Who's to Blame/Ending Occulmency was Re: [HPforGrownups] Harry as Kreacher

[rowena_grunnionffitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 100606

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Sherry Gomes" <sherriola at e...> 
wrote:

> While I am a Dumbledore supporter, I think that Dumbledore and 
Snape hold
> the highest blame for Harry and ending the occlumency lessons.  
Harry is 15,
> and nobody really explained the true reason why they wanted him to 
take the
> lessons.  Looking at it the way he might, just telling him the 
lessons will
> prevent him seeing things like what happened to Arthur, isn't good 
enough.
> In his place, I might think it was good if I could see those thing, 
just in
> case something else happened to someone I care about.  Nobody told 
him, till
> it was too late, that they were afraid Voldemort might implant 
visions or
> use him to spy on Dumbledore.  By that time, Sirius was dead.

   Like Harry couldn't connect the dots himself?? He knew he was 
seeing things from Voldy's POV, he was afraid Voldy was trying to 
possess him. He even overheard the adults worrying about that 
possibility. Seems to me that was reason enough to work hard at his 
occlumency.

   The reason he didn't was because he'd become obsessed with finding 
out what was behind that door in Department of Mysteries. That was 
more important to him than protecting himself against the Dark Lord. 
He says so himself.

> I can't blame
> Snape for throwing Harry out, when he caught him looking at his 
memories.
> It was such a great intrusion.  I couldn't even begin to imagine how
> invasive it would be for someone to look at my memories.  Yet, 
Snape is the
> adult, and he should have continued the lessons.  

   Let's see....the son of of his worst enemy at school has pried 
into his most private and humiliating memories - which happen to be 
about traumas inflicted by said father. I honestly don't see how 
Snape could have continued after that. It was almost impossible for 
him to stand being in the same room as Harry, much less talk to him.

I think at the beginning
> of fifth year, if not before, Dumbledore should have told Harry 
everything.
> Once Voldemort had returned to his body, it wasn't time to protect 
Harry
> from the truth anymore.  So, to me, he and Snape are the ones to 
blame for
> occlumency being ineffective and the lessons stopping.  

   Frankly I'm not at all sure knowing the full truth would have made 
Harry work harder at Occlumency, given that his motivation for not 
doing so was his obsession with that closed door. He is told it is 
necessary to learn Occlumency to protect his mind from the Dark Lord. 
Hermione even brings up the possibility of Sirius' capture being a 
trap.

   Harry neglects opening the package from Sirius and so discovering 
the mirrors which would have quickly established that S was safe. He 
forgets that Snape is a member of the OoP and doesn't turn to him 
until it's too late. Nor does it occur to him to try to find Snape 
after their escape from Umbridge and to discover if Snape got his 
message and what he had learned.

   I'm afraid it all boils down to it being Harry's own fault he 
falls into the trap. Understandably he is not thinking clearly 
through his fear for Sirius but he wouldn't have been open to 
Voldemort's meddling if he'd worked at his occlumency. And he didn't 
work at his occlumency because he'd decided finding out what was 
behind that door was more important.