Wands and Wizards...Again

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 183628

> Magpie:
> The Crucio scene and Harry's later sacrifice are not connected the 
> way Luke's stopping himself and tossing away the light saber are in 
> ROTJ. One is Harry being awesome, the other is Harry being awesome in 
> a different way. He's not turning to the Dark Side by using his 
> Crucio, he's just showing that temper he's always had. Doesn't 
> interfere at all with his great power of love--he's still brave 
> enough to sacrifice himself for the people he loves to bring 
> Voldemort down. He doesn't have to choose one or the other.
> 
> It has nothing to do with Harry being punished. Luke isn't punished. 
> He doesn't have to be punished. He just sees something true about the 
> situation, sees a connection between himself and Vader that Harry 
> doesn't see between himself and Amycus. Harry can rest assured that 
> he doesn't want Draco Malfoy to die a horrible death without any self-
> reflection.  

Montavilla47:
Exactly!

The thing about Harry saving Draco from the fire is that there really 
isn't a point in the series--including their duel in the bathroom--
when Harry *wouldn't* have saved Draco from a fire.  At eleven, Harry
saves people.  At twelve, he saves people.  He keeps doing this
consistently in every year--whether he likes the people or not.  

So, Harry saving Draco from the fire is not a significant act in terms 
of Harry's growth as a character.  Which is why, for me anyway, the 
moment falls flat.  It's really just another moment when Harry is 
awesome with the added zest of making Draco beholden to Harry
for saving his life--like he wouldn't be anyway when Harry 
dies to save him along with everyone else.

Not to beat a dead horse of anything, but it's of a piece to me with
Ron's idea about warning the elves.  It's not a change on Ron's part
to consider the feelings of the elves.  But it's treated like some big
growth moment.  

Even Harry's sacrifice is exactly what he would have done as an
eleven year old, were he presented with the same dilemma.  Really,
Dumbledore hardly needed to bother with all that training and 
grooming.  He could have just pointed little Harry towards the 
big nasty Voldemort, given him a pat on the behind, and Harry
would have trotted off obediently to die.

Come to think of it.... maybe that *was* the whole point of 
Stone's obstacles course after all.