Fave Characters

[catherine at cator-manor.demon.co.uk]

No: HPFGUIDX 19450

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., meboriqua at a... wrote:
> 
> >
> Vicky wrote: 
> >   I realize that, but that's why I get tired of hearing about 
him. 
> So dang popular. I mean, he's not a bad guy, and very loyal, but 
> Hermione is definitely better. I mean, Harry would never have 
gotten 
> to do what he gets credit for without their help. I know Ron and 
> Hermione get credit as well, but it isn't fair that he gets more of 
> it.
> > 
> 
> Hmm... I understand what you meant about Harry getting plenty of 
help 
> from his friends, but I'm not sure what you mean about Harry 
getting 
> more credit than they do.  The way I see it is that Harry has no 
> parents (and knowing his parents were murdered is an awful thing to 
> live with), while Hermione and Ron have both parents, are loved by 
> their parents, and supported (emotionally, in particular).  I'd say 
> the two of them get plenty of credit.  Remember, there are times 
when 
> Ron and Hermione are not supposed to be helping Harry anyway, and 
he 
> has to face most things by himself, Voldie being the biggest one.
> 
> Hermione is better?  She's definitely the smartest of the three, 
and 
> possibly the most perceptive (she knows Draco isn't the Heir of 
> Slytherin and questions Trelawney right away), but I also think 
Harry 
> treats her with a good deal of respect.  Although he does get angry 
at 
> her, it is Ron's words we hear exchanged with Hermione, not 
Harry's.  
> As far as Ron is concerned, Harry is also willing to give Ron as 
much 
> money as Ron needed - if Ron would accept it.
> 
> In the end, I think the three of them work best together as a team, 
> because they each have equally important things to contribute to 
their 
> friendship.  I would also say that Harry is the happiest when is he 
is 
> with both of them - when he encountered the Dementor in the maze at 
> the end of GoF, he imagines celebrating with both Hermione and Ron 
> after the tournament is over and that's what gives him the Patronus.
> 
> --jenny from ravenclaw***************************

I'm agreeing with you, yet again, Jenny.  I just wanted to take issue 
with the fact that Vicky is complaining that Harry is so popular.  I 
don't think he is.  In at least three of the books, he goes through 
patches when he is alienated by almost the whole school.  In PS/SS, 
he is ostracised by everyone except Ron, when he, Hermione and 
Neville lose so many points for Gryffindor.  In CoS, he becomes very 
unpopular when many people think he is responsible for opening the 
Chamber of Secrets.  In GoF, he is again ostracised by the rest of 
the school (except for the Gryffindors, but including Ron) when his 
name comes out of the Goblet of Fire.  

I think that JKR does this deliberately, so that Harry constantly has 
to prove himself and win popularity from his peers.  She is showing 
that fame is very much a double edged sword - afterall, no one would 
have taken as much notice of him losing all those points if he hadn't 
been the famous Harry Potter.  I think that she is portraying Harry 
as someone slightly introverted, who finds it hard to fit in, not Mr 
Popularity who  can do no wrong.  I also think that Hermione and Ron 
do get credit where it is due - at least in the first two books.  
They all get extra points and help Gryffindor win the cup.  He and 
Ron both get special awards from the school and get 200 points apiece 
for their house.  The only time I think that isn't the case is when 
Hermione in particular helps Harry with the summoning charm and 
doesn't get any credit for it - but afterall, Harry is the one under 
pressure, who is facing animosity from the rest of the school and 
Ron - he is the one who has to face the tasks, the others only have 
to do so vicariously, and the end result isn't glory and additional 
fame due to winning - this just does not happen because of the 
intervention of Voldemort and the death of Cedric.

I agree that Harry would not do as well without Hermione and Ron 
(except at Quidditch), but I also think that they do not have as much 
pressure on them to do well - they simply do not have the same 
burdens Harry does.  Yet, as Jenny says, he wants to share all his 
successes with them - giving the Weasley twins the winnings from the 
tournament is a roundabout way of doing this.

Sorry for the rant.  Although I love many of the characters in these 
books, Harry does remain my favourite.  I am fascinated by him - not 
least because although most of the narrative is from his POV, I still 
find him very enigmatic.

Catherine