Imperius Resistance and Occlumency was Harry's anger (was Re: Draco's anger.)

[Matt]

No: HPFGUIDX 122870




>> Gerry wrote:

>>Well, this reader easily could see the importance. I really, really
>>could not understand that Harry was such a complete idiot here. He 
>>has all the clues, he has all the information needed. The only 
>>thing he needed to do was put it together, and for once in his 
>>life trust that others might know what they were talking about, 
>>even if he did not agree.

>>The only reason I could come up with for him to be this idiotic is
>>that he was so cock-sure that nobody, not even LV would be able to
>>trick Harry Potter, and so all these fears of the grownups had no
>>basis in reality at all. Of course he knew far better what LV was
>>capable of than the people who lived through is reign and fought 
>>him. Well, he learned the hard way that he had been really, really 
>>stupid.



> Juli wrote:
> 
> huge snip
> 
> Just to add a bit of fuel to the fire, I was also a bit 
> disappointed that Dumbledore castigated Snape for not being able 
> to overcome his past (which is true) but did not even reprimand 
> Harry for prying into Snape's pensieve. I wish he had, if only to 
> make clear that Harry was wrong, though I understand that Harry 
> was already suffering enough over Sirius's death.



> Alla wrote:
> 
> Ummm, I think that Dumbledore still did not reprimand Snape nearly 
> close to enough, honestly speaking.

>  (snip)

> ...Harry looking into Pensieve. That was the ONLY time after all, 
> when I can arguably agree that Harry wronged Snape, IF the things 
> are as they seem ( meaning that Snape was not helping Voldie to 
> find his way in Harry's mind). On the other hand, I lost count how 
> many times Snape wronged Harry.



Matt now:

This has been a very interesting thread to follow!  Several people 
have mentioned that Harry is fully responsible (or majorly 
responsible) for the break down with Snape in Occlumency lessons, 
and the horrible results this led too.  Although I would agree that 
Harry has some responsibility for not working on these classes, and 
I also agree that he should not have looked into the pensieve, I 
must say that I can't see Harry as being the primary reason why 
things spiralled so far out of control.  

The reason I say that is for what happens to Harry in OotP.  Look at 
it from his standpoint.  Harry has done brave act after brave act 
ever since he has been at Hogwarts.  He stopped LV from getting the 
stone, he stopped the basilisk, and most recently he witnessed a 
fellow student murdered.  He has certainly been through more trauma 
in four years of school then most other students at Hogwarts!  In 
addition, he has the stress of dealing with the threat of LV on his 
tale, not to mention STILL having to live with the Dursleys every 
summer.

Then, he comes back to Hogwarts for year 5, and what happens?  Lots 
of secret activity that he doesn't know about, a lot of secrets in 
the opening that frustrate Harry to no end, and a lovely person by 
the name of Umbridge who takes wicked pleasure in torturing him.  
All in all, not exactly a light-hearted year at Hogwarts!  He then 
is asked to learn Occlumency from Snape, who has never treated Harry 
with kindness, and who Harry believes is a person who hates him and 
his family.

Harry is suffering a great deal more emotionally than people his 
age, and naturally, at the age of 15, he is starting to become very 
angry and annoyed about this.  Why then should we be surprised that 
he doesn't put his whole heart into lessons that he doesn't fully 
understand?  Why should we be surprised when he doesn't take to 
Snape's instruction?  True, the stakes are very high for Harry, but 
when the lessons are done by a teacher who snears and seems to 
despise you, and the lessons also seem to make you weak, they don't 
motivate you to keep at them, do they?

I think the problems in Occlumency and what follows is actually more 
so the fault of Snape and even DD as opposed to Harry.  We have to 
remember that these are the Professors and Teachers and Adults, 
while Harry is still only a 15 year old wizard, albeit a very 
powerful 15 year old wizard.  Although he should definitely be 
attributed some of the blame for what happens, there is plenty of 
blame to be held by Snape, and even DD to some degree.  After all, 
they should know how students act and think, and they should also 
have considered more carefully the precarious situation that they 
had put Harry in, by asking him to do difficult classes with someone 
who really despises Harry (even if it is only because he reminds 
Snape of James).  The explanations and emotional assistance they 
provide Harry is also rather questionable at best.  I know it is not 
there job to be Harry's parents, but considering the tasks they were 
giving him and his lack of family in the WW, it fell to someone in 
Hogwarts to consider these factors.

Anyways, to end, I don't believe Harry is absent of all blame.  Of 
course he could have done better in Occlumency, and he shouldn't 
have gone into the pensieve.  However, I agree completely with Alla, 
that Snape has done many more wrong things to Harry over the years, 
and those items were why Harry didn't trust Snape to begin with.  It 
is difficult for a teenager to learn from someone when they believe 
and have evidence in their mind that their teacher hates them.

Just my opinion,

Matt
MSW