Harry and questions (again :-) )

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 97142

> Del replies :
>>> I can understand that, but you see, the thing that really 
bothers me in OoP is that Harry *does* get over that mistrust 
with Petunia, but  *not* with Sirius barely a few days later ! I 
would have expected  the opposite, that he would ask questions 
of people he trusts and  not bother asking questions of people 
he's known forever he can't  get answers from. 
<snip> How logical is that ?<<<

Harry's motives are 180 degrees from ours. *He* wants a 
peaceful life. *We* want exciting things to happen, and to know 
what exciting things are going to happen next. 

IMO, Harry asks questions of adults when his world view has 
already been disturbed *and* he thinks the answers will put 
things back the way they used to be. If he thinks they won't, he 
doesn't ask, as he doesn't ask anyone why Dumbledore seems 
to be estranged from him.

He's willing to pester Petunia about her contacts with the 
wizarding world, and question Sirius about what he saw in the 
Pensieve, because in both cases he expects a denial. Petunia's 
refusal to tell him anything is, in its way, a relief. Things are
back to normal on Privet Drive. He expects Sirius to explain away 
what he saw  in the Pensieve and though he doesn't like hearing 
that James was a berk at fifteen, he is relieved to know that by 
seventh year he was becoming the person whom everyone is so 
proud to have known.

Also, *we* know that any information Harry receives about the 
past is significant, because Rowling wouldn't give it to us if it 
weren't. But Harry doesn't know that, since he doesn't know he's 
in a book. 

Pippin