HRH Courage under Fire

[uncmark]

No: HPFGUIDX 35979

I was wondering about JKR's treatment of courage in her characters. 
the 3 main characters are wizard born (Ron), Muggleborn (Hermione), 
and wizardborn raised by muggles (Harry). Remember your own 
development at age 11-15 and see how'd you react facing a dark wizard 
wanting to kill you?

Harry is unbelievably heroic at times, especially in SoSt when he 
decides to enter the trapdoor and keep LV from getting the stone. 
Why? He decides to go alone for the stone realizing the severity of 
LV getting it. "Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the stone 
Voldemort's coming back!... If I get caught before I can get the 
stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursley's and wait for 
Voldemort to find me there, it's only dying a bit later than I would 
have, because I'm never going to the Dark Side!"

To their benefit, Ron and Hermione insist on joining Harry (Good 
thing) but remember, to them Voldemort was a historical character not 
real to their 11-year old minds. Ron may have heard stories growing 
up, but Hermione didn't even hace that!

All three characters face the unknown danger without running. In the 
forbidden forest it was Malfoy who ran from thge sight of LV drinking 
the Unicorn's blood. In book 2 Hermione was VERY brave, considering 
she was the first to discover they were facing a basilisk. Most 12 
year old girls I know would leave school and return home after 
learning the heir of Slytherin was targeting muggleborns for attack. 
Hermione instead finds the book that mentions basilisks and has the 
presence of mind yo look around corners with a mirror!

Ron and Harry (12 year old boys) never gove up even after seeing 
Hermione petrified. They discover the entrance to the Chamber 
themselves and taking Lockheart with them jump in without question.

The closest thing to regret I saw was Hermione in PofA. After the 
trio cast expelliumus on Snape, Hetmione mutters, We attacked a  
teacher. We're going to be in so much trouble!" Still she has the 
presence to understand Dumbledore that she must use the Time-Turner.

Just how unbelievable is she? How many 13 yearolds have the 
intelligence and maturity to not misuse the Time-Turner? I doubt 
anyone other than H!

So to sum up. The trio of HRH are great and heroic facing unknown 
dark dangers. As far as cowardice the examples of those come from the 
pureblood Malfoy (running away in the forest) and Pettigrew (not sure 
what his heritage is). 

Neville, who seens to have a reputation as a pushover showed more 
courage than Malfoy, standing up to Malfoy, Crabbe and Gotle at the 
book 1 Quidditch match, standing up to HRH when they were leaving 
Gryffindor to find the SSt, and even asking out Hermione and Ginny in 
GofF before Harry or Ron could get up the courage.

I'm looking forward to see how the characters develop in future 
books. 

JKR forever!

Uncmark