Harry's Top Five

[heathernmoore]

No: HPFGUIDX 31684

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Penny & Bryce <pennylin at s...> wrote:
> Hi --
> 
> cindysphynx wrote:
> 
> > Megan wrote:
> > 
> >  > If you could make a list of the top five most INFLUENTUAL people in
> >  > Harry's life, who would they be? 
> 
> My list might be slightly different than others.  I do like the notion 
> of there being negative influences like the Dursleys & Voldemort 
> included, but for my purposes, my top 5 will just include the positive 
> influences.  :--)
> 
<snip -- I agree with Penny's preference to separate out negative from positive influence into different lists. Penny's list as, to recap: Dumbledore, James, Sirius, Remus, and H&R.)

>  I'm surprised no one has yet argued for 
> Snape.  I suspect he *will* get added to this list of influences on 
> Harry before the series is out.  :--)
> 
> Penny
> 
> 3. 


 You're way ahead of me here, Penny! I'd have Snape currently on the top 10, but just outside the Top Five.  

His presence in Harry's life has already been influencing Harry to go beyond surface appearances and to understand that you can't always take people at face value.  But  - and for this reason, I'd also take James off the Top Five - Snape is a passive influence. He hasn't yet actively given Harry any personal guidance -- I agree that he may well do so in the coming books, but so far he's more of a "teaching tool" than a teacher. 

By he same token, James has not provided any influence to Harry directly. Everyone's memories of James, and the picture Harry has constructed in his mind of his father, have been an invaluable inspiration to Harry -- but this is again very passive. (Considering that James is dead-and-gone as far as we can yet tell, he can't be anything *but* passive, of course.)   

I'd call it that so far Snape and James have been catalysts for Harry, but not influencers.

With Snape and James off my list, I'd nominate -- don't laugh! -- Dobby. Dobby has gone to extreme lengths to try to protect Harry, pushing the edges of what is generally considered acceptable behavior for a House Elf. From Dobby, Harry has learned the value of generosity and gratitude. From Dobby, Harry has seen that people can struggle against their constraints to do the right thing and stand up for their personal convictions -- even if Dobby had some rather disconcerting ideas of how to go about it!  Harry has learned what kind of loyal allies can be earned through kindness and how people can use the system to their own advantage. 


  -- heather (uma)