Harry's questions ... parents - Dangerous Questions

finwitch finwitch at yahoo.com
Tue Nov 9 07:24:42 UTC 2004


No: HPFGUIDX 117457


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" 
<delwynmarch at y...> wrote:
> 
> Finwitch wrote:
> "It has to do with subconcious - and actually, Harry doesn't fear 
not
> so much of punishment but rejection. Dursleys *already* reject him
> (and they'd be puninshing him anyway) - so it's not OF Dursleys. 
When
> he has people who care for him, he doesn't dare ask because he fears
> he'll lose them/their love."
> 
> Del replies :
> Do you have any canon to back that up ? Because I don't see that in 
Harry.

> Del replies :
> What do you mean by he doesn't know "enough" ? When Sirius tells him
> he knew Harry's grandparents, what doesn't Harry know that would
> prevent him from asking "Oh, my grandparents ?! What were they 
like ?" ?

Finwitch:

Why would Harry need to ask, being as Sirius is already telling him 
about them? Asking would only interrupt and prevent getting the 
information. Harry asks when he finds out something that makes him 
confused (pensieve scene), when he doesn't understand. Questions, 
IMO, are in a between area of knowing 'nothing' and knowing 'all'.
 

> Del replies :
> Harry was still angry when he got to 12GP. And his temper didn't
> improve when the only people he thought of questioning (Ron and
> Hermione) couldn't tell him anything. 
 
Finwitch:

Yes, but if Harry's irrational in many things, he's not wasting his 
time asking questions of people who can't give him the answers. 
Petunia DOES know something Harry desperately wants to know - his 
friends know no more than he does, all they give him is 'adults won't 
tell us anything'. Twins try to help with their Extendable Ears, but 
even they don't get much anymore. (and they're of age)

And Harry usually trys to figure what sort of answer a person would 
give him before he asks. (As when it came to the scar. He figured out 
what Dursleys, Hermione & Ron, Weasley Clan would say. He considered 
Dumbledore (Who does know the answer) but didn't know how to ask. 
(hmm.. I think Harry's timidness about asking questions comes most 
clear with Dumbledore, although he DOES ask - and then Dumbledore 
though defending him, pays no attention to him). He wrote to Sirius 
about it. AND his reaction to the answer - 'oh, no, he's risking 
himself for me - I never should have told him'.

Each time Harry asks (except when Dumbledore or someone specifically 
prompts him to do so) he's either shouted at, not getting any info, 
or overwhelmed with worry or concern.

Oh yes. For Harry, it's ask a question = trouble. Sometimes he's just 
angry enough & desperate enough to ask a question.

Finwitch







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