OOP: rites of passage

[mgalletly]

No: HPFGUIDX 64328

This is my first post here-- been lurking for some time.  Like most 
of you, I haven't read everything that has recently been posted so I 
am probably going over freshly plowed soil again.

A big theme of OOP seems to me to be passing various rites or 
benchmarks into adulthood. For example:
Harry has moved from his earlier practice of trying to stay under 
the radar at the Dursley's to open confrontation in many cases, as 
he has begun to assert himself as the man he will one day become.
Smarting off to his aunt and uncle and baiting Dudley are examples 
of this.  He has his first kiss, which, like my own wasn't too bad, 
and his first date, which, like my own was a disaster.  He has begun 
to question and challenge authority, from his attitude about the 
adults in the order keeping him in the dark about things, along the 
lines of "who do they think they are, treating me like a kid?  I'm 
the one who's been handling things..." to his open defiance of 
Professor Umbridge, and the ministry.  He has suffered his first 
disillusionment with the adults in his life, from his rage at 
Dumbledore's behavior to his shock at the behavior of his father and 
Sirius in the pensieve.

Like many young people at this stage, he makes many mistakes of 
ego.  He lets his temper get the better of him with Umbridge more 
than once and suffers the cutting of his hand because he won't give 
her the satisfaction of beating him.  He could've went to the 
hospital wing and Madame Pomfrey would've reported the abuse to 
Dumbledore.  We've seen how DD handles abusive staff members.  He 
races off to the ministry to rescue Sirius without regard to 
Hermionie's wise counsel.  He can be quite churlish, too.  Yelling 
at his friends in 12 Grimmauld Place comes to mind.

He gets many things right though--he recognises that he had help in 
all of his confrontations with the dark, and initially feels 
uncomfortable with teaching the others in the DA.  He grows into 
this role very well.  He is concerned for the safety of his students 
and doesn't wish to take them on the rescue mission, but he runs 
with it when he has no other choice.  He sees past his own hatred of 
Snape and recognises his father's behavior in the Pensieve for what 
it was, and that Snape didn't deserve it.  He fights off the 
dementor attacking him, and then sends his patronus to rescue 
Dudley.  As much as he hates ickle Diddykins, he still protects him 
from something that even Dudley doesn't deserve.

I was less concerned that Harry used an unforgivable curse than I 
was with the particular curse that he used.  I would've been less 
bothered by Harry attempting to AK Bellatrix than his use of the 
Cruciatus Curse.  Perhaps the soldier in me is uncomfortable with 
the unnecessary cruelty.  This too, is another line to cross into 
adulthood--the taking on of adult powers and responsibilities.
Harry has moved from reacting to the world to proactive behavior, 
but like so many young people, he doesn't think things all the way 
through.  With age and experience comes the wisdom to do so.  He's 
not there yet, but he's well on the way.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Harry has begun to think of 
himself as a man, even using the term "marked man" to himself.

It seems to me that many posters seem to feel that JKR shot somewhat 
wide of the mark with OOP.  I disagree.  I think she nailed it.

Michael G.