure out why I don't like this scene, and I 
think this might be part of it:  I don't see Harry having the self 
confidence to say this to Lucius.  Despite all of his talents and 
achievements, Harry is extremely lacking in the confidence department 
(IMO, one of the side-effects of 10 years of emotional abuse at the 
hands of the Dursleys).  It's most pronounced at the beginning of 
PS/SS (when he's afraid he'll be at the bottom of the class, when 
he's afraid the Sorting Hat won't put him in a house), but it 
continues throughout all 4 books (he can't cast an effective Expecto 
Patronum spell until he realizes he's already done it in PoA; he's 
concerned about making a fool of himself when he's chosen as 
Triwizard champion in GoF).  IMO, this is deliberate on JKR's part - 
through the experiences he has in each book, we see his confidence 
slowly building, so that by Book 7, he'll have the confidence to 
(hopefully!) do away with Voldemort once and for all.  

But this confidence is *not* there yet in CoS.  Harry doesn't 
originally plan on taking on the Basilisk himself - he goes to 
Lockhart's office to give him helpful information, and when he finds 
out Lockhart isn't going to do anything to help his best friend's 
sister, he realizes he'll have to do it himself.  But he takes 
Lockhart along for reinforcement (why he thought the inept Lockhart 
would be able to help has always been a bit of a mystery to me!).  As 
it says in one of the books, Harry doesn't go looking for trouble - 
trouble finds him (another one of my favorite lines!).

Harry's lack of self confidence also explains (IMO) Richelle's other 
question - it's why Harry doesn't respond when Lucius makes 
his "you'll meet the same sticky end as your parents" comment.

~Phyllis