Quirrell dying (was Harry's far from ruthless )

[naamagatus]

No: HPFGUIDX 89205

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sachmet96" <sachmet96 at y...> > 
> sachmet96
> I know that his life was at stake and I see that he had to defend 
his 
> life but what I am complaining about is that when in the infirmary 
> and DD tells him that Voldemort left Quirrell to die he doesn't 
even 
> ask if Quirrell is dead. How much more ruthless can you get?
> Also DD doesn't say Voldemort killed Quirrell but left him to die. 
> It's not clear why Quirerell is going to die but the probability 
> that's from the wounds Harry dealt him is very high but Harry 
doesn't 
> even ask if that's the case. So that is also very ruthless.


It's quite clear in the text that being possessed by Voldemort is 
lethal in itself, and that Quirrell dies in consequence of that 
possession. To me, when DD says "left to die", it means that Quirrell 
is now (at the time of the conversation, which is three days after 
the fight) already dead. 

> Also in book 3 he doesn't stop to even think about Snape after they 
> stunned him and then doesn't complain about Sirius banging Snape's 
> head against the ceiling. 
> I think one of Harry's weaknesses is that he is able to show 
> compassion and such but only for people he likes/cares about. 
>People 
> he dislikes do not concern him. 

The thing is, that the people that Harry dislikes, tend to be the 
people that Harry hates. And the people that Harry hates, tend to be 
EVIL. Who are on Harry's dislike list?
1) Voldemort, who killed both his parents and is the WW 
personification of evil.
2) Umbridge, who sent dementors after him and is generally almost as 
deeply evil as V. 
3) Pettigrew, who betrayed Harry's parents and caused an innocent man 
to rot in Azkaban for over 12 years. 
4) Snape, who consistently and completely unfairly treats Harry like 
crap. 
5) Draco and his family, who are evil bigots, allied to Voldemort.
6) The Dursleys, who have also treated him always like crap.

In short, Harry tends to dislike with very good reason. All these 
people (other then Snape, maybe) do not *deserve* compassion. And 
when I say that they don't deserve compassion, I mean that *JKR* 
doesn't see them as deserving compassion. So, it's hardly fair to 
blame Harry for this, is it? 

On the other hand, Harry is remarkably nice and compassionate to 
everybody else, not only to his particular friends: 
He protects Neville in PS (and he barely knows him at that point); he 
risks his life for Ginny in CoS; he is also described in CoS, by 
Hannah Abbot I believe, as being always so nice - and Hannah is a 
Hufflepuff; he is quick to feel attached and loyal both to Lupin and 
Sirius in PoA; he risks his own win in the tournament by "saving" 
Gabrielle (and Fleur is certainly not a friend of his at that point) 
in GoF.   

My point here is that a person should be judged, not on whether he is 
compassionate to his enemies (at least, not only by that), but on who 
and how many his enemies are, and how justified his enmity towards 
them is. And, in itself and as a corollary - who and how many are 
included in his/her "compassion net"? I.e., is a person kind only to 
a few select friends? Are friends of friends included? Acquiantances? 
Harmless strangers?

It's odd, but Harry seems to treat practically everybody with 
compassion, *except* those who richly do not deserve it. In my book 
<g>, Harry is exceptionally kind, compassionate and brave. 

And, he saved Dudley.



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