Harry Cunning or Manipulative?

[susanbones2003]

No: HPFGUIDX 148499

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" 
<justcarol67 at ...> wrote:
>> Carol responds:
> The funny thing is, Jen, that you were responeing in the first 
place
> to an aside I made about my concern for Harry's whole and 
untarnished
> soul, which I agree is in danger, but not from manipulation and
> cunning--from, IMO, anger, the desire for vengeance, and the
> temptation to use Dark Curses. 

(Jen here,
I don't believe this is the first time some throwaway remark you 
have made has caught my attention and made me write way too many 
posts! As I remember the first time was a post script remark. Carol 
you have a gift!)

(The Crouches have shown where that
> path leads--you don't fight Darkness with Darkness, evil with the
> weapons of evil, without dire consequences to yourself.)
> 
> Cunning, manipulation, and even dishonesty are something else 
again.
> How many times has Harry concealed what he was doing or lied, not 
only
> to Snape but to Dumbledore or even to his friends, in every book? 
It's
> only, as you say, the conscious manipulation that appears to be new
> (and I'd be grateful to anyone who can point out the incident Harry
> appears to be referring to when he identifies with young Tom as a
> "master" manipulator).

Hey Jen here again:
Here's the bit that made me sqirm, the term master manipulator was 
never used but some could have inferred it:

"It was very well done, thought Harry, the hesitancy, the casual 
tone, the careful flattery, none of it overdone. He, Harry had had 
too much experience of trying to wheedle information out of 
reluctant people not to recognize a master at work." pp. 496-7 
Scholastic ed.

See Carol, it seems Harry was farther down the path of becoming 
aware of his actions than I seemed to have realized. And to hear him 
think "wow, a master at work" it just caused me a bit of 
disillusionment. That's all and I worry that he could too, become 
someone who feels the ends justify the means, and I just hope that's 
a vain worry. I do feel he could falter in this area. But yes, I 
appreciate your reminding me that DD has been training him up to be 
accustomed to using his "Slytherin" gifts...

Jen D.(waiting for you to spur her next great conundrum with your 
small but dense little comments)
> 
>