Harry Cunning or Manipulative?

[catherine higgins]

No: HPFGUIDX 148627

Jen D. wrote:
   
You did point out the imprecision of my language! But pray tell, when did Harry try to get info out of people? I can't think of any 
time except with DD when as Ceridwen pointed out up thread, he asked over and over why DD trusts Snape only to get rebuffed.If that's the 
example people are pointing to, so be it. I just want someone to show me where he's tried because I can't seem to think of an incident other than DD. 
   
  Catherine writes:
  Hi Jen,
  I think people are having trouble coming up with examples, because we don't actually see that many, as it's implied and reffered to mostly. 
  In PS/SS ch2 "the Vanishing Glass" UK edition pg 20: 
  "He had it (the scar) as long as he could remember and the first question he could ever asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had got it.
  "In the car crash, when your parents died," she had said. "And don't ask questions."
  Don't ask questions - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursley's. "
   
  Another reference in the same chapter, pg 24 "If there was one thing the Dursley's hated even more than his asking questions..." 
   
  I know these are pretty weak examples, I'll try to find more later in other books. But my point is that this implies that despite being punished, ignored and other methods used by the Dursley's, Harry still continued to ask questions, without ever getting a proper answer from anyone.
   
  I don't really find Harry all that manipulative, he does torture Dudley a bit with pretend magical spells and stuff, but I don't think he would ever use magic to deliberatly hurt Dudley. The only time he used magic in front of him was to defend Dudley. Unlike Tom Riddle Jr. who used it, even before he knew what he was, to control or punish people at will. I'm betting that Riddle jr. would have been able to find out a lot more information if he had been left on the Dursley's doorstep ....Harry actually shows a reasonable amount of self-control with Dudley considering he was Dudley's punching bag for years and years, he could have been much, much worse.
   
  Catherine