Harry's questions ... parents - Dangerous Questions

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 117464


Del:
 
> Not only didn't Harry ask about his grandparents, but he steered the
> conversation away from them to keep it focused on Sirius. I can
> understand that he wanted to know more about Sirius at the time, 
but I
> can't see that what Sirius told him about his grandparents was
> anywhere near enough. And yet Harry never asked him about them.

Finwitch:

Ask what about them? They were NICE (enough so to sort of adopt 
Sirius) and they are dead now. That Sirius left them once he was of 
age prompted a question - (because of a possible fight, either with 
Harry's father or his grandparents) - there wasn't one. Sirius just 
didn't want to live on *charity* when he could live on his own. As 
curious as a reader may be, I don't see Harry needing any more 
information than that. They're dead.
 
> Del:
> Petunia, Ron and Hermione, the Twins. What about Sirius, who made it
> so clear that he was willing and ready to answer his questions, who
> actually *encouraged* him to ask them ?

Sirius wasn't there when Harry was getting out his frustration of not 
knowing. (and, he doesn't even know Sirius is at 12 GP yet). When he 
finally sees Sirius, R&H had already told him that no knowing adult 
(including Sirius) is telling anything. So again, no point asking if 
they're not telling.

Of course, then came the arguement between Sirius & Molly about 
whether Harry, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny and Hermione get to know...
Harry gets to know because his godfather says so, Ron puts in 'Harry 
will tell us anyway' - so Ron & Hermione get to know, Fred pulls 
the 'of age'-card for him and George - poor Ginny is the onlyone sent 
to bed. (so Molly can assert her authority on *someone* about this...)

And of course, Harry may have figured that any further information is 
secret and  as much as he'd WANT to know, well, it might be better if 
he didn't. Need-to-know basis to avoid crucial information leak.
 
> Del replies :
> Now, that makes a bit more sense. However, I still don't see what
> would have been risky with asking Sirius questions *privately*.
> There's no way it could have put Sirius in any more danger than he
> already was. As for Molly, DD and the rest of the Order, they didn't
> need to know, they didn't need to be there.
 
Finwitch:

Well, maybe he did - maybe he just enjoyed Sirius' company, maybe 
complained about being stressed about the upcoming trial/Dumbledore 
avoiding him...

Anyway, asking questions isn't Harry's style of learning. He's more 
of an observing type. (As am I for that matter). And of all Gryff. 
boys, only Seamus seems to be the sort who loves to ask questions. 
(and of course, when Harry's his target/source, Harry just finds it 
annoying).

Finwitch