Moody v Moody

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 104574

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "mcdee1980" <mcdee1980 at y...> wrote:
> In the most recent chapter discussion post there was a question about 
> adult support in Harry's life.  It occurred to me as I was reading 
> that Fake Moody in GOF is more supportive of Harry than real Moody in 
> OOtP; granted it was for his own purposes, but is JKR trying to tell 
> us that the DEs can be used to Harry's advantage?
> fake Moody: helps Harry in his tri-wizards tasks, turns Malfoy into a 
> ferret, gives Harry advice
> real Moody: shows Harry a picture of his parents that makes him more 
> upset, threatens the people whose hospitality keeps him safe(not 
> sticking up for the Dursleys, just identifying possible problems), 
> isn't around to help Harry when he needs it, makes Harry think he 
> might be possessed by LV.  I might have missed some.
> This concerns me about the loyalty of the Order.  Is Harry really 
> just a weapon to them?  Do any of them truly care about Harry or is 
> he a means to an end the same way being a DE is for Lucius?

Well, there's always the possibility that  although 'adult support' is a
matter of  concern to the sharing, caring fans it might not be a major
theme in the books - just  the opposite in fact; or is that heresy?

The most formative years of Harry's life are now past - childhood and
adolescence - and he seems to have struggled through them without
turning into an introverted, anti-social, disengaged psychic wreck. In
fact he appears distressingly normal considering all he's gone through.
True, he does want to form close ties with Sirius, but the lack of overt
affection before  then seems to have been accepted as an unfortunate
fact of life rather than a cause of major angst.

Way back at the beginning of the series most fans would have plumped
for DD as the putative mentor, guide and emotional security blanket.
Not so. DD mostly keeps his distance, popping up occasionally for
some necessary explication or intervening when only he can save the 
day, but generally leaving Harry to his own devices. This has given rise
to theories of Puppetmaster!DD and Weapon!Harry; DD isn't so much a
support as a trainer getting a new contender ready for a championship
bout. Cold-blooded perhaps, but entirely logical.

If DD believes in the Prophecy then he knows Harry is it - the WW's best,
maybe only chance of bringing down Voldy, and Harry isn't likely to
triumph if he's not self-reliant and seasoned. If Harry becomes too
dependent on others, things could go horribly wrong. Four times
Harry has encountered Voldy, each time he has survived more by
luck than judgement. Certainly it wasn't by Harry's own volition but
due to some outside factor - the 'Protection' at  GH; same again with
Quirrell; conflict of wands in the graveyard; DD at the Ministry. Oh,
and Tom in the Chamber - not really Voldy but even so it wasn't
any of Harry's own wizarding power that got him through; it was
a lucky  guess, a moment of inspiration.

On each occasion it was Voldy that  came looking for Harry, each
time Harry  escapes by the skin of his teeth and each time  Voldy has
 come back for a re-match. Harry's luck can't last for ever. Sooner or
later he will probably have to take the fight to Voldy, to  confront him
on Harry's terms rather than letting Voldy choose the time, place and 
circumstances. Hopefully, anyway. That way there's more chance of
a satisfying blood-bath at the end.

Harry's support team is a motley collection, a scratch team. Some
impressive, some  not so. DD of course, and Moody. Moody is the
wizened old Auror - been there, done that, got the wooden leg. No
illusions left, probably. He's seen friends die and probably accepts
that the casualty list will lengthen; might even include Harry. Voldy
is back; Moody can remember the first Voldy War - the goodies were
losing until Voldy got the vapours. He knows it's not going to be nice.

Then there's the Weasley tribe, determined but apprehensive, especially
Molly, and with good reason. Her kids are going into the firing line and
don't really appreciate their own mortality; Molly does, she's lost family
already. She's concerned about Harry, but with 7 kids of her own plus
a husband, Harry is understandably not the sole focus of her worries.

Lupin and Snape - pretty much enigmas. Sizable fractions of the posters
are apprehensive about their future roles in the plot. For whatever
reason Lupin seems to be a lurker; mostly in the background (apart
from PoA) and not usually very active. Yes, he turned up at  the Ministry
but didn't seem to take part in the fighting, everybody else is depicted
as battling away - not Lupin. This makes some posters edgy. 
We don't  really know what Snape's role is, some think spy, but I don't
see how he'd get away with it. He'd fight Voldy, I  think, but probably
not the other DEs - they'd be his natural friends in other circumstances.

Then there's a rag-bag of others - Tonks, Shacklebolt etc. Unknown
quantities; anybody's guess what their function is.

Plus of course, Ron, Hermione and maybe Neville.
I really hope that this isn't heading for  a Disney (spit) type ending - 
where a bunch of youngsters show the adults how to defeat evil and
save the world. I'd find that  trite and disappointing. Still, if I don't
like the ending I can always give book 7 to a charity shop. They'll
have a part to play, sure to, just hope that it's more believable than
the Ministry fiasco. A bunch of half-trained students holding their 
own against hardened killers? And no enemy-induced mortalities? 
Only adults suffering permanent  damage or death? Come on! Be
a bit more realistic, Jo. There's FEATHERBOAs out here salivating for
some blood and guts - hopefully among the more irritating members
of the Junior League. Luna, for example, bet she'd look good turned
inside-out.

Your point about Crouch!Moody and maybe that DEs can be used to
Harry's advantage - I see it the other way round; Voldy and his merry
band of evil under-achievers could see an advantage in using Harry. 
Hence my prediction that a key plot line to come will  be 'The 
Temptation'. They certainly need to get their act together - for a
bunch of fearsome destroyers holding the WW in thrall they haven't
exactly performed as advertised, have they? It's about time for the
swathe of death and destruction to sweep across the land;  so far all
they've managed is a small pile of rubble in the Ministry foyer.
Must do better.


> 
> Lady McBeth, concerned that Kneasy is the Half Blood Prince and just 
> isn't telling us

Sorry, can't oblige. Once had a dog called Prince, does that count?
Anyway, I'm much too busy to take on any more chores just now and
besides, I don't think I'd look good in a robe - not so much menacing, 
more traffic obstruction.

Kneasy