[HPforGrownups] Bathroom scene again WAS: Re:Weasley Family Dynamics/To t...

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 165091

> >eviljunglechicken:
>>Harry didn't give over the Halfblood Prince's book, going as far as
> to lie about it and hide it. Would he really be so eager to
> >expose
> his taking credit for the remarkable innovations he's
>>shown in
>>potions which are not his work at all? Or risk admitting he
> considered using a fellow housemate as a human guinea
>>pig for this
>>particular curse which proved potentially fatal?
>>I don't think either of the two boys wanted this matter looked into
>>in any more detail.
>
> Lana writes:
> There is no doubt that neither boy would want it to be investigated nor 
> have their memories drawn.  However, if given the choice, I think Harry 
> would have been more inclined to give in than Draco would have.  No matter 
> that Harry lied about Potions or not.  I think that deep down Harry would 
> have done the right thing and confessed everything.  He is just that way.

Magpie:
Maybe I'm not getting what you're saying here--Harry had the opportunity to 
confess everything and he didn't. He hid the book, switched the covers, 
tried to protect his thoughts from Snape's Legilimancy. Protecting a secret 
was his priority in the scene. Harry's never been about confessing 
everything because it's the right thing to Snape. (Not that I think Draco 
would want to tell his own darker secrets either, obviously.)

It's just you seem to be saying that from reading a scene where Harry *will 
not* give in and tell the truth even about something that he has been 
profiting by dishonestly, you get that deep down Harry was the kind of 
person who would confess.  What he is hiding, he continues to hide.


> Lana writes:
> I agree completely.  I don't htink there was ever the intention to do 
> further investigation.  While it does seem strange to me, it is possible 
> (at least in my mind) that the teachers were preoccupied with more 
> pressing matters.  Draco could be healed and that is that.  I do have to 
> assume that since Harry did not offer excuses, it shows that Harry was not 
> trying to cover anything up.  It shows to me that he is prepared to accept 
> consequence if not forced to tell the truth or at least put under pressure 
> to tell the truth.

Magpie:
I don't understand what you mean about his "not trying to cover up 
anything." He didn't seem to offer any excuses about the curse, no, but 
there's nothing for Harry to confess there since the thing he did wrong is 
already known. He was covering up the book and refused to admit to it. If 
he's  *forced* to tell the truth (say, through Snape's Legilimancy) he's got 
to accept the consequences whether he likes it or not. "Accept" in that case 
meaning put up with. He doesn't accept his detentions in terms of saying, 
"You're right, I deserve these. I should be here." He says, iirc, that he's 
not a cheat and a liar and does not deserve detentions (at least he's says 
not a cheat and a liar, which Snape is saying he deserves detentions for), 
and is frustrated at the detentions when he has to suffer through them. 
Likewise Draco accepts his detentions from McGonagall earlier--he doesn't 
really have a choice. I'm not taking Snape's position here that Harry is 
completely dreadful, but I don't think what you're describing here is really 
Harry either.

-m