Comforting!Ron, Sensitive!Harry

[charisjulia]

No: HPFGUIDX 39645

Penny wrote:

>Hi --
>
>Okay, I'm a few days late with this one .... but better late than 
never perhaps:

I hope so! Cos' this is abysmally late as well. Sorry. . .

COMFORTING!RON:

Penny and I had a slight disagreement on how to read the following 
scene:

GoF, "Beaubatons and Durmstrang": "That was a lie, * Harry,*" said 
Hermione sharply over breakfst, when he told her and Ron what he had 
done "You * didn't* imagine you scar hurting and you know it."

"So what?" said Harry. "He's not going back to Azkaban because of me."

"Drop it," said Ron sharply to Hermione.

I suggested that Hemione was focusing here more on the moral issue of 
lying than on what Harry needs at the moment, while Penny felt that 
she was worrying about what negative repercussions could result for 
her friend from that lie. She wrote:

>We're still at cross-purposes I'm afraid.  You have a valid 
interpretation I think.  But, >I actually disagree that Hermione's 
focus is on the lie that Harry told.  I think what >she means 
is: "Your scar *did* hurt Harry and maybe you *need* Sirius, so it 
was >foolish to lie & say you'd been wrong about your scar.  What if 
Sirius changes his >mind?"

Hmm, yeah, I do see your point now, Penny. And that's a perfectly 
valid interpretation as well. That just wasn't my, err, instinctive 
reading. I guess I generally see Hermione as a stickler for that kind 
of rule. Influenced by her portrayal in the beginning of PS/SS I 
suppose. But for the record let me repeat that I * do* think that is 
a good thing. Harry and Ron, the boys who fly cars to school and 
sneak out of bounds under Invisibility Cloaks, * need* somebody like 
that around. They get into enough trouble as it is. And I * do* like 
Hermione. A lot. Which would bring me to. . .

>I'd like to add *this* to my proof that Hermione means as much to 
Harry as Ron >does:
>
>"I'm not going anywhere!" said Harry fiercely.  "ONE OF MY BEST 
FRIENDS is >muggle-born, she'll be first in line if the Chamber 
really has been opened --" >(emphasis mine).
>
>As if his statements & actions at the bottom of the Lake in the 2nd 
Task of GoF are >not enough ... *that* should do it.  *That* is 
directly out of Harry's mouth (not the >words of the narrator 
describing his friends).    
>
>

Oh yes, of course. I'm sorry if it came across as anything else (boy, 
I am * not* good at this kind of discussion. . .), but I am totally 
behind you here. Hermione and Ron * are* Harry's equal friends. It's 
repeatedly stated in the books. And incidentally I just realised: 
never before I joined this group did it even occur to me which of the 
two I like best. Just as I never perceived Harry, through whose eyes 
I witnessed the whole story, as doing so. And I think I shall now 
return this blissful state of the uninitiated. It feels more right.

SENSITIVE!HARRY

I argued that Harry does not exhibit much sensitivity for others' 
feelings. Penny took me to task:
>
>Actually, I'd say that Harry is quite courteous to the Creeveys, all 
things considered, >and is unfailingly courteous to Ginny.  I'm truly 
surprised the H/G shippers haven't >ripped your argument to shreds.  
<g>  
>
>

<g> Actually I am a H/G shipper myself. But, no, I don't see any 
indication of this in Harry's manner up till now.

Now I'm going to have to snip a whole lot of very convincing canon 
support that Harry is indeed very courteous to everyone because it's 
just too much. Lets skip forwards  to :

>
> As for sensitivity to others, I guess I'd turn it around & say why 
don't you provide >me examples of when Harry is *not* sensitive to 
the needs or feelings of others >around him.  I think I've shown 
above that Harry is not insensitive or rude or abrupt >with Ginny or 
Dobby (and only to the extent necessary with Colin).  He tries to be 
>polite but unencouraging to Colin, and IMO, this is demonstrating 
sensitivity.  He >could be downright rude to Colin but he isn't.  
>
>

Sigh. Right, I guess I'm just going to have to give in to you 
Penny `cos no, no way can I match that evidence. And believe me I 
have looked. That's why this post is so late. In fact this troubled 
me so much that I actually called up friends and fellow 
Potterologists off--list to ask for their opinion. And the general 
consensus does seem to be that Harry is not very polite. Only one 
friend disagrees. But we could be just influencing each other because 
we have talked about the matter before. 

However I am stumped for canon quotations. This seems to be merely 
the general impression I'm left with overall. I can't defend it. But, 
for what it's worth, it does make me like Harry a bit more (if that 
makes any sense). 

Let me ask you something: when in CoS Colin asks Harry to sign his 
photo and Harry goes "No", how do you read that? Because I read it as 
an annoyed snap.

And as for his treatment of Hermione in PoA, I'm afraid I remain 
unconvinced.

You wrote:

>As far as trying to make up with Hermione, his actions in trying to 
make up with her >do show evidence that he was sensitive to her 
feelings.  He didn't try hard enough, >that's true.  But, he was not 
completely insensitive to her feelings.  He realized that >he & Ron 
were in the wrong & he at least tried to put things right.  Hermione 
herself >is somewhat to blame; her pride stood in the way of 
admitting her own fault & >making efforts to get back on track with 
the boys.  But, Harry's not completely >clueless about his own 
complicity in the arguments within the Trio.  

I understand both Ron and Hermione's attitudes in the whole argument 
more than Harry's, which I have always been rather uncomfortable 
with. Ron and Hermione, well, as Hagrid says people can sometimes be 
a bit stupid about their pets. And their pride too. But Harry's anger 
at Hermione, even about the Firebolt, soon burns itself out and Harry 
still goes along his merry way not really troubling himself about her 
feelings. Ron at least is in a true fit about the whole Scabbers 
thing most of the time. Though I do see how different people could 
evaluate this differently. Hermione does manage to divide her time 
between both her friends in GoF and makes it perfectly clear that 
she's on no—one's side. I don't see Harry doing this in PoA. He * 
doesn't * try hard enough and that just rubs me the wrong way.

Look, Penny how about we strike a compromise, ok? Harry is an all—
round brilliant fellow, with a few minor faults that merely make him 
more human. That sound about right?

Charis Julia.