DD and Harry in Book VI, what you do and don't want to see

[hogsheadbarmaid]

No: HPFGUIDX 123576


 
Barmaid now:
Why are these either/or kinds of issues?  Why does Harry have to 
*either* deal with all his grief *or* step up and do his part 
to "save the world"?????  I find it particularly puzzling that the 
camp of "Harry having to take time to deal with his personal 
troubles" is often portrayed as *realism* while the "step up and 
fulfill his role in the world" view is slated as the *fantasy* or 
fairytale nature of the story.  It seems to me that in *reality* 
people rarely have the luxury of just disengaging from their 
responsibilities and sorting out their *issues*... at least in my 
little corner of so called reality this seems to be true.  I think 
we will see a complex blend of *silliness & insipidity* (well said 
SSSusan!) and some heart wrenching hard times for our hero.  I 
think Alla is right that it may well take Harry years to deal with 
all his grief, and we will never see most of those years from JKR's 
perspective (thank god for fan fiction!).  But while he is working 
all of that out he will still have to fulfill his role in the world.
 
Please know I am saying all of this with a smile on my face and 
with no malice for any opinion that differs from mine.  Really.  

SSSusan:
Absolutely!  This is exactly what I meant, even if I didn't state it 
well.  I think Harry *may* have a period -- a fairly short period of 
a few months -- where he's pissed at DD or is skeptical about 
trusting him & following his instructions.  Or it may be something 
which resurfaces now & again over time.  Both would be totally 
believable & understandable, imo.  
 
OTOH, I think that Harry, being the Harry we've seen so far, *will* 
do exactly what you've said, Barmaid -- disengage from his "issues" 
in order to address the reality he's facing.  This is not, under 
ordinary circumstances, a necessarily wise thing to do, but the fact 
is, these are NOT ordinary circumstances.  
 
This is WHY I've said I think Harry will set aside his own concerns 
to a degree in order to work for the greater good, and WHY I've 
argued that he should find a way to work w/ Snape (if he has to) and 
WHY I've argued that standing up to DJU, esp. after McGonagall's 
warning, wasn't a very smart thing to do.  All of these tie into one 
thing:  These are NOT ordinary times.  
 
If Voldy *weren't* back, if VWII *hadn't* begun, I would encourage:  
1) anyone like Harry to go right ahead & work on all those issues 
now; 2) anyone in Harry or Neville's situation to consider several 
options for what to do about The Snape Problem; and 3) anyone like 
Harry to have stood up to DJU and let her have it for her lies and 
refusal to believe him and her inhumane punishment.  But all of that 
is set aside for me, I'm afraid, when the stakes are this high.  
Once the war is over, by all means, I'd handle each of these 
situations differently than I'm "advising" Harry to handle them now.
 
Siriusly Snapey Susan


Barmaid again:

Hi SSSusan!
The only thing I would have a *very small* disagreement with you on 
is the idea that under "ordinary circumstances" Harry could take the 
time to deal with his *issues*.  I guess recently I have been seeing 
that really life is never *ordinary* and there is always more than 
one thing going on for any one person at any one time.  It is the 
rare, not the ordinary, person that has the luxury of focusing 
*only* on themselves or *only* on their role in the Big Bright/Dark 
World.  

I see the heroism in Harry, even just the Harry we know up to this 
point, as at least partly about his ability to do what needs to be 
done, when it needs to be done, no matter what else may be going on 
at that moment.  I would argue, from a mental health standpoint that 
this can actually be good.  This is not necessarily the same as 
suppressing or not dealing with his emotions.  It is simply having 
the ability to do more than one thing, be engaged in more than one 
process, at a time.

I think we are pretty much agreeing, Susan, it is maybe just a 
matter of emphasis!

        --Barmaid