Double standards and believing

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 121062


Bboyminn wrote:
"Del, you really seem to throw a lot of fat into the fire. I have to
wonder if you were involved in the Debating Club at school, and just
can't resist arguing the counterpoint for the sake of the counterpoint
rather than a firm belief."

Del replies:
For once, I was absolutely honest :-) More precisely, I was thoroughly
confused by what *really* seemed to me to be double standards. And no,
I was never in any debating club :-)

Bboyminn wrote:
"I don't think Seamus was supporting his mother or Frudge. My read of
the orginal blow-up between Harry and Seamus was that Seamus was more
than willing to give Harry a fair hearing."

Del replies:
I actually agree with your interpretation. I should have said that
Harry, his friends and many readers, *think* that Seamus sided with
his mother, and they see this as bad.

Bboyminn wrote:
"Percy, within reason, knew Harry well,"

Del replies:
I disagree with that premise. I don't think Percy knew Harry well at all.
First, Percy is much older than Harry. Percy was already a 5th year
when he met Harry. This is the same age difference between Harry and
Euan Abercrombie, and Harry admittedly doesn't know Euan very well.
Second, Percy never associated much with Harry while at Hogwarts. No
more than Harry associates with, say, the Creevey brothers. The Twins
know Harry quite well for having been his Quidditch teammates for
years, Ron is Harry's best friend, and Ginny had a crush on Harry for
years. But Percy never had any kind of personal relationship with Harry.
Third, though Harry did spend some time at the Weasleys', Percy never
associated with Harry then. In CoS, Percy spends all his time shut up
in his room, presumably writing to Penelope Clearwater. In GoF, Percy
is working like mad, either on his reports in his room, or at the MoM.
Fourth, Percy had one pretty good reason to believe that Harry *did*
enjoy the spotlight : he wasn't there to see how much Harry disliked
being a Hogwarts champion. From Percy's perspective, Harry somehow
managed to trick the Goblet of Fire into making him a Champion, and
there's no reason to believe he doesn't enjoy the situation.
Especially given the articles Rita Skeeter writes about Harry.
So I would say that Percy doesn't know Harry well at all.

Del