What I have a hard time with in the canon...

[jdr0918]

No: HPFGUIDX 96267

<<<In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "daled7350" wrote: ...What 
continually niggles at me when I try to relax and enjoy the 
Potterverse is the belief that any child who had endured the loveless 
world of psychological abuse that Harry lived in from age 2 till 11, 
would be undamaged enough to be able to make friends with Ron and 
Hermoine the way he does...>>>

The Sergeant Majorette says

Far be it from me to get deeply into American self-loathing, but I 
get a sneaking suspicion that Harry is more resilient because he's 
English. In English literature (lower-case "l" --meaning quality pop 
stuff like Dickens, "Tom Brown's Schooldays", Frances Hodgson 
Burnett, etc.) children blithely endure things that we Americans 
can't even read about without a tear or two shed. From the beginning 
our Harry talks back, is contemptuous of his cousin, aunt and uncle, 
and never does care much what they think. He may not have friends at 
school, but he's aware that it's not dislike of him but fear of 
Dudley and his gang that stunts his social life.

*Harry* doesn't make friends with Ron and Hermione, the initiative is 
on the other side, and Harry just sort of gets swept up. The only 
decision he makes in the early days is to dislike Draco Malfoy 
because of his psychological resemblance to Dudley.

Of course, this is also the main difference between Harry Potter and 
Tom Riddle. One pickles himself in his own bile and the other just 
rolls with the tide.

"I can torture [Harry] as much as I like. He's *mine*." --JKR

--JDR