Harry's Maturity (was: A Harry Failure)

[jenny_ravenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 58905

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "honeycakehorse03" 
<honeycakehorse03 at h...> wrote:
 
>I also think you can clearly see his higher maturity in the fact that 
he *doesn't* try to enter his name into the goblet.  I think, Harry in 
first or second year would have done just that, at least after a bit 
of prodding by Ron. I think, he has matured more in that time than Ron 
who still thinks that Harry would have done that.>

I'm not sure why you think Harry would have ever seriously wanted to 
enter the Triwizard Tournament, or that he actively responds to 
"prodding" by Ron at all.  Actually, I'm not even sure why you think 
Ron prods Harry to begin with.

Harry is not someone who wants attention.  He is competitive, as we 
see in every Quidditch match he plays, but he is an excellent team 
player who likes to share in the victories with his teammates.  
Although Harry fantasized about what it would be like to enter the 
Triwizard Tournament, there is no evidence that he wanted that fantasy 
to become a reality.  Mostly, Harry doesn't want people staring 
curiously at him, following him around snapping photos or initiating 
friendships with him because he is Famous Harry Potter.  Most of his 
time participating in the Tournament was really hard for him.

Even though Harry, like every single other 15 year old on the planet, 
has to grow emotionally and mentally (not to mention physically), he 
has a pretty good head on his shoulders.  In SS it is Ron and not 
Harry who pushes Hermione to tears and as angry as he was at Hermione 
in PoA, it was Ron who made the comments out loud.  He doesn't use his 
fame to his advantage, doesn't discuss the money he has inherited, and 
when it comes to Draco, it is usually not Harry who engages in the 
bickering, but Hermione or Ron.

I'd even bet that Harry already feels he has failed big time after 
witnessing Cedric's death.  I'm sure he'll suffer all summer long - 
and what a long summer it has been - with flashbacks and thoughts 
about how he could have prevented Cedric's death.  He probably also 
feels he has failed with girls after being turned down by Cho, as 
nicely as she handled things.  

As far as Harry being more cautious... well, he might be, but I don't 
really see that happening, if the cover of OoP with Harry sneaking 
down a poorly lit hall filled with doors is any indication of his 
activities during his fifth year at Hogwarts.  

--jenny from ravenclaw, defender of Harry 'til the end 
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