Harry Potter Character Sketch - Part 3 of 3

[meboriqua at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 17121

Nice character sketch, Joywitch!  I've been eager to read it and to 
discuss Harry to my heart's content.  He is, without a doubt, my 
favorite character.  I may get smeared here as I respond, because I 
don't have many negative things to say about Harry, but here goes :-).
> 
> Questions
> 
> 1.  The primary question about Harry, which we have discussed a 
> million times, is WHY does Voldemort want to kill him?  And why did 
> he kill James and Lily, for that matter?

I'm not sure how well I can answer that one.  I think JKR has 
deliberately left this a mystery to be solved later.  We don't know 
what Harry's parents were doing (Aurors?  Gryffindor heirs?) to be 
targets of Voldie in the first place.  Harry is obviously connected 
to that.  Of course, Voldie is a cold blooded killer walking into the 
Potters' home, so murdering a baby isn't so far fetched for him 
anyway.  Somehow Harry is a major threat to Voldie - I think Voldie 
knows that Harry's powers will rival his, and they already do, in a 
way.  Other than Dumbledore, I believe that Harry is now the one 
wizard (or second) who puts fear into Lord Voldemort.
> 
> 
> 3.  Will Harry's life end in tragedy or will he live happily ever 
> after?  Is there a reasonable argument for either, i.e. has JKR 
> indicated in any way how Harry will end up?

The thought of Harry dying in book 7 is almost unbearable to me.  I 
am still angry at C.S. Lewis for having Lucy, Edmund and Peter die 
in "The Last Battle" (last of the Narnia books) just to go on to 
heaven.  I cannot accept that as a happy ending.  I did read JKR say 
in an interview "How do you know Harry will survive?" (something like 
that), and it just broke my heart.

If Harry dies, what is the point of the noble crusade he has pursued 
for good and against evil Voldemort?  I feel that Harry has been 
through enough in his young life.  We're not in a Hardy novel here, 
where bad karma and bad luck reign, and considering that millions of 
children do read these books, it would be monumentally upsetting.

I want Harry to win.   
> 
> 4.  Why the hell did the Dursleys take Harry in, anyway?  Did they 
> feel obligated to beat the magic out of him?  Was Petunia even 
upset 
> when she heard that her sister died?  Were they threatened (or 
> charmed) by Dumbledore?

I don't think the Dursleys had a choice.  Of course, we have no idea 
what was written in the letter left by Dumbledore.  I'd love to see 
what he wrote.  I think that we are going to be surprised at who the 
Dursleys really are - are really will be.  The nasty, narrow-minded, 
unimaginative Muggle family we so love to hate will not, IMO, be the 
same family by book 7.  I still think Petunia is a witch, BTW.

I have also read (on this site) speculations about the Dursleys' 
contact with Dumbledore. I like the idea that they have maybe spoken 
to him more often than we think.  We know they have had several 
encoutners with the wizard world in the last 4 books - Hagrid, 
dealing with the deflation of Aunt Marge, and then the Weasleys.  
There certainly could have been more.
> 
> 5.  Probably the most popular question about Harry Potter is – Who 
> will he fall in love with?  Will it be Cho Chang, Hermione, Ginny, 
or 
> someone else?  

Ginny - please, Ginny!  She has been nothing but sweet to Harry.  She 
defends him in CoS, brings him a card in PoA, as well as has a laugh 
with him at Percy's expense, and shows herself to be a decent person 
in GoF when she has the chance to go to the Yule Ball with Harry but 
turns him down because Neville asked her first.  

As for Hermione, she and Harry work too well as friends - more on her 
in a bit.

Cho is out of the question.  I've mentioned this before, but how can 
Harry possibly date the girl whose boyfriend was murdered at his side?
> 
> 6.  What does the fact that Harry has chosen the fun-loving Ron and 
> the bookish Hermione as his two best friends say about Harry's 
> personality?

Ron and Hermione are not only loyal to Harry, but they serve an 
excellent purpose in the books.  Ron, as we all know, is the bearer 
of information about the wizard world.  Hermione is the brain who 
helps us as well as Harry learn more about magic.

Hermione is a lot more than just bookish, IMO.  She is strong and 
outspoken - how many 13 year olds would storm out of a classroom 
because they do not believe in their teacher?  Her S.P.E.W. campaign 
is a noble one (even though she drives the elves crazy).  Hermione is 
not afraid to be an individual and holds her head high when many of 
us would be humiliated, like in GoF when she doesn't let Rita 
Skeeter's scathing articles get to her.  She is an excellent friend 
and support system for Harry, but not girlfriend material (for him).
> 
> 7.  Why is Harry such a good Quidditch player?  How come he knows 
how 
> to fly a broomstick without even being taught?  Does it have 
> something to do with his past?  Isn't it a bit much that Harry is 
not 
> only the only one to have ever defeated Voldemort AND a natural-
born 
> Quidditch superstar?

By Harry being great at Quidditch, he is able to fit into a society 
that sees him as an outsider (no one else has been through what he's 
been through, he grew up with Muggles, etc.).  Everyone loves 
athletes, and it is easy for everyone to accept Harry when he is good 
at something as beloved as Quidditch is.

I also think Harry is a powerful wizard in the making.  Flying is 
just another thing that comes easily to him.  He has a natural 
curiosity about things and a desire to prove himself (the Sorting Hat 
was right on) that keeps him going all the time.


That should be more than enough for now - hope I made sense.  I can't 
wait to read other responses!  Now I must go teach.

--jenny from ravenclaw***********************************************