Harry and Betrayal in DH - some issues

[gwen_of_the_oaks]

No: HPFGUIDX 174571

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "claire.kavanagh" 
<claire.kavanagh at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> clara says:
> 
> Harry is preoccupied with "betrayal" at least for the first half of 
> DH. 
> {Snippage}
> However, Harry strikes a deal with Griphook in full knowledge that he 
> will betray it by keeping the sword for an undetermined amount of 
> time until the Horcruxes are destroyed.  
> 
> Thoughts? The two don't sit well together as far as I am concerned  
> but maybe I'm missing something. It seems to me that this betrayal, 
> like the UC as discussed in another post, is "bad, bad, bad, OK now 
> its fine!" 
> Maybe there are alternative view?


Clara - 

Just in my pov, JKR didn't really write Harry's deal with Griphook to 
be a betrayal.  I took it as more of a misdirection.  I think Harry 
(who was given the sword and obviously feels to have legitimate 
ownership of it) may have been perfectly happy to hand the sword over 
to Griphook once he had finished with it.  It was the "once he was 
finished" portion that he was clearly dodgy about - not the intent to 
ultimately make good on his promise. 

And, ultimately, the double-crossers get the worst of the deal in the 
end: Harry lies to Griphook and loses the sword, Griphook takes the 
sword & turns on Harry and ultimately loses it to Neville via the 
sorting hat.  So,apparently, it doesn't pay to be sneaky.


But while I'm not necessarily thrilled with the idea that one should 
rely on white lies to get a deal done, the plot-line sits poorly with 
me for a different reason: the theme of mistreatment of other magical 
creatures. After Bill's speech about cheating the Goblins and how they 
view ownership of their creations, what are we to think?  In the 
Goblin's mind the wizards have once again stolen something they do not 
own and this new generation of witches and wizards will be just as 
imperious towards the "wandless ones" as the last.


Why bring up the whole issue of the sword & the Goblins if all she was 
going to do with that plot-line was to reinforce the idea that other 
races are inherently untrustworthy, thereby making it OK for wizards 
(Harry) to manipulate them? The sword wound up in its rightful place, 
but only with bitter feelings all around. So much for "uniting the 
magical brethren".


Gwen