GoF- Harry's Dream about Riddle House

[feetmadeofclay]

No: HPFGUIDX 77024

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "The Crashing Boar" 
<crashing.boar at n...> wrote:
> 
>   From: Wanda Sherratt 
> 
>    <<snip>He lies without any hesitation, and to anyone, and on 
subjects of no importance whatsoever. It's practically his default 
setting.  He's often "angry" when he does it, too, especially when 
he's lying to his friends, and that seems to be presented as a good 
enough reason.  It's one of the reasons I didn't like Harry in this 
book; not just the incessant screaming fits and sulks, but his lying 
and laziness are moral flaws that seemed to suddenly come out of 
nowhere.
> 
>   ----------------
> 
>   Just sounds like a normal teenager to me :)

Really?  Most teenagers lie to their friends and everyone they know 
about anything and everything?  

 Parents maybe ... but many have decent working relationships with 
their parents (who BTW aren't dumb as bricks and can tell when a kid 
is lying). 

Sorry but I can't say it was average teenage behaviour... Because it 
simply isn't.  Some kids are like that. On average most kids aren't 
reflexive liars. People (and little CHILDREN TOO) tend to lie when 
they have something to gain.  

> 
>   Seriously, his behaviour is fairly typical of someone in the 
awkward inbetween stage of development - not quite adult enough to be 
taken seriously by the adult community, still being coddled and 
condescended to, but expected to start behaving in an appropriately 
adult manner without any of the benefits (or responsibilities).  Not 
one thing or another, and not coping too well.

Sure but Harry was always capable of handling himself.  He was mature 
(unaturally so) and he knew right from wrong.  So that should 
continue unless he had a personality transplant over the summer.  

Gone is boyscout!Harry - here is Teenager!Harry.... I find it hard to 
believe that the Harry we knew is going to grow over one month into 
the Harry that is.  

Maybe the problem is that Boyscout!Harry simply wasn't realistic.  
Given that he had 4 books behind him, I think it would have been nice 
to at least have nods to the idea that kids don't morph into Average 
Teenagers.  From my experience they become teenage versions of 
themselves. They generally retain their personalities or shuck them 
through hard work - Ginny might be an overdone and poorly written 
example.  It is rather hard to just become someone completely 
different overnight.

But don't worry Boyscout Harry will be back.  Afterall that is what 
heros are.... He has love inside him ...

>   Harry is also reflecting the adults around him.  Everywhere he 
turns, he finds he has been lied to, things have been kept from 
him 'for his own good' or 'until the right time', people take out 
their own anger and insecurities on him for no reason he can see, 
people don't trust him, and he is finding different, hidden aspects 
of people that means he sees them in a new light, usually at odds 
with his established view of them. 

Since when does Harry reflect the behaviour around him? He never has; 
why start now?

Besides I think many teenagers are far more demanding than Harry 
was.  I kept wondering why he never demanded to know more if that is 
what he wanted?  If he's so rebellious and angry why not lash out in 
a way that is geared to getting what he wants?  If he wanted to know 
why he had to stay with the Dursleys, why not ask and refuse to go 
until he got an answer?  If he wanted to know if he was possessed - 
ask someone.  If he wanted Sirius to stop treating him like James 
most rebellious kids would just scream "I'm not James!" or something 
to that effect.

If he wanted to know what was going on, why not barge right into the 
meeting sit down and demand to stay and refuse to leave.  Or how 
about walking right up to DD and looking him straight in the eye and 
demanding to know why you are being ignored? 

Most kids do a bit of both.  They complain and they demand. Average 
kids don't take to being kept in the dark.  And in this situation 
there was no reason for Harry to go along and take it - especially 
since he was so angry.

I think particularly the talk with McGonnagal shows how conviently 
constructed Harry's attitude is.  Someone said there is an amazing 
amount of times the opportunity to just have a simple discussion is 
just passed over. Too many times to seem intelligent or sane.


For instance ... It was obvious to Snape that Harry wasn't trying 
with Occulumency. He'd be reporting to DD.  What happens? Nothing.

The fate of the wizarding world rests on this boy's shoulders but 
they do nothing to ensure he's doing what he is supposed to.  

Well you know what they say about assuming....

>   There is also the fact he could well become the salvation or 
destruction of both the WW and the mundane world, and has no idea 
how, that he has to come to terms with.
> 
>   All this, and raging hormones, too.


Yes yes... Those hormones.  Because no boy ever kept his eye on a 
girl and his brain in his head at the same time.  No boy ever managed 
to do his work, struggle through rough times and not be entirely 
thrown by hormones... Wow we should have told that to all those boys 
who for centuries ran farms, helped their families through famine and 
hardship, ran countries, went to college, became clergy, went to war, 
learned a trade - all admist their teenage years.  That would be 
simply impossible with all those hormones raging.  Teenage boys are 
really good for nothing at that age.

So... let us not forget how stupid boys get when hormones enter the 
picture.  Except Neville seems devoid of them and remains the sane 
pleasant child he always was.  How'd that happen? Guess he's a late 
bloomer.

Golly