JKR Chat "The Crucial and Central Question"

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 92093

Kneasy wrote:
> Not strictly true that Harry has earned his spurs as the
> Knight in Shining Armour, or at least not yet.
> 
> Harry  has never strapped on his wand and gone looking
> to rescue the maiden, right wrongs or fight evil. He fights
> when he ends up in situation that he never foresaw and he
> is already under attack. He fights to defend himself. Those
> that attack him are not on the side of good but that matters
> little to Harry; all he knows is there's somebody trying to
> blow his head off.
> 
> So  far Harry has only *reacted*, he has never gone
> looking for evil so that he can destroy it. IMO he is at the
> crossroads - DD has told him the prophecy and now Harry
> has to make his choice. What will he do? Will he become
> DD's paladin or will he try and avoid his fate? The latter
> option is likely to lead to tears all round. The Prophecy
> only says that he will have the power, it doesn't say how
> he will use it.
> 
> That, to paraphrase DD, is the choice that will define him.
> 

Neri:
I don't wholly agree with you there. Harry's decision in SS/PS to go 
and find the stone before LV does was a very conscious decision. He 
could have just ignored it as Ron and Hermione were inclined to. And 
in CoS he actively goes with Ron to the quest of saving Ginny's life, 
when he already knows about the basilisk part, at least. In fact
(since you have already raised the knight/paladin theme) I think the 
resolution of CoS is very chivalry/fairytale: The evil wizard puts an 
enchanted sleep on the innocent maiden and drags her to his secret 
fortress. Our knight (with his loyal companion) goes through riddles 
and dungeons to find the fortress, gets three presents (a bird, a hat 
and a sword) from the good magician, uses the sword to kill the 
guardian monster, and then finds where the heart of the evil wizard 
is hidden and destroys him. Practically the only element JKR left out 
is for our hero to wake the maiden with a kiss. Well, that would have 
been slightly overdoing it, as they are only 12 and 11 at the time.

Neri