Chapt. Discussion: Chapter 22 - Harry's Support

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 105219

Steve wrote :
> Let's ask Harry whether on not the support was there. In general, it
> doesn't matter if it was there, the important factor is whether Harry
> believes it is there and can take some comfort in that belief. 

Del replies :
Aaaah :-) !! But that is another issue *entirely* ! And I understand
why we can't agree : you're saying Harry *feels* he gets no support,
I'm saying Harry *is* receiving support but can't see it. That's two
very different things and one very common problem : not being able to
see the support that's offered to you.

The best example of that is Harry's reaction after he overhears the
adults talking in St Mungo's : he completely misunderstands the looks
on his friends' faces, he completely misunderstands the concern of the
adults, and he guesses completely wrong what they are all thinking. As
a result, he does the last thing they all want him to do and cuts
himself from their company. It takes a very tenacious Hermione and a
cutting remark from Ginny to force him to see the truth : his friends
have always supported him, it was he who was not receiving that support.


I, Del, wrote :
> > Harry was *dumped* at Mrs Figg's by the Dursleys when they went
> > celebrating Dudley's birthday, back before Harry went to Hogwarts.
> > Mrs Figg never invited him. It would have looked mightily odd if 
> > she started inviting him suddenly this summer, for no reason. 
 
Steve replied :
> Well, here is at least one point I can make with certainty.
> 
> ----OotP - Am Ed HB Pg 2 ----
> '... Mrs. Figg, a batty, cat-loving old lady from nearby Wisteria
> Walk, amble slowly past. ... Harry was pleased that he was concealed
> behing the bush: Mrs. Figg had recently taken to asking him around 
> for tea whenever she met him in the street.'
> 
> - - - End Quote - - - 


Del grumbles :
... too quick in my reading... should have been more careful...
grumble grumble

;-) Point well taken, Steve, you were right on that one. Though if I
wanted to nitpick, I'd day that it should have alerted Harry : he
*was* looking for stange happenings, wasn't he ;-) ? (Just kidding !)

Steve wrote :
> Well, you are right, I did miss your emphasis on that one point. That
> said, sorry but I don't believe you. Clearly the Order was NOT 
> hanging Harry out as bait. They were trying to do everything possible
> to keep Harry out of trouble with the Ministry, and to guard him from
> attack. 

Del replies :
Then why keep hidden ? It would have been *much* easier to protect him
if he'd known they were there. I came to the conclusion of the bait
because it's the only one that makes sense considering the facts we
have. In PoA, when people were trying to protect Harry from Sirius,
they made sure Harry always stayed within arm's length of a wizard.
They do the same later in OoP. But that time they changed the rules. Why ?
Not to mention that the best way to make sure Harry doesn't do any
magic is to let him know there's another wizard around that's keeping
an eye on him.

Steve wrote :
> I agree that the Order was certainly distracted by priorities of the
> moment, but in the grand scheme of things, Harry is an extremely high
> priority, and it would have taken very little time, and in my 
> opinion, fewer additional resource to do it my way.

Del replies :
Which is precisely why I think the Order didn't *want* to do things
your way. I'm sure Hermione pestered everyone she could get her hands
on about how awful Harry must feel all alone at Privet Drive : the
Order must have known about Harry's needs. And as you said, it would
have taken very little to start fulfilling these needs. Yet they
didn't. The only logical explanation I can find is that they didn't
want to.

Steve wrote :
> Ron and/or Hermione could have easily Floo to Mrs. Figg and joined
> Harry while he wandered around or sat in the garden for an hour or
> two.  Alternately, Harry could have Floo to the Burrow for an 
> afternoon.

Del replies :
As a Squib, I'm pretty sure Mrs Figg's fireplace is not connected to
the Floo Network. If it was, the Ministry would have known her
presence in Little Whinging.

Steve wrote :
> It's true the wizard world is not very 'touchy-feely' or very
> emotionally supportive place, but given what a vitally significant
> character Harry is in and to the wizard world, the tiniest little
> effort would have been nice. Harry is already a tortured soul, why
> compound that with more torture?

Del replies :
Exactly : why ? Especially with Hermione pestering them continually
about it as I'm sure she did. They must have had a very good reason.

Del