Harry and Morality

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 57380

> --
> GulPlum AKA RIchard, who's been writing the above for over four hours and 
> doesn't have the strength to re-read it but hopes it makes sense anyway...

It makes perfect sense. Excellent job. I'd just like to add a couple of things.

The three cases where Harry and/or other members of the Trio are punished 
for actions that can be regarded as dishonorable are helping Norbert escape, 
using the flying car, and Harry sneaking off to Hogsmeade.

In all the cases, Harry has a chance to take the honorable path, and even tries 
to, but then allows himself to stray to the dishonorable path.

In the case of Norbert, the Trio tried to convince Hagrid that having Norbert 
was a bad idea, probably hoping he'd see the light. Only after Ron suggests 
Charlie do Harry and Hermione agree to the late-night dragon breakout.

Want some symbolism? Harry FORGETS the Invisibility Cloak, which, as you 
said, is his legacy from James.  Does he forget the inherent goodness James 
has left him?

Dumbledore, who has not forgotten the legacy, retrieves the cloak and send it 
back to him.

In the case of the flying car, Harry's first instinct is to wait by the car for the 
Weasleys. Again, it is Ron  who suggests flying the car. The cloak isn't used, 
but the Invisibility Booster is another tie-in to this idea.

(Don't get me wrong. I don't think Ron is to blame. Harry can think for himself 
and should be blamed as well.)

Interestingly, though, Ron and Harry find their honor, asking McGonagall not 
to punish Gryffindor as a whole for their stupidity. She smiles -- recognizing 
their placing the good of the whole above their own good -- and grants their 
wish.

In the Hogsmeade incidents, Harry tries to go to Fudge and McGonagall to get 
special permission (the honorable way) and is told no. He decides to use the 
cloak, gets away with it once, and then decides to go again.

But who do Harry and Ron defy this time, besides the adults? Hermione. 
Worried for Harry's safety, she would have gone to the authorities.

They would have gotten away with it, had Harry, on his own, not compounded 
it -- maybe pressed his luck -- with another dishonorable act, and thrown 
mudballs at Draco and the gang.

And again, Harry has to leave the cloak behind in the process. He'd used it  to 
sneak away and to sneak attack Draco. "Wrong" uses

Hermione, the friend who was wronged here because they went behind her 
back, retrieved the cloak, restoring Harry's gift from his father.

Just as an aside, there is no dishonor in Harry using the cloak in GoF to go to 
Hogsmeade. He had permission to go, but did not want to face a bunch of 
people. No honor lost in wanting a break from people staring at you. It's akin 
to a celebrity wearing a disguise to go out.

Darrin
-- Wants to be GulPlum when I grow up