Harry Potter Character Sketch!

[Scott]

No: HPFGUIDX 17183

This post contains
1-Wonderful Character Sketch (Thanks Joywitch!)
2-Lots of thoughtful and witty things that Ebony wrote.
3-My comments


Ebony wrote:
"Yes, yes, I know all about D's famous quote about our choices making 
us who we are, and not our abilities.  I don't think his quote can be 
used to prove that Harry's an ordinary wizarding kid or even a Squib 
who got his powers from Voldemort (as was recently proposed here.)  A 
gifted child has a  different set of choices to make than a child who 
is average, based on his/her abilities."

--I understand where you're coming from and don't disagree with you. 
(BTW, I was the one who suggest Harry might've been a squib had it 
not been for Voldemort...) I have the feeling that there is something 
special about Harry. Whether it was there before Halloween 1981 or 
not, and whether it is simply his mother's gift (an imprint of magic 
and love) upon Harry I don't know. 

I do however know that I don't at all like the theory that there is 
something innate in Harry that means he WILL kill Voldemort. The idea 
that no matter what choices Harry makes he will still defeat 
Voldemort because that's his destiny and his fate, and there's no way 
he can escape it. I know you weren't saying this, per se, which is 
why I said I didn't disagree with you but...

I just think that Dumbledore's famous comment about choices and 
abilities is one of the morals at the heart of the whole series and 
giving that Harry has a great unalterable destiny lessens it's 
importance. This doesn't mean that the quote proves Harry is a 
regular wizard. Just as the Trelawny's first prediction scenario 
doesn't prove the flip side of this argument (that Harry is indeed 
special).

When it comes down to it I think we are basically in agreement. 
Whether Harry has a "specialness" or not it is still up to him how he 
uses that, and whether it is for good and evil. Neither extreme 
(Harry regular wizard; superpower) is perfect and the two can, IMO, 
work together quite well.

Joywitch:
"2. What was Professor Trelawney's first correct prediction?  Was it
about Harry?  More importantly, was it that only Harry could kill
Voldemort?  Or that Harry would lead the fight against Voldy, or that
only Harry could do something that would lead to Voldy's defeat?  Or
that only a child born to the Potters could defeat Voldy?  WHAT WAS
IT?  (Yes, I know this has been discussed to death)"

Ebony:
"See above.  And yes, it has been discussed to death."

--I still say that Trelawny's first prediction was that no matter 
what the outcome of the book a bunch of nutters (like ourselves) 
would be utterly obsessed! ;-)

It HAS been discussed to death, but it seems to be almost universally 
(well that might be stretching it) agreed that the first prediction 
has something to do with why V wanted the Potter's namely Harry in 
1981. Whether it was because he was the Heir of Gryffindor or any 
number of other reasons...

Joywitch wrote:
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?"

"It's too early to tell. Can't we have some middle ground between 
"certain doom" and "riding off into the sunset", though?  :)"

--I agree with Ebony that it's too early to tell as far as canon 
evidence. Maybe you could count the fact that JKR said that the books 
would get darker. That however is a paper thin arguement at best.  If 
I had to choose though I would much rather see it end tragically than 
with an "every thing is perfect" storybook ending. Just my opinion 
though. 

(I'm not sure why I'd rather have a tragedy. Sounds terribly morose 
doesn't it? Most of my favourite books are tragedies if that counts 
for anything. I'll have to think about it...)

Joywitch wrote: 
"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?"

Ebony:
"I'm starting to wonder if the Dursleys are being paid to keep 
Harry.  I  know, there's no evidence in canon for it.  But Vernon and 
Petunia's hatred  of wizards might not extend to refusing to take 
their gold."

--I wouldn't put it past them at all. My guess is that somehow 
Dumbledore made them keep Harry...I'd like to think that he didn't 
result to blackmail (Do you want all of your muggle friends to know 
what type of freaks you come from?) or threats (you'll all turn into 
toads if you don't keep Harry). 

Maybe not exactly like that, but there must of been something.

Joywitch wrote:
"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?  This has already been discussed to death, but I'm sure
the Shipping Contingent wants to discuss it some more.  Knock
yourselves out."

Ebony:
"Hopefully, no one."
--NO ONE?!?! I agree though, not because I wouldn't like to see him 
in a relationship, but because I doubt it'll happen in canon.

Joywitch wrote:
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?

--Ebony and Penny said he didn't choose them. I wouldn't say that he 
didn't choose them altogether. True they were, to a certain extent 
"thrown together by circumstance", but he still chooses to become 
friends with them, he certainly didn't have to... 

"I would have liked to see more analysis of the Harry-Hermione 
*friendship*.  :)"

--Tomorrow perhaps?

Joywitch wrote:
"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?"

--Well he is the protagoist of the novels which also bear his name.  
Even so I actually do think it is a bit of stretch. We'd not be as 
lenient if Ron (or some other side character) had all of Harry's 
talents and he nothing. Then again if so the books wouldn't be about 
Harry Potter but about that person.

Happy Harry Fortnight!

Scott