The Trio and the nature of love

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 10949

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., moongirlk at y... wrote:
"...we can lhave great fun talking about love (eros) between 
characters, but the thing that makes the books so compelling and so 
special to me is the love (philia) that the trio share.  That is what 
drives me back to the books again and again. Can you imagine what 
Harry would have become if he'd stayed with the Dursleys year after 
year until he hit legal adulthood and they kicked him out?  It's the 
love (philia) of his friends and the love (caritas) of his 
teachers/mentors and the love (storge? - can't quite remember the 
word) of Sirius and of his 'adoptive' family - Molly and Arthur that 
have changed his life so thoroughly and hooked me completely."

Thank you for finding the vocabulary I didn't have for this.  I was 
looking for the terms for different kinds of love and couldn't find 
them. And you have brought in the love Harry has gotten from the 
Weasleys, which I would have longed to have.  I think the bond of the 
Trio and the family is central to the story. I can't resist it, and my 
sappy detector doesn't go off.
 
Kimberly:"..there are not a lot of books that portray strong, 
flawed, loyal, insecure, REAL friendships and also take you on a 
great adventure.  So if she manages to also wow me with romance, 
I'll be thrilled, and if she manages to allow happy-ever-after 
scenarios in the end, I'll be extatic, but honestly, at this point, if 
she did neither of the above, I'd still be satisfied, simply with the 
great characters she's created and the wonderful interactions she's 
given them."

In my heart of hearts I'd like to see Harry get everthing: love a 
mate, love of his friends, love of a family. But in my head of heads I 
doubt it.  Harry will lose a lot; he will lose friends; he may lose 
too much to bond with a mate, at least in canon. Family of some kind 
will still be there. That makes me a no-shipper on that level. I have 
my doubts if he'll have PTSD in the clinical, diagnostic sense, but 
Harry's going to be beat up pretty bad and he is going to pay a heavy 
price.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed with the blood of patriots."