Broken potionvial WAS: Re: Bad Writing? (was: JKR and the boys)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 163270

> Pippin:
> You mean like Aunt Marge's exploding glass and subsequent exploding
> self?   Or Fudge's spattering inkwell? Accidents can happen even to
> old and experienced wizards, especially when they're upset. I don't
> have my canon with me, but  I believe Dumbledore said something to
> this effect at Harry's trial.

Jen:  So you mean Snape accidentally pushed the vial off the desk 
because he was fuming at Harry?  Harry wasn't angry at that 
particular moment so it wouldn't have been his accident. Or are you 
just saying 'accidents happen even in a series with red herrings'?

Pippin:
>  I have to agree with Dan, if we attempt to judge who did what by 
> their emotional reactions, we will mislead ourselves.  I think 
> Ceridwen was on the right track; what's important about this scene
> is what it tells us about Harry, though I don't agree that it was
> pride that made him hope that he had scraped an 'E'.
> 
> IMO, though he would drop dead rather than admit it, Harry craves 
> approval, especially from adult males. It just  maddens him to
> have it withheld from him unfairly.

Jen: This may be very true but JKR isn't making a point of it in the 
series.  No Hermione lectures about not needing adult male approval.  
No Dumbledore wisdom about dealing with Snape's disapproval.  Maybe 
Slughorn was an example but I don't see the story moving in that 
direction any further.  Harry moved past some of the small things 
he's worried about by the end of HBP and is focused only on the 
Horcruxes and his anger toward Snape, those are the signposts for 
Book 7 and any weakness Voldemort uses for leverage will come from 
one of those two areas.

Pippin:
> That's the string Snape always used to jerk Harry around. But
> Harry didn't have to let him do it. Instead of letting himself 
> fume over  how unfair it all is, he could have realized that 
> he didn't need Snape's approval anyway or want to be the sort 
> of person who seems to get it.

Jen: Right, I agree and think Harry will realize this by the end but 
think his anger and rage toward Snape are the things he must master, 
not needing approval.  That's been part of the plot and Harry's 
characterization already.