Dumbledore, Leader of Men (and Women) (was: Chapter Discussions: Chapter 4)

[Donna]

No: HPFGUIDX 83945

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jwcpgh" <jwcpgh at y...> wrote:
> 
> Laura replies:
> 
> No one *ever* goes to Molly for advice.  In the kitchen scene at 
GP, 
> everyone in the room, including her own husband, disagrees with 
> her.  That should tell us something.
> 
> 
> Here's the canon on that discusion:
> 
> "'He's not your son', said Sirius quietly.
> 'He's as good as,' said Mrs. Weasley fiercely.  Who else has he 
got?'
> 'He's got me!'
> 'Yes,' said Mrs. Weasley, her lip curling.  The thing is, it's been 
> rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked 
> up in Azkaban, hasn't it?'" (OoP p. 90 US)
> 
> My reaction to that was to gasp-what an incredibly cruel and 
hurtful 
> thing to say!  She accuses Sirius of confusing Harry with James.  
> Yet she confuses 15-year-old!Harry with a much younger Harry she 
> never even knew.  She doesn't do any of the kids a service by 
> refusing to let them grow up just because the big world can be 
> scary.  Guess what-it'll be that way whether kids are equipped to 
> handle it or not.  Wouldn't a thoughtful parent want them to be 
> prepared for what they may face as teens and adults?  I thought 
that 
> was what parenting was all about.

Yes, I agree, that was an incredibly hurtful thing to say.  But don't 
we all say things like that in the heat of an argument?  Under normal 
circumstances, I don't think that Molly would be that cruel.  Yes, a 
parent's job to to prepare their children for the world.  But Molly 
has been and I suspect will always be an overprotective mother.  Her 
motivation for this behavior is not controlling but loving.  I see 
many of Molly's qualities in myself.  I am a single parent of a 17 
year old girl and an 9 year old boy.  My desire to protect them from 
the harsh realities of life tend to make me overprotective not from a 
desire to control them but because I love them and don't want to see 
them hurt in any way.

Molly knows only the tragic Harry.  I am sure she has heard Ron talk 
about Harry and how he is treated by the Muggles.  And she certainly 
knows about the trio's adventures at Hogwarts.  And don't forget, 
this is the boy who saved her only daughter at the risk of his own 
life.  So, for all intents and purposes, this boy has become, for 
her, another son.  She extends the same motherly feelings for her own 
children to Harry.  She is overprotective of all of her charges.  And 
she certainly considers Harry part of her family.  I suspect all the 
Weasley's do with the exception of Percy.  

Of course, I could be wrong...

D