[HPforGrownups] Re: Angry Harry in HBP?

[Vivamus]

No: HPFGUIDX 119864

> Alla:
> 
> Oh, it reminds me about Harry-centered discussion I had with 
> Del earlier.(Waves at Del)
> 
> That is kind of strange. To her I was defending more 
> "herolike" Harry and now I find myself to be I suppose in the middle.
> 
> No, I don't want Harry to be "Hero Harry" all the time. I 
> would find it extremely dissapointing  and I am glad that JKR 
> did not go that way.
> 
> I want to see more or less realistic emotions,while at the 
> same time see Harry overcoming the trials and tribulations of 
> his life in heroic way.
> 
> He is growing up. He was hurt in the worst possible way not 
> once but many times and is he supposed to be calm and 
> cheerful all times? I disagree. I am extremely grateful to 
> JKR that she showed us Harry growing up in more or less 
> realistic way, while going through rebellious, angry, 
> "self-obsorbed" teenager phase of life.
> 
> I have no doubt that he will overgrew it eventually, but if 
> this phase did not happen, I personally would have been upset 
> with the books.
> 
> Harry is a Hero of the books, but I am glad that Rowling also 
> gave the character a chance to be a teenager.

Vivamus:
Thank you, Alla, for that excellent comment.  One thing smacked me on the
head while I was reading it, though, which made me wonder why it never
occurred to me before.  Probably elementary to the people here.  Anyway,
Harry has been through some really tough things growing up, but, as
sometimes happen, they made him stronger and more sane, so he arrived at
Hogwarts as a very well put-together kid -- as befits a budding hero, of
course.

JKR did a brilliant job of portraying this normal child's introduction into
the wizarding world, and in the process, Harry and his friends go through
all kinds of harrowing adventures and come up smiling.  Harry even comes
face-to-face with LV and fights him off.  In the second book, he kills the
basilisk, etc., etc., and continues to adventure through the books so far.

Here is the thing that stunned me in your comments, Alla:  Harry should not
only be growing up, he has been getting stronger and more confident with
each struggle he has faced.  He now has a depth of experience that few
adults of any age can match.  Some things do only come with time, such as
understanding what boys and girls are like when they grow up (I'm talking
about personalities, kids) -- but much of the competence and confidence that
characterizes adult interactions with the world is simply the knowledge born
of experience that they will handle whatever comes.  

Harry has much more of a basis for that confidence than many, if not most,
adults.  Why on earth should he even care what Draco Malfoy (or any other
student) thinks?  In the end of OOtP, you see some of that casual contempt
come out, briefly.

In HBP, Harry is going to be 16, but he's already seen as much of war as
anyone ever could, short of actually having to commit atrocities himself.
He has led troops into battle, saved lives, had his life saved, and made
stupid mistakes that have caused the death of someone he loved, and might
have caused a lot more harm than that.  

Does it not make sense that Harry will be somewhat remote with respect to
Draco and other students?  This is completely different from Harry's own
emotional struggles from the loss of Sirius, as he goes through the grieving
process.  With all he has been through, I wonder if he will not feel
something like an old man as he looks at the shining young faces who look to
him for leadership, and possibly understand DD a little bit.  

Draco is just a bug to be swatted, if he gets in Harry's way.  Is there any
way they can be serious rivals anymore?  Can ANY student -- even a newly
ginned up, super evil TR clone, introduced for the HBP -- be a serious rival
for Harry?   

If that's the case, who is going to be his foil -- Bellatrix?  They couldn't
spend any time together without trying to kill each other.  Lucius could if
he escapes, as was suggested would happen in OOtP.  Who else?  An Umbridge
now working for the DEs? 

Ah, well, it's food for thought, isn't it?

Vivamus