Savior complex? (was "Harry and Tom")

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 111435

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Matt" 
<hpfanmatt at g...> wrote:

> 
> No, we are not supposed to think that Harry is acting perfectly
 rationally by the time he goes after Sirius.  But we are supposed 
to be able to understand why he acts the way he does: He acts 
out of love, out of incomplete information (and a distrust of those,
 including Dumbledore, who have shut him off from that 
information), and out of the terrible fear that, once again, he is 
the only one whocan (or will) help.  
> 

That's true. But he also acts, as the Sorting Hat told him, out of a 
powerful thirst to prove himself, and this, IMO, is what Hermione 
calls the "saving people thing." 

I am not saying that Harry only wants acclaim, or  only wants to 
be worthy of acclaim.  It is by no means wrong or inappropriate 
for Harry to want to prove himself worthy of the terrible sacrifices 
which others have made for him, nor do I think he is crazy 
because he feels a powerful need to do so.

 But Voldemort knows this about him, and can manipulate those 
feelings, so Harry needs to be on his guard about it. That is a lot 
to ask of a sixteen year old, I agree, but that is what Dumbledore 
is talking about when he says that Harry has taken on the burden 
of an adult wizard.

Pippin