Characters and Consequences? was: Harry's emotions his strength or his weakness?

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 141656

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "M. Thitathan" <h2so3f at y...> 
wrote:
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> CH3ed: I like Alla's line of thinking. I think DD was neither a 
puppet-master nor a mother hen. He foresaw potential outcomes of 
things well, but he was willing to give those he dealt with the 
chance to rise to the occasion .... or not, which I think is wise, as 
long as DD guarded against potentially disastrous outcomes (DD gave 
Riddle the benefit of a doubt and a chance when Riddle was at school, 
but he was keeping his eyes on him all the same...tho he couldn't 
catch Riddle openning the Chamber of Secrets, etc). I think DD hoped 
the Dursleys would treat Harry well, but he suspected they wouldn't. 
At the same time he foresaw that even that would be better for Harry 
than to have him brought up without his mother's lingering protection 
at other wizarding household in full knowledge of his revered status 
in the WW (which would probably have spoiled him). So DD knew Harry 
would suffer living with the Dursleys, but it would be the kind of 
suffering that builds characters.  
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Hmmm.  You are right that it is POSSIBLE to weave those two speeches 
together with some kind of interpretation like you make here.  
However, unfortunately that lands Albus right back in the cauldron I 
think JKR was trying to get him out of.  Namely, he comes off as a 
high-handed and manipulative old man who presumes to decide that a 
childhood of suffering "builds character."  Not an attractive figure, 
and hardly an "epitome of goodness."  It also once again resurrects 
questions about why he didn't actively intervene at the Dursleys, for 
instance to get Harry out of the closet, etc.  He even comes off as 
something of a hypocrite in HBP, scolding the Dursleys for something 
he knew they would do.  If they knew about his speech in OOTP they 
might justifiably retort "You knew what the boy was getting into and 
left him here, anyway, so get off your high-horse! You don't have any 
standing to complain."

I grant you that an Albus who believed the Dursleys would treat Harry 
well and therefore was surprised and deeply disappointed to discover 
they had not comes off as foolish, or at least naive.  But then that 
fits with some other Albus traits (not understanding how deep 
Sevvie's pain went, etc.) so I don't think JKR would be uncomfortable 
with that interpretation.  

So, although it is possible to weave the two speeches together (and I 
think you have done it about as well as it can be done) it's forced 
and unfortunately doesn't leave Albus looking very much better than 
he did after OOTP.  I agree with Alla that the speeches really don't 
go together, and that JKR was basically doing a rescue job on Albus.  
As Alla points out, JKR has admitted that she finished OOTP in a rush 
and in the midst of a difficult pregnancy.  I think what we have in 
many parts of OOTP is basically an early draft that she pushed out 
the door without thinking as carefully as she should have about what 
she was implying.  The speech in HBP was basically a way of her 
saying "Errr...let's call that one a do-over, why don't we?"  It will 
be interesting to see, if and when JKR does the "Revised Editions" if 
the speech in OOTP survives intact.


Lupinlore