SHIP: Harry and Cho

[stormbringer43]

No: HPFGUIDX 75609

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jim Ferer" <jferer at y...> wrote:
> feetmadeofclay wrote,"Contrary to popular belief in the 
Potterfanverse, teenagers are capable of both compassion and 
rational  thought as well as of selfless behaviour. They do not 
universally treat each other like dirt. I don't ask that Harry be a 
saint only that he behave as he would like to be treated. That he 
understand and accept that Cho is a girl with feelings. His choice to 
see her as nothing at all, is his own"

Jim Ferer wrote: 
"I feel you're somewhat harsh here.  Let me start out by saying I was 
annoyed at Harry about fifty times in the course of OOP for just the 
kind of things that you don't like - lashing out at his friends,
moodiness, petulance, insensitivity - but I also realized Harry was  
under stress so fantastic that many adults would crack under the 
strain.

"Voldemort's continuous attempts on Harry's life weren't even the 
worst stress Harry faced.  More immediate, and more stressful, was 
Umbridge's persecution, but the worst was the disbelief and hostility 
he faced from his fellow students and the public.  Add the natural 
stress of OWL year to the mix.

"I also cut Harry some slack because his natural instinct, over the  
years we've known him, is to be nice to people.  Many people 
recognize it and stick with him even when he's unlikeable at the 
moment.

"His treatment of Cho was bad, but not inexcusable.  He was 
insensitive when she cried for Cedric and was resentful of Hermione's 
closeness to Harry, but he could apologize and move on.  He still 
can, actually. As far as unloading on Cho over her sneak friend 
Marietta Edgecombe, he damn near got expelled or even tossed into 
Azkaban because of that betrayal.  Cho had to expect to take some 
heat over it.

"I think Harry's stress is very much reduced now that he is 
vindicated and no longer has Umbridge's enmity to deal with. He could 
perhaps even reconnect with Cho if he wanted - she blushed the last 
time she saw him on the train - but I don't think he will.  He's over 
her.

"So you're not wrong that kids can and do act compassionately and 
responsibly, but we've seen Harry do it before.  Heck, we see the old 
Harry emerging again with Luna and her lost possessions. So, after 
what he's been through, he's the first one that deserves compassion."


Stormbringer43 adds:

While I agree with most of what Mr. Ferer wrote, I want to correct 
one thought:  Cho and every DA member - NOT Harry alone - were at 
risk of being expelled because of Cho's "sneak friend" Marietta 
Edgecombe.  All were members of an unauthorized Organization, and 
subject to expulsion under Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four 
(Ref. OOP, Amer. Ed., pgs. 351-352).

This brings me back to a troubling thought from my second reading of 
OOP - why in heaven, hell, or earth would Marietta have risked 
getting Cho and other Ravenclaw students expelled by going to 
Umbridge?  This fails the sniff test, and royally.  Marietta did not 
like Harry, obviously, but it is difficult to believe that a 16 year 
old girl would "narc" on a close friend.  

I suspect the truth is something different than what was presented by 
Umbridge:  "Well, Minister, Miss Edgecomb here came to my office 
shortly after dinner this evening and told me she had something she 
wanted to tell me. 
" (pages 612-613)  I think in Book 6 we may learn 
that Marietta's mother - a MOM employee – learned of the DA from her 
daughter, told Umbridge, who cornered her.  

If this is the case, Marietta would be less of a sneak and more of a 
victim, and Harry may well regret unloading on Cho over her friend.  
Another interesting point on that scene between Harry and Cho:  she 
is displaying one of Harry's strengths, loyalty to friends.  She was 
defending Marietta as a person, and not defending her actions.  


Stormbringer