Harry’s anger: teen angst or channeling Voldemort?

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 94217

(with the usual apology to those who might have raised this point 
before)

I know that many list members, me included, have felt uneasy about 
Harry's anger in OotP. It wasn't in character, and made him less 
likeable than he is in the previous books. Sure, Harry has many 
reasons for anger in OotP, and he is 15 and has the hormone surge 
(thought I find it a terrible cliché, and somehow Ron and Hermione 
manage to avoid the same fate). But isn't it obvious that Harry's 
anger, or at least the worst of it, is simply channeling LV's 
emotions through the scar link?

The telling part is that Harry is not just angry in OotP, he actually 
*enjoys* his friends' hurt. This is definitely not Harry. Our Harry 
doesn't have a sadistic streak in him. Well, perhaps towards Dudley 
in moments of discord, or towards Snape, but certainly not towards 
Ron and Hermione. Yet JKR has made a point of describing Harry "not 
sorry at all" or even actually taking pleasure in hurting his friends 
at least four times in OotP (and I might have missed more cases). The 
quotes are below for those who want to dwell on the details. Note 
especially "deep satisfaction" and "vindictive pleasure". Note also 
the words indicating the unexplained suddenness of the anger 
feelings: "for a split second", "nasty impulse", "anger that had just 
flared so unexpectedly". This is reminiscent of the sudden surges of 
hatred that Harry feels towards DD in two different cases, which we 
know for sure are LV channeling.

The quotes:
---------------------------------------------
OotP (US), Ch. 4, p. 63:
'He seemed to think it was best,' said Hermione rather 
breathlessly. 'Dumbledore, I mean.'
    'Right,' said Harry. He noticed that her hands, too, bore the 
marks of Hedwig's beak and found that he was not at all sorry.

OotP (US), Ch. 5, p. 91:
'Harry'll tell me and Hermione everything you say anyway!' said Ron 
hotly. 'Won't — won't you?' he added uncertainly, meeting Harry's 
eyes.
    For a split second, Harry considered telling Ron that he wouldn't 
tell him a single word, that he could try a taste of being kept in 
the dark and see how he liked it. But the nasty impulse vanished as 
they looked at each other.
    'Course I will,' Harry said.

OotP (US), Ch. 12, p. 235
'Poisonous toadstools don't change their spots,' said Ron 
sagely. 'Anyway, I've always thought Dumbledore was cracked to trust 
Snape. Where's the evidence he ever really stopped working for You-
Know-Who?'
    'I think Dumbledore's probably got plenty of evidence, even if he 
doesn't share it with you, Ron,' snapped Hermione.
    'Oh, shut up, the pair of you,' said Harry heavily, as Ron opened 
his mouth to argue back. Hermione and Ron both froze, looking angry 
and offended. 'Can't you give it a rest?' said Harry. 'You're always 
having a go at each other, it's driving me mad.' And abandoning his 
shepherd's pie, he swung his schoolbag back over his shoulder and 
left them sitting there.
    He walked up the marble staircase two steps at a time, past the 
many students hurrying towards lunch. The anger that had just flared 
so unexpectedly still blazed inside him, and the vision of Ron and 
Hermione's shocked faces afforded him a sense of deep satisfaction. 
Serve them right, he thought, why can't they give it a rest . . . 
bickering all the time . . . it's enough to drive anyone up the 
wall . . .

OotP (US), Ch. 30, p. 681
'You can't tell me you've stopped having funny dreams,' Hermione said 
now, 'because Ron told me you were muttering in your sleep again last 
night.'
    Harry threw Ron a furious look. Ron had the grace to look ashamed 
of himself.
    'You were only muttering a bit,' he mumbled 
apologetically. 'Something about "just a bit further".'
    'I dreamed I was watching you lot play Quidditch,' Harry lied 
brutally. 'I was trying to get you to stretch out a bit further to 
grab the Quaffle.'
    Ron's ears went red. Harry felt a kind of vindictive pleasure; he 
had not, of course, dreamed anything of the sort.
---------------------------------------------

Each of these small episodes by itself could have been only teen 
angst, but taken together they are telling. Of course, we see Harry 
having surges of anger towards many other people in OotP, but it is 
especially out-of-character when it is directed towards his close 
friends.
  
Neri