Molly and Harry - Treated Like Family

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 159893

---  "horridporrid03" <horridporrid03 at ...> wrote:
>
> > >>Leslie Huffman:
> > Mrs. Weasley was always very good to Harry, better 
> > than his own family.  That's her nature.  Seems like 
> > she treated him as normally as she could, just like 
> > her own kids. Which is probably what Harry needed.
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> I do agree that Molly treats Harry better than the 
> Dursleys.  But I don't think she treats Harry as one of
> her own.  Actually, I think Molly sets Harry up as an 
> honored guest right from the get go.  Not that this is 
> a bad thing.  I don't think Harry was looking to be 
> treated exactly like an extra Weasley.  He's never as 
> comfortable around Molly as her children are.  So I 
> don't think he'd appreciate being treated like one of 
> them.
> 
> Betsy Hp
>

bboyminn:

Oddly, while I agree with you on general principle, I 
can't agree with  your last sentence. I even wrote a fan
fiction expressing exactly the opposite view. Molly does 
treat Harry as a guest. She makes him breakfast in bed, 
doesn't require him to do chores, although she does seem 
to extend an expectation of reasonable social behavior. 
In other words, she expects him to be a polite and 
considerate guest. Though as we all have seen, she 
certainly has no worries about this from Harry.

Now, my fan fiction, though it is not directly relevant, 
can still serve as an illustration of my point. The story
revolves around Harry not having any real family or 
connection to anyone. In this sense, he envies Ron. I'll 
skip the details, but it ends with Molly scolding Harry, 
and rather than being shocked or put off, Harry is very 
touched by it. It is a signal to him that he REALLY IS 
home, that he really is with family. 

Molly runs 'a very tight ship', but I think most of her 
kids know that, for the most part, it is bluster. Seldom 
do the tellings-off every come with any real punishment. 
When there IS punishment, it is usually of the 
firm-but-fair variety. 

Most kids, once they have grown older, typically say they
wish their parents were more strict. I think Molly works 
hard to keep her crew on the straight and narrow, and she
does her best, within her means, to reward success. I don't
know, but that sounds like good parenting to me. 

So, I think of Molly suddenly treated Harry 'like one of the
family', Harry would be very touched by it. It would instill
in him a true sense of belonging, which I think is very 
important to Harry, or at least will be.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn