Some questions/comments about OOTP (LONG)

[Brenda]

No: HPFGUIDX 102846

>>> I, Bren, wrote:

I do think Harry had an absolutely horrible year, but it still 
doesn't justify him rashing out on his emotion, IMHO. All these 
anger, rage, and even using Crucio... he's becoming non other than VM 
himself!! If Harry's had such a hard life than so did Voldemort. His 
muggle father abandoning his witch mother, his mom dying right after 
his birth, being raised in an orphanage. At least Harry had 
a "family" better than the orphanage staffs. Top that with a surge of 
snaky Salazar's blood running through him (is he the last 
remaining "ancestor" of Salazar? I heard that JKR meant it that way. 
That is quite odd. Time-turning again?) - not so different from 
Harry! Harry = VM = Salazar?!?! Yikes!


>>> Then Vivian responded:

I think that Harry does need to learn how to control his emotions
(and I think he will in book 6/7) but I don't think that his behavior
in OOTP was unjustified. I feel really sorry for Harry, can't he
ever get a break! He's been fighting for 4 years against Voldemort
and no one has the decency to tell him what is going on?! I would be
angry! Regular 15 year olds can be a pain in the %#@, what with
hormones and all. How about a hormonal fifteen year old that has the
weight of the WW on his shoulders? <<<

Bren now: Yeah, that is precisely why I'm still willing to give him 
more chances despite of his rash behaviours throughout OoP. And btw, 
I think you meant to say "pain in the %##", not "%#@", lol!!!


>>> Vivian: And about Tom Riddle, sorry, I feel no compassion for him 
at all. This guy doesn't even show compassion or loyalty to his own 
DE's?! Petunia isn't much better. Locking her sister's son in a 
cupboard, starving him, and mistreating him -- what a bit%h! Just 
because her sister was popular, and talented! She needs to get over 
it already. Honestly, how Harry survived past being a toddler is 
miraculous. <<<

Bren: Well, I feel some degree of compassion for Tom Riddle. NOT 
Voldemort, but Tom Riddle. I believe that "Voldemort = TR + 
Vapormort" like someone suggested in this group. You have to admit, 
he had a HORRIBLE childhood as well, if not worse than HArry's. At 
least Harry had a "home". TR had to live in an orphanage because his 
RICH dad walked out on his mom, leaving him there. And I imagine 
orphanages 50 years ago would have been pretty brutal and abusive as 
well.

I said this because there are ALOT of similarities between Harry and 
Tom (Not VM, young Tom). They are both:

- Half-blood
- Parents-less
- abused/ not loved
- of similar appearances, though Tom is much taller
- MARKED ONES who both had "the weight of the WW on his shoulders"
     *Tom: Heir of Slytherin, with the oh-so-great mission to "purge 
those who are not worthy of studying Magic"
     *Harry: Voldemort's Equal, who must be either the murderer or 
the victim of VM

My point is that their teenage selves are almost identical, and if 
Harry is not careful then he might become something like Voldemort 
himself. I'm sure if the book was written from Tom Riddle's POV, with 
all of his intimate thoughts & pain, with him interacting with *his* 
friends who share the same ideology, then we might feel the same 
compassion towards Tom that we do with Harry.

But then this compassion shouldn't justify Tom Riddle, right? He 
turned to Dark Arts for outlet, who's to say HArry wouldn't? He 
already used Crucio! and he even learned *how* to do it properly.

As for Harry having the great heart and Tom Riddle didn't -- I wonder 
if Harry didn't know his parents AT ALL and his mom didn't die to 
save him, he would have been even more similar to Tom Riddle. What do 
you think?

As for Aunt Petunia... is all the abuse even *legal*? I wonder if she 
could've been arrested for that...

Brenda