CHAPDISC: HBP5, An Excess of Phlegm

[Miles]

No: HPFGUIDX 144211

> Marianne:
> I guess what bothers me about Harry's situation is that no one,
> other than DD, makes any mention of Sirius' death as a loss for
> Harry. While Ron, Hermione and Co., might think they're doing what
> Harry wants by not talking about it, even a clumsy "Gee, we're
> sorry" would give Harry an acknowledgement that they understand he's
> in pain and that they realize that Sirius' death is a very personal
> loss for him. Instead, Harry soldiers on alone, with his grief
> popping up in his own head in response to whatever is going on
> around him.

Miles:
But this is the way he is. It is one of his flaws, that he is more or less
unable to express his emotions properly.
You may say that it is a question of age and gender, and surely that's part
of the problem. But it is more. Harry grew up learning, that he does best
without showing any emotion at all. He is not much better in handling his
emotions at the end of HBP than he is at the beginning of PS/SS.
And his friends - they see him suffering, but they know him good enough. And
they kind of fear the emotional outbursts they know from him - anger,
frustration, rage.
We do not see much of his emotional "output" with Ginny as well (ok, weak
spot of Rowling's writing, maybe). But we do learn, that he didn't express
or discuss his decision to break up with Ginny at the end of HBP - and we
see that Ginny knew his thoughts without him expressing them.

If love is his power, it may be necessary for him to improve in expressing
his feelings. I'm not so sure about Rowling, if she will be able to develop
the character of Harry in that way.

Miles