Choices

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 86491

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, liz <liz at s...> wrote:
> 
> Liz replies:
>  
> I don't think that Kneasy was positing that Harry would be tempted to join
> Voldemort, but that rather as he develops his power and awareness he may be
> tempted by power itself. I imagine he would still want to get rid of V and
> friends, but he would no longer be subscribing to DD's benevolent
> philosophy. Oh, it could be a slippery slope!: 'no one can do what I can, no
> one else HAS to do it, no one cares about me anyway, the WW has always
> basically treated me like crap, scape-goating and degrading me or indulging
> in annoying hero-worship, but never with a thought to the real person. Why
> should I care?! Harry is looking after one person now - HARRY! Watch out
> world!' Enter Dirty!Harry.
> 
> Naaahh, I'm with Kneasy. A morally wavering Harry struggling with his inner
> demons (snakes??) would be much more interesting.


Kneasy:
Thank you. You've got the essence of my argument in one.
It  is *power* that corrupts and Harry suspects, indeed is told, that he
has it. 
How you  use the power you have is your choice;  it can  be for good
or ill, but power hates a vacuum, it will be exercised.
"Just have to get rid of these obstacles, Voldy, Malfoy, DD if he doesn't
behave himself and there'll be nobody to tell me I must do this, that
or  the other. Free!  At last!"
What  a temptation, especially for a put-upon teenager.

Laura raises doubts:
>
 Yeah, Harry may act in some fashion on his anger towards DD, but I
 don't see that as being tempted towards the dark side. Harry
 doesn't show any interest in power for its own sake at any time
 during the books; indeed, he shows a consistent reluctance to plumb
 the depths of his powers. He might well have had the ability to
 kill Sirius in the Shack (or Bella in the MoM) but he couldn't bring
 himself to do it. I'd say this is due to a combination of a strong
 moral foundation and some fear of what he might actually be capable
 of.  
 This would differentiate him from Tom Riddle, who many of us
 theorize was delighted to find out that he had magical powers and
 immediately began exploring their possibilities. Harry sees himself
 as a human being first; Tom sees himself as a wizard first. In
 becoming LV, Tom leaves behind his humanness and gives himself over
 entirely to the power of his wizardry.
>

Kneasy:
Dark side? No, not necessarily -  it's Harry's side that Harry is interested
in. Since when has he had a free choice about what Harry is and what
Harry does? Now he is coming into his powers; he will soon be a force to
be reckoned with in the WW. Up until now he has been a child, but he is
growing up. Fairly soon (if not already) he will start to argue that he can
make his own decisions, thank you very much. When he does, watch out.

Sure he was frightened about his magical powers in the earlier books, 
who wouldn't be in his position. He wasn't brought up in the WW, he can't
have the casual acceptance of the power of magic of someone for whom
it is an everyday tool. No-one has sat him down and explained what being
a wizard is really about. He's part intruder, part freak - The Boy Who Lived.
Famous - for something he can't remember and couldn't influence anyway.
With all the weight of DD's expectations on his shoulders.

This strong moral foundation you mention - where did  it come from? The
Dursleys perhaps? Morality has had a very minor part in his up-bringing;
what he has learned are the basic survival tactics for a hostile world, both
at Privet Drive and at Hogwarts. So far they've worked. Why not keep on
trusting them? DD has just dumped another load onto him - "It's Voldy
or you. It is ordained." Harry doesn't want it. He'll fight it. And he will
soon have enough power to to be formidable in his stubborness. 

Tom Riddle, now. How  old do you think he was before he realised how
powerful he was? About Harry's age perhaps? Couldn't be much younger,
he too was brought up outside the WW and had to learn everything from
scratch after entering Hogwarts.

The parallels between Harry and Tom are too many and too obvious to
be coincidence. IMO Harry is about to reach the point where Tom made 
his choice and Harry too will have to choose. Don't  be surprised if he
makes a break for freedom and tries for independence. Won't work; we 
know that, but it will cause massive tremors to Dumbledore's plan. 

May even cause a  few casualties, DD among them.

Kneasy