Harry and Morality

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 57306

Quoting much of Lynn's great post:

> 
> I don't think people are trying to gloss over
> Harry's faults as much as to defend him against a
> Zero Tolerance attitude.  At least that's the
> impression I've gotten from some of these posts. 
> It's as if people expect Harry to never make a
> mistake, to never break a rule, to always be
> perfect and when he isn't, the only explanation
> for his not being expelled or given a harsher
> punishment is because he's Harry.
 

My problem with the "Harry breaks rules and has faults" attitude is the subtle, 
and in some cases, not-so-subtle, attempts to somehow equalize Draco and 
the Slyths with Harry and the Gryffs.

Because Harry has broken rules, there is a sense that it's OK for Draco to do 
what he does, and I will fight that every single time.


> Yes, Harry and Ron did steal a car.  What I find
> interesting is that people seem to forget that
> Harry's first thought was to go and wait by the
> car for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.  Harry let himself
> be led by Ron into doing something wrong because
> he, at that time was panicking.  He and Ron then
> didn't think things through and let the
> excitement of flying the car cloud their
> judgment, such a kid thing to do.  Harry does
> learn a valuable lesson when he realizes he let
> down someone he respected.  So, some of the
> lesson appears to be taken away when apparently
> most in Gryffindor applaud their actions,
> including those that should know better, until
> the Howler.  Then the lesson he had learned about
> disappointing people was reinforced.  

This is an excellent point, and also brought up a bit of canon usually forgotten. 
The boys were expecting to be expelled. Ron even says he will begin packing 
his things. 


> Yep, I agree that Harry knew going into Hogsmeade
> was wrong and that he was hoping he wouldn't get
> caught doing it too.  It was actually his doing
> that that made me start liking Harry because it
> was such a kid thing to do.  There was no moral
> anything, no panicking, just pushing boundaries. 
> Now I can pontificate and say how wrong it was
> and he shouldn't have done it, he should have
> known better, but it is something that is so
> natural for a kid to do, using their own
> reasoning as to why a rule doesn't apply to them.

The whole reason he had to sneak into Hogsmeade is because he was 
forced to do some dog-and-pony show for Vernon and Petunia, putting up 
with unspeakable behavior from Aunt Marge. He failed -- on the last hour of 
the last day after a week from hell -- and Vernon wouldn't sign the form.

Had Harry been a real troublemaker, he'd have just forged the signature and 
been done with it,  but he tried to explain the situation, first to Fudge and then 
to McGonagall. Only later, did Lee Jordan suggest forging.

You're 13 and that has just happened to you. You might react the same way, 
feeling like "this is unfair and I shouldn't have to do this for something not my 
fault."

But again, after Lupin reads him the riot act, he really gets it.

Darrin
-- Harry and Draco are NOT the same.