Was Death an easy choice for Harry to make WAS: Re:Back to Slytherin House

[lizzyben04]

No: HPFGUIDX 176164

> Alla:
>  Almost easy choice to make for Harry, eh? 
> 
> But that was before his loved ones erm "cheered him on" as you said 
> and as I would say gave their love to him.

lizzyben:

I'd have no problem w/giving their love to him, but these ghost were
actually *encouraging* Harry to die. Creeped me out a little.
Especially Sirius - he was suspicious of DD, didn't trust him, and
always cared about Harry's best interests first. So now, Sirius learns
that DD intends for Harry to sacrifice himself as part of the Plan, &
he's just fine w/that? 
"Does it hurt?"
"Dying? Not at all," said Sirius. "Quicker and easier than falling
asleep."
That doesn't sound like Sirius at all to me. And I'm just cynical
enough to wonder if DD actually planted these fake ghosts to persuade
Harry to follow through in case he started to have second thoughts.

Alla:
> Let's see how "easy" it became for Harry then.
> 
> "Nobody spoke. They seemed as scared as Harry, whose heart was now 
> throwing himself against his ribs as though determined to escape the 
> body he was about to cast aside. His hands were sweating as he pulled 
> off the Invisibiluty Cloak and stuffed beneath his robes, with his 
> wand. He did not want to be tempted to fight.
> "I was. It seems... mistaken," said Voldemort.
> "You weren't.
> 
> Harry said it as loudly as he could, with all the force he could 
> master. He did not want to sound afraid." - p.703.
> 
> 
> Alla:
> That's some strange choice of words for even **almost an easy choice 
> to make** Does not read like easy one to me.  To me it reads like 
> courageous sacrifice, not an easy choice at all. IMO of course.
>


lizzyben:

Well, this was just my personal reaction - cause I've always thought
that DD was basically brainwashing Harry to be a martyr. It's just
that I believed that Harry would cut the puppet-strings eventually &
make his own choices, and he didn't, really. Even after he learns DD's
plan, even after he knows he was lied to & manipulated, Harry goes
obediently trotting off to his death. Just as he'd been trained to do.

Now that we know DD's plan, his "training" off Harry seems even more
cold-blooded. For example, it's pretty clear now that DD *did* intend
to send 11-year-old Harry to face Quirrel/LV - giving Harry practice
in facing LV & death. Same deal w/the COS - rewarding Harry for
showing "personal loyalty" to DD, encouraging a need to be the hero &
save people. DD gives extra points to Harry for saving Fleur's sister,
facing Quirell, etc. All these things encourage 3 things in Harry: an
absolute loyalty to DD, a "saving-people-thing", & a willingness to die. 

So in a sense, it was an easy choice for Harry to make - it was almost
a habit. He'd rushed into danger & death many times before. So in an
odd way, he was in his comfort zone - heroism. In another sense, of
course it was very brave of him, & a tremendous sacrifice. I just wish
that JKR, or Harry, had figured a way out of it. And that's mostly a
difference in values - JKR seems to believe that choosing to die is
the most brave & noble thing that one can do, & I really don't agree.
It seems to cross some invisible line from accepting death to almost
glorifying it.


lizzyben