Harry good looking? Re:School politics at Hogwarts (Re: How do the books affect

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 179682

Carol: 
> I'd say that he's not ugly like Viktor Krum, despite still being
> skinny, wearing glasses, and having perennially messy hair, not to
> mention a scar that, while being a perpetual reminder of 
his "victory"
> over Voldemort, cannot in itself improve his looks. OTOH, he 
doesn't
> have bad teeth like so many other characters, or a bad complexion 
(is
> Eloise Midgen the only teenage witch/wizard who suffers from
> non-Hermione-imposed acne?), or a large nose like teen Severus or
> Viktor. So he's just ordinary in the looks department, and rather
> small for his age throughout most of the series, perhaps a late
> bloomer in terms of adolescence and growth spurts. 

Magpie:
Exactly. His looks are fine. Which I think can easily make him a 
cute boy--especially since we're told he looks exactly like his 
father, who was also attractive (and knew his hair helped out with 
that), only with his mother's dreamy green eyes--she was 
exceptionally attractive. James, too, wasn't as handsome as Sirius 
but he was attractive and he knew it. He's not primarily about his 
looks, but he's not disadvantaged in them either. I can't imagine 
Cho or Ginny would have reason to actually say to his face they 
thought he was dreamy, but I think they in DH they're both finding 
him physically attractive--Ginny does focus on those green eyes 
early on, at least.

Carol:
> IMO, Harry's glasses, skinny body, "mean stature," and essential
> ordinariness (with the exception of the scar and the green eyes) in
> the looks department are intended to help young readers identify 
with
> him. 

Magpie:
Me too. He's more attractive to the reader if he's not "too 
attractive." But I think JKR also thinks he's absolutely handsome. 
We know already she gave him looks based on her own personal tastes 
for handsome, don't we? That's why she married a guy who looks just 
like him. I don't think there's anything that JKR would consider it 
really embarassing to lack that Harry lacks. He doesn't have to be a 
pretty boy like Tom or Sirius, but when it comes time to be sexually 
available I don't think she'd let him be unattractive any more than 
she can bring herself to let him lose at Quidditch. No one seeks him 
out for his good looks, but nobody's got a problem with them either. 
So by HBP he is, like Cedric, the dishiest boy in school, despite 
whatever modeling contract he'd lose in favor of Blaise Zabini. He's 
not, imo, an ugly boy getting dates because he's famous, he's a 
basically good-looking boy who's famous, and that makes him more 
attractive than Blaise, who might be immediately more physically 
arresting, and also still more attractive than young Severus Snape.

-m