JKR excerps from a magazine

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 94522

Kathy King:
> > I know that a lot of people enjoy, along with myself, interviews 
> from Jkr. I 
> > recently bought a magazine, which is a collector's edition 
> of "Movie Magic".
<snip> 
> > What I had found interesting was that twice in the first paragraph 
> she 
> > repeats that Harry is guided by his conscience. Isn't that the 
> little voice 
> > inside your head, so to speak?

> Catherine McK: 
> But isn't the little voice inside Harry's head Lord Voldemort....?

Annemehr:
Count me in as one of the (few?) who thinks the voices in Harry's head
are *Harry's*.  There are a few important exceptions, of course: the
voice of someone trying to Imperio him, the voices he hears when near
a dementor, and the voices of the people involved in those
dream-visions he has through his scar while asleep.  These exceptions
are clearly stated in the books, as far as I can see.  I'm so sure of
this that I'll buy a round of butterbeers for the list if I turn out
to be wrong!  ;-)  That ought to make up for this being a boring
non-theory...

Catherine McK: 
> I suppose that JKR is saying that Harry, with little guidance from 
> the more experienced, can only do what he thinks is right – Ron and 
> Hermione help with the practicalities. Perhaps the message of the 
> books is that Harry has to learn not to be guided by his conscience, 
> but to accept the considered advice of people he can trust (like 
> Hermione), both to share the burden and to have a higher chance of 
> making the right choice. 
> 
> Catherine McK

Annemehr:
How about if he's always guided by his conscience, but he informs his
decisions by learning to listen to the people he trusts rather than
always going by his first gut instinct all the time?  Because what I
think JKR meant was that, without benefit of caring adults to teach
him right from wrong, Harry has managed to become quite good just by
listening to his own conscience (making a few mistakes along the way
to be sure).

Annemehr