Crouch; Next Headmaster?

[Julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 22416

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., meboriqua at a... wrote:
> <In short, Barty ain't sane.>
> 
> I agree with you there, but his insanity is something that really 
> bothered me. Why did he have to be insane?  Someone who received so 
> many O.W.L.s was obviously quite clear-minded at one point.  I'd 
like 
> to know at what point did Barty Jr. go insane.  Is JKR implying that 
> all DEs are insane?  That confused me.
> 

Writing here as a psychiatric Nurse- the guy definitely lost touch 
with reality- probably quickened by a trip to Azkaban but no reason to 
doubt that he may not have been headed that way anyway.

You can be Schizophrenic and be very intelligent
You can be a sociopath and be very intelligent (look at the unibomber)

His dad seems to  not possess the most normal of thought patterns 
either and generally apples don't fall far from the trees (genetic 
component in most mental illnesses) Someone mentioned how he 
compartmentalizes his emotions and this can be normal to an extent- I 
think the amount he does it is where you see his problems-

A little OCD I think- too neat, life needs to be neat- at least on the 
outside- can't really debate this too much- don't have the book 
infront of me and some of this is more a hunch than an actual proof

I do beleive that Junior starts on his path as a rebellion as someone 
metioned- "What can I do that would really piss off dad?"  ANd then 
gets caught up in it and throws himself into it-

These OCD-like people can be a pain to live with- never can meet the 
expectations etc- so son probably had a lot of resentment before hand 
(yes speculating again cuz this info is not in canon)

Anyway- he probably got "all the O.W.L.S" when he was still playing at 
being a good boy for dad- because it was expected of him- and yes he 
had to have the brains to go with this- but just because someone is 
schizophrenic/sociopath etc at age 19 doesn't mean they would have 
been at 17 or younger.

And don't forget the old adage of a fine line between intelligence and 
insanity-

Julie