The Useless Character of Harry Potter

[loonyloopyrjl]

No: HPFGUIDX 69674

Wow, I can spot a challenge when I see one. Hidden in the guise of 
one who poo-poos Harry Potter, what we really have here is someone 
who is challenging us to defend our favorite boy wizard.

Josephine wrote:
> Harry Potter is boring.
> Harry Potter is dull.
> Harry Potter never comes around to doing anything.

And less than twenty-four hours later Josephine also wrote:
> I do not, and have never, denied what young Potter has done.

Huh?

Back to the challenge.

Josephine wrote:
> [Harry Potter] isn't particularly talented, not charming, smart, 
friendly, witty, good-looking, funny, or even conspiratory.

Loony Loopy (me) responds, with a smattering of quotes from the U.S. 
hardbacks:

TALENTED
1. HP is the youngest Hogwarts Quidditch player in a century (SS 
p.152)
2. HP learned the advanced Patronus Charm. "Many qualified wizards 
have difficulty with it" (PoA p.237). He even earned a bonus point 
for this at this O.W.L.s (OoP p.714).
3. HP was the only one in his class who nearly beat the Imperius 
Curse (GoF).

OTHER "TALENTS"
HP is exceptionally brave. And decent.
1. He has faced a full-grown mountain troll, acromantulas, a 
basilisk, dementors, a Hungarian Horntail, and Voldemort.
2. HP was the first to bravely face a hippogriff in Hagrid's class.
3. HP decided to go after Ron and the Grim instead of getting help 
("Brave of you, not to run for a teacher." PoA p.339)
4. Werewolf or no, Harry would not leave his friend behind. From PoA 
p.380:
     "Run," Black whispered. "Run. Now."
     But Harry couldn't run. Ron was chained to Pettigrew and Lupin.
5. HP would not leave Gabrielle Delacour with the merpeople in GoF.

CHARMING/GOOD-LOOKING
1. Black, messy hair can be cute.
2. These girls found Harry attractive: Ginny Weasley, Moaning Myrtle, 
a curly-haired third-year Hufflepuff girl (GoF p.389), Parvati Patil, 
and Cho Chang.

As for Snape being "sexy" -- not in my book. He holds grudges and 
terrifies his students. He's not conventionally good-looking, either. 
He has greasy black hair, a hooked nose, sallow skin, cold empty 
eyes, uneven yellowish teeth, and a long yellow finger (maybe ten).

SMART
1. HP intuited that someone deliberately gave Egg!Norbert to Hagrid 
(SS p.265)
2. HP also guessed that the Basilisk had killed Moaning Myrtle (CoS 
p.282)
3. HP quickly thought of a way to free Dobby from Lucius Malfoy.
4. HP did answer the sphinx's riddle in the Triwizard Tournament.

FRIENDLY
Friendly . . . hmmm, like Snape-friendly? Harry's got at least as 
many friends as Draco does. Maybe more if you don't count sycophants.

WITTY/FUNNY
Everyone has his/her own sense of humor. Here's two bits of what I 
thought was funny from Harry:
1. "I didn't realize it had to be so wet." (SS p.33)
2. "Listening to the news! Again?" [said the Dursleys]
   "Well, it changes every day, you see," said Harry. (OoP p.6)

EVIL or CONSPIRATORY
Well, you got me there. Harry does have his moments of anger and 
rage, though. He did run away from the Dursleys and wanted to kill 
Sirius Black in PoA. He was full of anger in OoP. He has broken 
countless numbers of school rules. He'd rather play Quidditch than 
study. He did lead Dumbledore's Army -- would that count as 
conspiratory? At least he was a leader, eh?

Lastly, we have from Josephine:
> Harry Potter means nothing. JKR ought to kill him.
> End of story.

Well, I don't think he's nothing, and I certainly hope she won't kill 
him. But if she does, yes, it would be the end of the story.

Loony Loopy