What JKR Finds Important/Harry suicidal?

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 116297


Kim:

> Of course, Harry committing suicide is a possiblity and would be 
> understandable for anyone who's been through what he has (and we 
all 
> know it's going to get worse for him before it gets better), but my 
> sense is that suicide would just be out of character for Harry, no 
> mater what happens.  Not out of character for every other person 
> necessarily, but for Harry, yes.  As you say, it's Harry's (and 
> JKR's) story and nobody else's (and if you relate to Harry, you 
> relate; if you don't, you don't, and there's no reason you should 
> have to).  So I think it's important (because he's fiction) to show 
> Harry suffering, coping or not as best he can, in his own 
individual 
> way, maybe even feeling suicidal, but then coming out of the "fire" 
> alive.  Not to be used as some unattainable role model, but as an 
> example of an imperfect person who found the resources they needed 
> right there inside themselves.  That's what Harry surviving means 
to 
> me anyway. 
-----
> 
> But now, after all this, I guess I'm still sort of puzzled as to 
> where the idea that Harry might kill himself came from in the first 
> place.  Do we all agree that his suicide at the end is a bit of a 
> long shot?


Finwitch:

I think that, well - it IS possible for Harry to feel too tired, too 
depressed etc. particularly now that Sirius has gone behind the veil.

Also his comment to Hermione: "They'll[Dursleys] be disappointed. All 
these opportunities to get myself killed and I missed it".

I think it's possible that Harry attempts suicide, but someone saves 
him. And that, of course, not happening in the END but early on, so 
that he's NOT staying in Dursleys anymore, not if he prefers to die.

Then again, I think Harry would be more likely to try and find 
Voldemort... Or even call out for Voldemort to come and fight... 
riddicule old Voldy in that way. Just a new way to deal with 
unpleasantness for Harry: call out for Voldemort loudly, and announce 
that he much prefers to fight Voldemort than the current 
unpleasantness. And then, as Voldemort isn't there, say loudly he's a 
disappointingly big coward so he might as well go with what ever the 
unpleasant thing was. See if that doesn't do something to people 
being afraid to say Voldemort's name aloud... (It would be funny, but 
more like Fred than Harry - but maybe the twins will teach him that 
trick?)

Then again, Harry might try to mix Wormwood & Asphodel to produce the 
Draught of the Living Death (Two *muggle* plants so he WOULD be able 
to find the ingredients, possibly even from Petunia's garden) just to 
be able to sleep without nightmares. Some might see it as a suicide 
attempt, while Harry just wanted a sleeping potion...

Finwitch