[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry's flaws and moral errors? was: Apologies and responsibility

[lady.indigo at gmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 139349

On 9/1/05, msbeadsley <msbeadsley at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Canon states, not what Harry *could* have done, and didn't, but 
> that when Harry found Malfoy crying in MM's bathroom, someplace he 
> wasn't supposed to be, either, Malfoy (in apparent embarassment and 
> anger) attacked Harry first: he pulled out his wand first and cast 
> the first hex. 

*snip* 

> See my previous paragraph, and furthermore, "have their *first
> urge* (emphasis mine) be to use it and see what it does" is, IMO,
> edging back up to Rita Skeeter's level of realistic reportage
> again; canon says that at *least* two weeks passes between Harry
> reading the spell in the Potions textbook and his using it

*snip* 

> Sandy aka msbeadsley, beginning to think that Lady Indigo, as 
> someone closer to the age of the ostensible target audience than 
> many here, actually has some pretty salient points to make about 
> how worrisome Harry's slow rise in some regards to the challenge is 
> proving; us old farts may just be jaded and therefore somewhat 
> lackadaisically convinced that he will figure it all out, because 
> experience has shown us that youth always does, eventually...


Lady Indigo:

You're reinterpreting what I actually said.

Harry finds the spell. Harry sees the spell is labelled 'for enemies'. Harry decides, at that moment, that he should make a point of trying that out later. Therefore his first *urge*, not action, is to use it and see what it does. I did NOT say that Harry goes right out and tries it, and I don't see what difference it makes anyway. He uses it, and while his use of it is partly a reflex he had plans to use it at some point anyway. If he'd only been wondering what the spell did, and used it to counter the Crucio because it was fresh in his mind, I'd have no problem with his morals there whatsoever.

As for whether or not Harry will come out all right, maybe he will. I just worry that if Rowling is taking this long to point out that Harry is doing dangerously unethical things and how wrong this is, that his development will feel rushed and contrived. Or that she plans to excuse him from these things altogether. I really, really hope not.

- Lady Indigo