Harry Cunning or Manipulative? (WAS: Young Dumbledore)

[susanbones2003]

No: HPFGUIDX 148431

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "h2so3f" <h2so3f at ...> wrote:
>
SNIPPIN MYSELF AGAIN< not so many laughs this time....
> 
> CH3ed:
Re:Harry's cunning
> That wasn't the only practice Harry had, though. He knew to omit 
> certain info when he thought they might work against him getting 
> what he wants like at the beginning of GoF when he had to ask 
Vernon 
> for permission to go to the Quidditch World cup, or when he wanted 
> to listen to the news at the beginning of OotP. As early as in 
PS/SS 
> he knew when and what not to say in order to get to go to the zoo 
> with the Dursleys, and he did get Draco to spill what he knew 
about 
> the Chamber of Secrets (with the help of polyjuice potion, of 
> course) in the Slytherin common room. In PoA he knew to not tell 
his 
> real name to Stan Shunpike when he boarded the Knightbus while 
> running away from the Dursleys,  etc.
> 
> I think Harry can be quite cunning when he has to. I agree that he 
> hasn't been devious or downright manipulative, but I don't think 
> that is a bad skill to be able to use to get others to tell him 
> things without resorting to torturing them. DD was also very 
cunning 
> and used that ability to achieve peaceful results, ay? I don't 
think 
> that really tarnishes his soul. 
> 
> CH3ed :O)

Hi Person who's name I can't pronounce!
I don't think it's bad to know your way around a problem at all. 
What bothers me, really, is the recognition of his skill that Harry 
seemed to give young Tom Riddle. I don't want to say anything 
stronger because I realize I am in a murky area here. But Harry 
seemed to be giving him grudging respect for his careful cultivation 
of Slughorn, the right amount of hesitancy and flattery, the drawing 
back when necessary. Harry wasn't repelled. That bothers me. I never 
expected this, never looked at the things Harry did before he took 
the Felix Felicis, (the master manipulator)as manipulations. I felt 
the things he did prior to Felix were necessary to survive in an 
often hostile environment without parents. Now I know it's 
absolutely necessary to defeat LV, but there are lines I wouldn't 
want Harry to cross. That's kind of what I am dancing around trying 
to say and doing it fairly ham-fistedly judging by the number of 
times I have said this!! Forgive me.
Jen D.
>