[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry's character development

[Magda Grantwich]

No: HPFGUIDX 139405

--- Steve <bboyminn at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Your right; the latest book did a lot to convey information
> regarding the plot and character/story background, Harry did not 
> advance much as a wizard. If anything, I thought he slid backwards 
> a bit. 
> [SNIP]
> Of course, I can't blame it all on the adults, although it is their
> responsibility; Harry is very lazy about his practice. If it had
> been me, I would be researching Dark Arts and Anti-Dark Arts with 
> every free minute of time. He could practice dueling...


I think JKR gave us a bit of a foretaste of Harry's development as a
wizard in the cave scene when he's watching Dumbledore examine the
wall and thinks something like "Harry had long ago learned that
smokes and bangs didn't mean magical strength".  And I thought, "He
did?  When?"

I thought it was JKR foreshadowing Harry's growth but frankly I found
it clumsy.  We never read about Harry ruminating on magic or
inventing spells or even thinking of how to go about inventing spells
if he wanted to.  He's actually a pretty passive wizard.  

His big thing is to yell "Protego!" which just throws up a shield to
bounce an enemy's own spells back at them.  People write about how he
broke into Snape's mind during occlumency but in fact he didn't; he
just threw up the shield and Snape in effect broke into his own mind
with Harry being a witness.

Harry spends more time reflecting on quidditch and his feelings about
people a lot more than he goes in for abstract considerations of
magic.  

Magda 

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