What should Harry REALLY feel sorry for?

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 116829


Alla wrote:
<snip>
> So, my question is - for what in his life Harry should REALLY feel 
> sorry for?
> 
> Please think BIG.:)
<snip>
 Harry not seeing Hermione side of things earlier in PoA 
> (actually, I think he already felt sorry for it), Harry looking 
into Snape's Pensieve and of course Harry trying to cast Crucio ( I 
don't think that was unjustifiable and the fact that he could not 
cast it  speaks all the best for him, but in any event unforgivable 
is  unforgivable and he needs to learn how to restrain himself even 
in  the time of greatest pain).
> 
> Again, on the top of my head I cannot come up with any other 
> transgressions of Harry which are not usual for growing up boy or 
> teenager, but I am ready to be convinced otherwise.

Hannah: Like most posters so far on this thread, I think attempting 
the Cruciatius curse wasn't exactly his finest hour, nor was his 
treatment of his friends in OotP.  Looking in the pensieve was so 
stupid that I don't really count it as a major transgression - I 
think he's a bit unbalanced at this point (the pretty lights remind 
him of his Evil-Overlord induced visions...)

I'd like to add a couple of things which I don't think anyone has 
mentioned (forgive me if I have missed them, it's been a long day). 

 1. Harry sneaking off to Hogsmeade again and again during PoA.  
Just for once, Snape really is justified in being really angry with 
him, and Lupin too.  OK, I suppose a lot of teenagers would have 
done the same.  OTOH, this wasn't just ordinary rule breaking, and 
it wasn't for any higher purpose either.  Lupin's 'trading their 
sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks' comment really hits home with 
Harry, and he feels awful because he knows it's true.  I'm sure if 
he'd thought of that first he'd probably not have done it, but he 
still ought to feel a least a bit bad afterwards.

2. Harry never once thanking Snape for saving his life in PS.  Not 
even a note.  OK, Snape might not have appreciated it, but you'd 
think the boy would at least try.  Snape worked very hard that year, 
as far as we (and Harry) can see, to protect Harry, unlike any of 
the rest of the staff.  Thanking Snape would be difficult, but it 
would have been right.  Harry should at least have felt he ought 
to.  But he seems to have no guilt over having suspected Snape all 
year, and no compunction at all to say a simple thank you.  If it 
were me, I'd have felt pretty damn guilty about the whole thing.

They're not exactly the world's worst misdemeanors though.  I'd 
agree with Alla that he's not a bad kid at all, and that even the 
above examples are partly attributable to his lousy upbringing, 
general teenagerishness, and a lack of guidance from adults.  People 
commit far worse crimes than Harry while aged under 16, and they 
still get different treatment under law, because of their age.  It 
seems to be accepted that teenagers, while more able to make 
decisions about morality and their own behaviour than younger 
children, are still going to make mistakes and shouldn't necessarily 
be damned for them.

Hannah

Fanfic at Schnoogle.com/authorLinks/Hannah_Marder/