OOP: A person is more than the worst thing they have done

[bluesqueak]

No: HPFGUIDX 63718

One of the themes that seems to be running through the later books 
is that people are more than their worst actions.

Snape, who is a former DE, is now fighting against Voldemort.

James Potter, who we discover was a terrible bully at 15, grew up to 
be a respected and admired member of the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry has just tried to perform the Cruciatus Curse.

It's in keeping with the theme of choices, which runs through all 
five (I nearly wrote four!) books.

A person may have a natural, innate, `good' nature. But it's still 
the choices they make that define them. And while the results of an 
individual choice may be irrevocable, the choice to follow the path 
of good/evil is not.

Snape, who we now find was the bullied kid at school, chose to 
follow the path of evil – he joined the DE's. The evidence at the 
moment is that he changed his mind. He's making reparation by 
risking his life in the Order of the Phoenix. He also has one of the 
most naturally `evil' personalities in the books (apart from 
Umbridge, who makes him look a kindly, trusting soul). Despite what 
happened to him, despite his personality, despite his past bad 
choices, he's currently fighting evil, not supporting it.

James Potter, the arrogant git (pauses for a brief `I told you so' 
moment – see 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/51157 ) was the 
golden boy who had everything. Nice home, nice parents (judging by 
the way they treated Sirius), lots of money, brains, athletic 
ability, good looks. And what did he do as a boy? Bullied other kids 
because he could. Because he was bored. But he grew out of that 
bullying (there's hope for Dudley yet!) and became a man that other 
people in the Order seem to respect. People talk to Harry as if he 
should be glad he resembles his father. James is greater than his 
worst actions.

Harry is an example of the bullied and downtrodden kid with a 
naturally good nature. I won't go into his heroics, we all know them 
(if you don't why are you reading this list? ;-) ) He is, like his 
mother, empathic and kind. But he's just got so angry in this book 
that he ends up trying to torture someone. Even a naturally good, 
heroic person can make a choice to do a terrible thing.

Does Harry's one evil deed make him destined to fall into evil? 
Nope. Look at Snape. I don't know what Snape's most evil deed is, 
but I suspect we'll find out that it wasn't being sarcastic to 
little kiddies ;-). Look at James Potter, who I think honestly could 
be seen as a `good person' by the time he died.

And `good' people can make bad choices as well. Sirius, who turned 
away from the `Black' side as a teenager, treats his house elf in a 
contemptuous way that would make any DE proud . But Sirius dies 
trying to save Harry's life. Sirius is more than his lousy temper, 
or his past and present bullying.

`It is our choices that show what we truly are' is a philosophy, 
that, in Rowling's viewpoint, allows for mistakes. For choosing the 
wrong path, but then choosing to leave it. For choosing the wrong 
action and regretting it. 

Whatever our upbringing, our previous history of choices, or our 
birth.

Pip!Squeak