Adults "failing" Harry (was: Themes in OotP)

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 119948


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dungrollin" 
<spotthedungbeetle at h...> wrote:
> 
> > SSSusan:
> > Frankly, I DO think hearing it *directly* from DD rather than 
> > through someone else might well have made a difference to Harry, 
> > yes.  And that's partly because I'm proposing that the 
> > communication from DD would have had to have included NOT JUST 
> > that it's "really really really important," but, yes, also 
> > something specific about how Voldy might have the capability of 
> > feeding him not just actual images but *false* ones to trick 
him.  
> > If I were Harry, I'd think that kind of specific [but-not-too-
> > specific for The Order!] information would have scared me into 
> > believing DD.  But maybe I'm wrong.  You've got a point about 
> > Harry's curiosity after all....
> 
> 
> Dungrollin:
> 
> Just remembered something in 'The Centaur and the Sneak' just 
after 
> DD knocks out Fudge and the other chaps from the ministry, and 
> before he disappears from his office with Fawkes :
> 
> "Listen to me, Harry," He said urgently.  "You must study 
Occlumency 
> as hard as you can, do you understand me?  Do everything Professor 
> Snape tells you and practise it particularly every night before 
> sleeping so that you can close your mind to bad dreams - you will 
> understand why soon enough, but you must promise me -"
> The man called Dawlish was stirring.  Dumbeldore seized harry's 
> wrist.
> "Remember - close your mind -"
> 
> Didn't make much difference to Harry's attitude, did it?

Renee:
I've been following this discussion for a while now, and I'm 
inclined to believe nothing would have made much difference to 
Harry's general attitude and eventual failure in OotP. Or maybe I 
should say: nothing could have. OotP is the book where Harry had to 
be angry and rebellious, ignore the advice of his elders and make 
mistakes and fatal errors of judgement. The rock bottom volume of 
the series, where Harry's development is concerned.  

This is not a RL case of your average problematic teenager who might 
have overcome his difficulties if only responsible and well-meaning 
adults would have given him the proper guidance (might have: even in 
RL this doesn't always work). Harry is the pre-ordained Hero in what 
is - underneath a layer of deceptive realism - essentially a work of 
fantasy and adventure. He screws up because he *has* to, in the 
greater scheme of things and according to his creator's plan; it's a 
stage he has to go through in order to be ready for his task.

Perhaps it's possible to argue that the execution of the plan could 
have been better, if so many people think (some of) the adults act 
implausibly and seem unbelievably stupid/careless/whatever. On the 
other hand, it's also a tribute to the author's imagination and 
powers of make-believe that people do tend to discuss this in terms 
of what would have been right and realistic.  

Renee