Is Harry an idiot because he thinks Snape is guilty?/Some UV again (LONG)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 140649

> >>Alla wrote:
> > <snip> 
> > Under circumstances I believe he IS acting rationally. Again, he 
> > may not know the whole story, but I believe it is completely     
> > rationally for him considering the evidence he has to want to    
> > avenge Dumbledore's death. JMO, of course.

> >>Carol:
> <snip>
> Harry is not employing reason (orderly or logical thinking). He's
> employing emotion--his horror at the death of his supposedly
> all-powerful mentor and his pre-existing hatred of Snape intensified
> by his brand-new discovery that Snape is the spy who informed
> Voldemort of the Prophecy that resulted in the death of his parents.
> <snip>
> Harry's reaction is *understandable.* 
> <snip>
> But it is not *rational*--and I think JKR has shown with Peter     
> Pettigrew in PoA that she does not regard revenge as right.

Betsy Hp:
I think we have a classic Catch 22 situation going on here <g>.  It 
is rational to expect a person in such a situation to act 
irrationally.  Harry is behaving as he should, at this particular 
point in time.  The problem will arise if he *stays* in this mind 
set.  If Harry continues to see only what he wants to see, to ignore 
information or twist facts to suit his preconceptions then he's going 
to fail at his mission to hunt down and destroy Voldemort's horcuxes. 

> >>Carol: 
> Harry has yet to examine the evidence and employ *reason* to
> understand it. Quite possibly he's incapable of doing so, at least 
> in this instance. But Hermione isn't, and neither is Lupin. I'm    
> hoping he'll provide them with sufficient details about the events 
> on the tower and about Snape in general that they will start       
> questioning what Harry takes for granted. At that point, we'll see 
> a genuinely rational reaction.

Betsy Hp:
Hmm.  I think, actually, it will be very important for *Harry* to be 
the one to finally take a good rational look at the tower events.  
How else will he leave his childhood behind? (The child can afford to 
be irrational; the man doesn't have that luxury.)  This sort of 
critical thinking is exactly what Dumbledore was teaching Harry in 
their jaunts through Dumbledore's pensieve.  And Harry does seem to 
have picked up some skill.  The more open-minded view he has of 
Slytherins in general, and Draco in particular, is encouraging, IMO.

A rational view of Snape and his role in Dumbledore's death will take 
more effort on Harry's part, but I think he's up for it.  I think all 
he needs is a good nudge.  Petunia Dursley saying something about 
Lily's friend, Severus, for example.  Or maybe some anonymous source 
Harry hunts down.  Or even a letter or bottled memory from 
Dumbledore.  JKR will have to fill us in on Snape's background 
somehow (the Prank, his leaving the Death Eaters, etc.) and I bet 
we'll learn more about Snape right alongside Harry.

Betsy Hp