Character discussion. Weird Harry.

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 181639

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "finwitch" <finwitch at ...> wrote:

Finwitch:
> To start discussing several characters in the books, now that we have
> all seven to go on...
> 
> How would they (Harry, Dursleys, Hogwarts staff etc.) react to, for
> example
> 
> a) blind Harry
> 
> b) deaf Harry
> 
> c) mute Harry (could be psychological muteness)
> 
> d) Harry with Tourette's
> 
> e) depressed or manic-depressive (mental) Harry (I'm surprised he
> remained sane under Dursleys' "care", myself).
> 
> f) epilectic Harry
> 
> g) diabetic Harry
> 
> h) allergic/asthmatic Harry
> 
> i) something else...
> 
> IF Dursleys cared enough, there would be treatment/medication. I just
> doubt they would, meaning that diabetic Harry would die, possibly the
> allergic one too...

Geoff:
I am suffering a distinct feeling of déjà-vu on reading your post 
because you tried to initiate a similar thread only about three 
weeks or so ago.

That thread attracted very few responses but, at the risk of sounding 
rude, Finwitch, you seem to have a bee in your bonnet about this and 
I wonder why?

Just as a reminder, I post the following extract from the thread 
"What if Harry had Tourette's?"

<extract>
Message 180964  posted 25/01/08

Finwitch:
Imagine Harry having this syndrome since the age of one (say from the
moment he got that scar), and worsening towards age eleven. What would
happen?

1. Dursleys. Would they keep Harry and punish him for that as well as
his accidental magic or give him up to an orphanage?

2. How would wizards react? Imagine a big tic with extreme coprolalia
in the first potions class for example. I'm positive that Dumbledore
knows of this syndrome and would identify it, but Snape?

*****

Message 180980 posted 25/01/08

Geoff:
A possible silly question.

I am somewhat puzzled as to why you are considering the possiblity of
Harry having this condition? What relevance has it got to the story line?

*****

Message 181093 posted 28/01/08

Finwitch: 
Why? For the fun of speculating, what else? How would different
characters react if Harry had a tic in front of them...

Messsage 181098 posted 28/01/08

Geoff:
Well, you just as well speculate that Harry had three legs or
always wore a banana behind his left ear....

I quite agree that things are open to a little speculation but at
least within the parameters of the story.
</extract>

Geoff (now in current time):
Although I perhaps made some semi-humorous suggestions 
in the last post, the fact remains that we have not been told 
that Harry is Afro-Caribbean or Chinese; that he was much 
older than eleven when he had his wizarding epiphany; that 
he is actually a girl or that he is physically handicapped.

I was making a serious point when I remarked that JKR would 
have needed to reveal any information or problems like this 
with Harry. It couldn't have been withheld because the 
outworkings would have influenced the story line and some 
of your suggestions would ahve produced a story completely 
different to the published one.

There is a further observation to be made that speculation of 
this type is not canon-based and therefore doesn't strictly 
belong on Main. I believe that if you wanted to launch such a 
topic, it really belongs, if anywhere, on OT-Chatter, which has 
hosted a wide range of threads which are not necessarily rooted 
in canon. I have been spending a lot more time on OTC than 
on Main recently - and perhaps enjoying it more.

Finally, if you want to consider the ramifications of Harry being, 
for example, blind or deaf, I've certainly come across fanfic 
which deals with this - and when you begin to put out from 
harbour into the sort of waters which you want to chart, 
perhaps the good ship "Fanfic"  might be a suitably seaworthy 
vehicle.
:-)