Back to the Well / Will Harry Ever Learn?

[Todd C. Truffin]

No: HPFGUIDX 134836

Please someone direct me to a post that makes sense of what I found 
to be one of the most befuddling aspects of HBP.  So, HP gets hold 
of an old tattered book that starts giving him information that no 
one else has.  The information begins innocently enough and 
progresses to darker and darker material.  When HP reveals the book 
to his pals, Ginny rather wisely asks "Did I hear you right? You've 
been taking orders from something someone wrote in a book, Harry?" 
(182, UK childrens).  And HP continues using the book and defending 
its author?  

I'm not sure if this is a sign of JKR running out of ideas or if 
it's a sign that HP is really the headstrong blockhead he's made out 
to be.  On the one hand, the fact that JKR has Ginny and Hermione 
react negatively to the book is a sign that JKR is making a knowing 
reference to COS.  So, one might think that there's something 
meaningful to HP's obliviousness.  On the other hand, given the 
energy spent on defending HP's attachment to the book and the lack 
of any significant symbolic meaning that I've been able to suss out, 
I also feel a bit that JKR is simply saying, "Yup, I'm doing the 
evil book thing again. What are you gonna do?"


Todd