[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry in NEWT Potions Class? (Was: Is Snape confident?)

[Kathryn Cawte]

No: HPFGUIDX 87706





> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Kathryn Cawte" <kcawte at n...>
> The reason he didn't understand the true situation is the
> > same reason he didn't try in his lessons - he was being kept
> completely in the dark.
>
 Ces
> But who was keeping him in the dark?  We know Snape was, yes, but on
> whose orders?  Was in Dumbledore who told Snape to just give Harry
> the bare minimum information?  Again, the problem with the books is
> we don't see what goes on outside Harry's perspective!!  Snape gets
> the blame for the occulmeny lessons going bad, but maybe he's just
> following Dumbledore's orders; we probably won't know until book 7.
>
> And remember, even Hermione tried to get Harry to do his homework,
> but Harry, in his hatred of Snape, won't do it.  Yes, Harry is not an
> adult yet, but like I tell my daughter, if you want to be treated as
> more than a child, then start acting like one, and sometimes, that
> means following the rules adults set for you.
>
>
K

I think you must have missed my point - because that's pretty much what I
*was* saying. It must have been on Dumbledore's orders that Harry was kept
in the dark because he's the only one who would have authority of any form
over Severus and Molly and Sirius, besides he does day himself that he was
trying to protect Harry but not telling him things (although he may simply
have been referring to the prophesy there).

Yes Harry *should* have worked at Occulomancy even without the reason being
clear to him. Unfortunately teenagers don't act like that, *especially* when
they think they have a good reason to act in another way. Harry clearly
believed the visions could help the Order so the only reason for stopping
them would be to protect him. Harry being a Gryffindor and prone to random
acts of bravery but not necessarily careful consideration therefore decided
that the risk was worth it. While I have made the point that he should be
punished for breaking rules in this case I think he's received punishment
enough. While his conclusions were wrong the path to get to them was fairly
logical and the whole situation could have been solved if Dumbledore had got
someone Harry trusted (Minerva? Molly? Sirius even) to sit down with him for
five minutes after the Snake incident and explain what was happening..

Having said all that - they were all honest mistakes and a person can only
be expected to make what they hope is the right decision in any circumstance
and then deal with the consequences. The only person truly responsible for
Sirius' death is Bellatrix.

K