[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry's Intelligence

[Aja]

No: HPFGUIDX 32596


> I have come to believe that Harry is a tremendously gifted wizard and 
> will continue to get even greater with more study. But like many 
> people, the classroom bores him silly, but when he's faced with a 
> real-world situation, that is, a real-wizard-world situation, he does 
> quite well.
> 
> Z. Hooch

Hear, Hear! And let's also not forget one of the most important skills of
"great" men through the ages, often having nothing to do with booksmarts: 
leadership. Hermione is much smarter than Harry or anyone else--but her
attempts at leadership are usually met with scorn because of her
"know-it-all" tendencies.  Malfoy is likewise a pretty sharp tack, but he
has to provoke or bully others into following him, like his father.  And
Neville, a notoriously "bad" student by certain standards of intelligence,
revealed a latent ability to act as a leader in standing up to the Trio in
SS/PS.

 Harry has an amazing ability to inspire loyalty and determination in the
people around him.  Half of his charm IMO is failing to realize how much
of his popularity and the faithfulness of his supporters is based on his
own quiet natural charisma, and goodness of heart. Because of his scar,
and because he's not the brightest student in school, Harry believes he
hasn't *earned* his place in the wizarding world. I believe future books
will show him coming to terms with this a little better, and gaining
confidence that will make him truly a phenomenal wizard. Books and
cleverness have little to do with that. 

Aja

"You know you have a problem when...You start saying things like Harry
Potter and coital in the same sentence." --Cathryn