Harry's compassion (was Re: Quirrell dying (was Harry's far from ruthless )

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 89237

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Doriane" <delwynmarch at y...> wrote:

> Saving Gabrielle was doing his saving-people act again :-)

Annemehr:
What?  What exactly *is* that?  I'd appreciate it if anyone could
explain to me what Hermione meant by telling Harry he has a
"saving-people thing."  I'd have thought Harry was more accurate when
he said "I don't go looking for trouble.  Trouble usually finds *me.*"
 Does it mean that sometimes, the danger other people are in is not
Harry's responsibility and he should stay out of it?  If so, *that*
would be a dangerous sentiment, as if Harry should say "It's none of
my affair."

Back to Del:
 Or at 
> least, let's say that she was a little girl in a dangerous situation, 
> so he acted like *anyone* in their right mind would : he got her out 
> of it. Cedric and Viktor didn't, precisely because they weren't in 
> their right mind : they were competition-driven. Harry wasn't.

Annemehr:
Worse and worse, Del!  I think you are trying to have your cake and
eat it *twice!*  ;-)

~Harry "rescued" Gabrielle because of his saving-people thing --
~AND he was doing what *anyone* would have done --
~Except he was the only one out of three people present who did it,
but that was only because the other two weren't quite sane at the time?

It can't be a "saving-people thing" if anyone would have done it.  And
Harry can't be accused of lack of compassion but Cedric and Viktor
given a pass because they were competitive.

Del:

> And by the way, why isn't Fleur a friend ? She hasn't done anything 
> awful to him. But he just doesn't like her. He doesn't like her 
> manners, he doesn't understand her, so he doesn't like her. So much 
> for showing compassion towards a student away from home and landed in 
> a strange environment among complete strangers.

Annemehr:
Why would Fleur be a friend?  She obviously didn't think much of Harry
until *after* he brought Gabrielle out of the lake.  Where does it
ever indicate Harry's hostile to her?  And she doesn't need any
compassion.  She's on an exciting trip to compete for a coveted spot
in a prestigious tournament, and she's surrounded by eleven fellow
students and her headmistress.
> 
> Naama wrote :
> 
<snip>
> > 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. 
> 
> Del answers :
> 
> Let me just give you a few names. The Creevey brothers. Ginny Weasley 
> at first. Luna Lovegood. Cedric Diggory. Percy Weasley. Seamus (? 
> That was Seamus, whose mother had a problem with Harry,right ?) in 
> OoP (much compassion Harry showed, not wanting to ease Seamus's 
> dilemma). And best of all : Hermione in PoA, and Ron in GoF. MUCH 
> compassion he showed them !

Annemehr:
What did he ever do to them?  I need examples.  Or is he supposed to
solve everyone's day to day problems, let alone save their lives when
necessary?  He helped Cedric out a lot when he didn't have to. 
Between he and Seamus, Harry was the one who needed compassion shown
him.  As for Hermione in PoA, why did she never seem to care that
Crookshanks would continually attack Scabbers?  And, Ron in GoF???

Harry seems to be happy to live and let live, even with Draco; he only
reacts when provoked.  He always forgives when apologised to (and
wouldn't even let Ron quite get that far in GoF).  He empathises with
other people's suffering when he understands it (see GoF, where
Harry's lying in bed thinking about what he'd just seen in the
pensieve).  With Cho in OoP he just doesn't understand, because her
reaction to Cedric's murder is the opposite to his.

I know Harry's not perfect (good!), but IMO you're still being too
hard on him, given his age and upbringing.

Annemehr