On the perfection of moral virtues/Snape and some Ron as well

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 168868

> Alla:
> 
> > Famous GOF fight - I thought Ron was the biggest jerk to Harry, 
> > Harry forgave him on the spot.
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Oooooo, hate to waste a post, but I sure do not want to get "No, Harry 
> did not forgive him right away" responses.
> 
> Meant to write that Harry forgave him on the spot when Ron came to 
> apologize.
>

Montavilla47:
Sorry, Alla.  I don't think it's a big deal.  It certainly doesn't make
Harry a bad kid or anything.  But his forgiveness of Ron isn't
immediate after Ron comes to apologize, either.  There's a 
moment when he actually seems angrier than ever, because
he thinks Ron is pretending that they were never on the outs to 
begin with.

Here's the passage:

Harry didn't want to sit still: He was too full of adrenaline. He got to his feet, wanting to 
see what was going on outside, but before he'd reached the mouth of the tent, two people 
had come darting inside--Hermione, followed closely by Ron.

"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione said squeakily.  There were fingernail marks on her 
face where she had been clutching it in fear.  "You were amazing!  You really were!"

But Harry was looking at Ron, who was very white and staring at Harry as though he were a 
ghost.  

"Harry," he said, very seriously, "whoever put your name in that goblet--I--I reckon they're 
trying to do you in!"

It was as though the last few weeks had never happened--as though Harry were meeting 
Ron for the first time, right after he'd been made champion.

"Caught on, have you?" said Harry coldly.  "Took you long enough."

Hermione stood nervously between them, looking from one to the other.  Ron opened his 
mouth uncertainly.  Harry knew Ron was about to apologize and suddenly he found he 
didn't need to hear it.  

"It's okay," he said, before Ron could get the words out.  "Forget it."

GoF, US ed.  p. 358.

It's pretty clear that Ron has changed his attitude from the moment he gets in the tent.  
He's white as a ghost.  But it takes Harry another moment to let go of *his* anger and take 
Ron back.

Again, this isn't anything horrible on Harry's part.  It's sort of a natural reaction.  But he 
could just have easily taken Ron back just from seeing that white face--since it's obvious 
that Ron's most important concern right then is not pride, or anger, but his friend's well-
being.

Funny, now I'm seeing a parallel between this moment and the whole Percy story.  As soon 
as he realizes that he's wrong, Ron's ready to forget the fight so much that it's like it never 
existed for him.  But Harry can't let go of it immediately--and he almost misses that 
opportunity to make up because he wants Ron to apologize.

Likewise, it's Percy's inability to apologize that's keeping the family apart.

Montavilla47