A Harry Failure (was: Re: Harry's Sacrifice. / Sorting and Character Traits)

[drmm_fuuko]

No: HPFGUIDX 58971

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "annemehr" <annemehr at y...> 
wrote:
> Annemehr:
> I really just see his habit of not seeking adult help as a major 
> consequence of the way he was raised by the Dursleys.  This is not 
> arrogance at all to me, but that's just my opinion.  It's not an 
> absolute with him, either.  HRH tried to tell Professor McGonagall 
> about someone being after the philosopher's stone, and were 
rebuffed. 
>  McGonagall wouldn't even listen to their very good reasons why 
they 
> thought the stone was truly in danger.  (I know you did bring this 
up, 
> but I think it was a stronger point than you wrote it). Harry and 
Ron 
> were on their way to the staffroom to tell what they had figured 
out 
> about the Chamber of Secrets when the staff meeting about Ginny 
> occurred.  Here their common sense did desert them as they first 
> merely went back to their common room, and then went for help to 
the 
> one teacher they believed to be useless (even though they did think 
he 
> was at least going to try to find Ginny).  In PoA, he didn't try to 
do 
> much of anything except sneak into Hogsmeade.  This *is* arrogance 
on 
> his part, I agree, but I think Lupin's words to him after he was 
> caught made a lasting impression.  When Padfoot dragged Ron into 
the 
> Whomping Willow, I am not surprised he and Hermione didn't go for 
help 
> -- they were afraid there wasn't time ("Harry, -- we've got to go 
for 
> help --" Hermione gasped; she was bleeding too; the Willow had cut 
her 
> across the shoulder.  "No!  That thing's big enough to eat him; we 
> haven't got time--"  from PoA, ch.17).  Okay, better maybe if Harry 
> went into the Willow and Hermione went for help, but I suppose they 
> figured they'd need both of them against the dog.
>  

It's not surprising that they didn't go for help but it was an 
impulse decision and I think it would have been a better idea to go 
for help, as Hermione suggested. As I said, if they had, Sirius could 
have been set free.

> You're not alone.  Personally, I think that if Harry had just 
outright 
> lost a Quidditch match to a better seeker, we might not even be 
> discussing this! ;-)

Ahhh, but he did lose a Quidditch match to Cedric. However, a failure 
at Quidditch would be quite trivial ... a death would make a bigger 
impression.