JKR's Messages (was Re: Hermione In Trouble?)

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 120987


> 
> SSSusan:
> What if that crazy muggle woman also mentioned that by calling 
> them "innately good" she wasn't trying to say that they're little 
> saints who never break rules or never do anything wrong?  What if 
> she said she meant that most of the time they follow their hearts, 
> which is where they're finding the goodness, even in the face of 
> being labeled "bad" for doing so?  
> 
> For me the phrase "innately good" doesn't mean so much that they 
> can't do wrong but that their hearts are aligned with rightness and 
> their tendency is to try to follow that, even if it means breaking 
> official (external) rules which might tell them they're "bad".  
> 
> 

Neri:

******************
Year 4, November:

Harry's ears were ringing. The injustice of it made him want to curse
Snape into a thousand slimy pieces. <snip> Harry sat there staring at
Snape as the lesson began, picturing horrific things happening to
him... If only he knew how to do the Cruciatus Curse...  he'd have
Snape flat on his back like that spider, jerking and twitching...
******************

OK, we know that righteous anger is not enough to make the Cruciatus
work, so forget about the Cruciatus for a moment. Just give Harry here
a baseball bat, and assume he doesn't have to fear retribution from
Snape or anyone else. What would Harry do? Is this Harry's heart that
wants to hurt Snape? Is this anger "innate" also? And does Harry have
no choice but to follow it?    

> 
> SSSusan:
> So you think perhaps they're not choosing A or B so much *each* time 
> they're facing a dilemma or situation so much as are consistently 
> following a set of principles & values they have previously chosen?  
> I think I agree.  I think it's possible there is an inner set of 
> principles and values [a moral compass?] which they attempt to & do 
> follow consistently.  
> 

Neri:
I agree, unless by "inner" you mean "pre-determined and impossible to
overrule". In this case it wouldn't be a compass, it would be a
control system. 


> SSSusan:
> So the question is *did* they choose this system?  Or is that what's 
> innate [an inner light?]?

Neri:
By that "or" you seem to be saying that "innate/inner" means no
choice. So are the trio actually robots? I'll have to disagree. I've
known them closely for several years now and I'm sure they are
persons, so I have no doubt they chose the system. 

> SSSusan:
> And is that distinction the problem we're 
> having w/ JKR's comment?  
> If it was something they chose, then why 
> call it *innate* goodness?  Isn't it more like you say, that they 
> give the *impression* of its being innate because they're so 
> consistent to the principles held inside?
> 

Neri:
Excuse me, but who is this JKR and why do you give so much weight to
that "innate goodness" expression of her?

> SSSusan:
> Hmmm.  What does this do to a Percy?  He's certainly following a set 
> of principles & values, *extremely* consistently, but he's not 
> likely to be labeled "innately good" by either JKR or a reader or a 
> character w/in the story who knows him well.  He's chosen the not-
> quite-right set of principles & values, then?
> 

Neri:
A "reader"? A "character"? A "story"?? Oh, you mean this is all just
fiction??? Well, in this case it's obvious that Percy is not as
innately good as the trio. Why d'you think they are the heroes and
he's just a secondary character?

Neri