Harry and "I Love You" (was: Who is the boy?/ Harry's Funeral)

[nobodysrib]

No: HPFGUIDX 54208

Greicy wrote: 

> >>BTW, has anyone noticed that poor Harry has never been told that 
he 
> >>is loved by someone and that he himself hasn't told anyone he 
loves 
> >>them.  The day that happens I won't have enough tissue in my 
tissue 
> >>box.  (Hope it's Hermione! :p) 
> 
> Calliope wrote:

> >All shipping aside (I'm with you there, Greicy! :p ) I hope 
Hermione 
> >is the first one who says it.  Even if she means "I love you in a 
> >friendly, brotherly way."  I don't know why, I just think it would 
> >mean more coming from her.   

Greicy responded: 

> Yeah I would love for it to be Hermione, even if it is friendly.  
> It seems she is the first person, a close friend, to give him a 
> kiss on the cheek.  <snip> Maybe in OoP he'll start to see love 
> between all kinds of relationships; start thinking about love in 
> his own life and how he hasn't been told "I Love You".  

My turn:

Hermione saying it first makes sense, but that could also cause some 
problems.  Like Ron getting jealous.  Or Harry not being sure how to 
interpret the words (he is a teenager, after all).  I'd hate for this 
moment to get entangled with petty emotionalities.

So here's another candidate.  I hope that the first time he hears it 
is from a parental-figure: Hagrid.  While Hermione is the first to 
kiss him (on the cheek), Hagrid is the first person to reach out to 
him in general (that he remembers.)  Hagrid takes him away from the 
Dursleys, buys him his first (real) birthday present, tells him about 
his magic status, tells him about his parents...  Hagrid swooped in 
and rescued baby Harry from the rubble, eleven years later he swooped 
in again, and he has remained a close friend and confidant.  I 
think "I love you, Harry" coming from Hagrid would be especially 
weighty.  (And it's not like Hagrid is especially good at keeping his 
emotions hidden.  He might say it in passing, but he could also burst 
into tears and wrap Harry up in a big bear hug, which enables Harry - 
ie The Boy Who Hardly Cries - to hear the words and let their full 
impact sink in without being seen by the world while he does so.)

(Oh no! I just pictured Hagrid saying it... right before he tumbles 
to his grisly death, and I'm reaching out for one of Greicy's 
tissues.  No fair for Harry to finally hear these words but then have 
them tangled up with grief and guilt.)

- Nobody's Rib