OotP -- Spoilers! Be Warned!

[woodsie426]

No: HPFGUIDX 64440

While it may seem obvious, I think that this question deserves a 
little pondering.  
 
Everytime I read/watch CoS I am struck at the end by Dobby's 
amazing loyalty to Harry.  After he frees Dobby from L Malfoy, Dobby 
refuses to allow Malfoy to harm Harry.  Now, why does this strike me 
as important? 
 
V-v-v-oldemort has followers.  He commands their loyalty through 
threats of pain and death.  Need proof... check out P Pettigrew in 
GoF and Avery in OotP.  When He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated 
the first time by baby Harry, all those DEs fled and denied any 
association with him.  What kind of loyalty is that?  When it 
comes down to it, Voldemort is going to find himself standing alone, 
deserted by his followers!  
 
Meanwhile Harry is kind and helpful and humble.  (He doesn't 
insist on being called Lord Harry!)  He does what is right and earns 
respect in doing so.  Take my example with Dobby... after setting him 
free from the Malfoys Dobby stands at his side, loyal until the end.  
His friendships with folks like Ron and Hermione and Hagrid and the 
others also evoke the same kind of loyalty.  In the end, these are 
people who will risk everything (including death or Azkaban)to 
help him in his fight.  I think that is going to become more and more 
significant as the war is waged. 
 
 I would also like to point out a shift in JKR's big fight scene 
 format that may reflect all of this!  So far, Harry has always 
come up against V-voldemort (in his various incarnations) alone.  Ron 
unconscious in SS and Hermione gone for help... Hermione petrified 
in CoS and Ron trapped by a cave-in... Harry alone facing the 
dementors in PoA... and Cedric killed by Voldy in GoF.   Now, in 
OotP, everyone insists on helping Harry!  ANd they are all nearly 
killed in doing it!  Must say, my heart skipped a beat or 5 when 
Hermione fell to that silent spell!  And let's not leave out the 
timely arrival of Dumbledore and the rest of the Order.  No longer is 
he facing the big bad alone!  Interesting shift in the 
paradigm............