[HPforGrownups]SPOILERS! My defense of Harry (moved) OoP - Jenny's Big Questions /Opinions

[jenny_ravenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 61516

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Richelle Votaw" <rvotaw at i...> 
wrote:
 
> S
> P
> O
> I
> L
> E
> R
> S 
> 
> F
> R
> O
> M 
> 
> O
> O
> P
> 
> C
> O
> M
> I
> N
> G
> 
> U
> P
> 
I asked: 
>2. What do you think of Harry using Crucio on Bellatrix?  This was a 
big shock to me.

Richelle responded: 
> I expected it.  Actually, I kind of expected him to try Avada 
Kedavra.  Just because.  But I think he tried the worst thing he could 
think of--pain.  But as you'll notice, even though he was horribly 
angry, wanted her to suffer, he must not have truly wanted to inflict 
pain, or at least he couldn't enjoy inflicting pain, because it didn't 
work so well.  I told my mom about it, and she thought nothing of it.  
"Well, he was really upset.">

Here I am again:
You know, it really bothered me.  I understand Harry's loss of control 
here, as he was literally fighting for his life, but I did squirm when 
he chose to try an Unforgiveable Curse.  I suppose it is also setting 
us up for future encounters when Harry might try an Unforgiveable 
again, where he'll know how to focus his hatred and anger for a 
successful Curse.  Harry learning how to focus his emotions was a 
definite theme in OoP.  

I asked, because I cried like a baby and had to put the book down when 
I read this scene: 
> > 3. Why do you think JKR chose for Sirius to be the one to die?  
Was she taking it too far for Harry?>
 
Richelle's response: 
> A bit.  But, then how good of a role model was Sirius turning out to 
be?  He wanted Harry to take more risks, he takes enough already in my 
opinion.  He may have been, as Molly said, trying to use Harry as a 
substitute for James.  And for the record, I think he's really dead.  
JKR said in the interviews last week the person was "definitely dead."  
Of course, she didn't say he would stay dead, but she has in the past 
said no one could be brought back from the dead, even with magic.  So 
who knows.>

I am so glad you said this, Richelle, because Sirius, in my opinion, 
won't be back.  JKR definitely seems to stress the permanence of 
death.  I like when Harry approached Nearly Headless Nick and he told 
Harry that he was afraid to move on, which is why he is a ghost.  The 
ghosts in the WW don't seem too happy to be there, IMO.

As much as I found Sirius's death disturbing, if JKR chose to bring 
him back, it would trivialize his death, as well as the death of 
Harry's parents, Cedric, etc.  It just breaks my heart that Harry 
never seems to stop suffering.  I teared up all over again when Harry 
was feeling just sick and tired of *being* Harry.  Did this remind 
anyone else of Buffy, or am I just sick in the head because I keep 
comparing them?  

However, whether or not Sirius was a good legal guardian for Harry is 
irrelevant.  Harry cared a great deal for Sirius and is quite 
traumatized by his death.  Sirius to me is someone whose emotional 
development was stunted from his long stay in Azkaban, cut off from 
the world, as well as his life in hiding after his escape.  Sirius was 
having trouble seeing things the way an adult should, but Harry seems 
to know when Sirius takes things too far, like expecting Harry to risk 
getting in trouble, because "James would have".  In the end, Sirius 
lost his life trying to help protect Harry, and that is what mattered.  
He cared for Harry as much as Harry cared for him.

--jenny from ravenclaw, on her second read and savoring every word now 
**************************