Suspension of disbelief -Idiots of War

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 182410

> Magpie:
<SNIP>
> We're just disagreeing that JKR set up a situation where everyone
was powerless and paralyzed to do anything but wait for Harry. And
that this was playing it like a realistic war story.

Pippin:
I don't see how you can acknowledge that in real life there are times
when people feel they are paralyzed and powerless to do anything, and
yet say that if JKR puts that in her story, it's not realistic.
<SNIP>

Alla:

I do not know about Magpie, but I am not as much having issue that it 
was unrealistic that people feel they are paralyzed and powerless to 
do anything per se, as I am having issue with the DEGREE of that. 
Whole society waits for teenager and two of his friends to free them. 
I have no problem with quick fall of the Ministry as I said before, I 
find it very well foreshadowed and well executed. I am having 
problems with NOBODY else in the whole society except few people 
doing anything to fight Voldemort. Does that make sense? To me it is 
all in the degrees. 

Again, I am making allowances for WW to know that Harry is the Chosen 
one, that there is a prophecy about him, so certain people can 
believe it and choose to rely on Harry only, but ALL of them?

I know that if I knew that my country is at war and evil maniac 
threatens everybody and there is a tale going around that there is a 
child who can defeat him and this child or teenager now is the only 
one who can do so, I know I would have been thinking – oh that's 
nice, **if that happens ever**. And now let's sit down and think what 
I can do about it.

I am not saying that I would have rushed in to join the army 
necessarily; I am not sure if I would be that brave or fit to do it, 
but you bet I would have found SOMETHING useful that I can do to 
help – whether it will be to send the money to the army forces, 
whether I could do something with my skills that can help defending 
country efforts, something, ANYTHING.

What I would not have been doing for sure is just decide that this 
teenager is indeed the only one who can do so and put all my hopes in 
that happening ever, maybe.