Wand Lore / Colin Creevey / Dennis Creevey / Harry: Bad Guy? / That Crucio

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 183700

Catlady: 
> I completely agree with you, and think that it was foolish of 
> Dumbledore to put Harry with the Dursleys if Dumbledore wanted 
> Harry to grow up full of love. I am sure there was more to Harry's 
> psychological survival than just that he was a resilient child. 
> Even resilient children need one supportive adult in their lives.

Pippin:
Harry had the Voldie soul bit, which did not want its container to be
destroyed, and the protective power of his mother's love. But I don't
think he suddenly became depressed and angry in OOP. I think before he
knew he was magical, his depression expressed as feelings of
helplessness, and his anger bled off as accidental magic. 

It might be just as well that Harry did not discover his magical
powers until he was old enough to control them, though I don't think
that was why Dumbledore allowed the abuse to continue. I think he was
afraid that he would show the worst side of himself if he tried to
stop it, as Harry showed the worst side of himself in trying to stop
Amycus.

Catlady: 
> Okay, I can't speak for Julie, but I can speak as a person who 
> wishes the Cruciatis scene had been at least a little different. I 
> say *the Cruciatis scene* should have had a little touch of preachy
> moralty, not that *everything in the books* should have one. 

Pippin:
In OOP Harry discounted everything Hermione and Dumbledore preached
about Sirius and Kreacher, just as Sirius had, and just as Snape
ignored what Lily tried to tell him about his friends in DH. This
suggests that JKR thinks that unfortunately the  people most in need
of preachy morality are  the least likely to be affected by it.

Fake!Moody says he is not there to  teach them about the Unforgivable
Curses so they can do them, but so that they can understand what they
are up against. I think that is why we had to see Harry give in to
using Cruciatus and not be admonished about it. That is what we are up
against. Remember, there are times when we ought to stand up to our
friends.

Sirius said that times like Voldemort's rise to power bring out the
best in some people and the worst in others. Obviously he thought they
would bring out the best in him. But we saw  that he was wrong: they
brought out both. I think that's true for all the characters in DH.
They are all stretched to their limits, good and bad. We had to see
the worst in Harry as well as the best.

I believe when Harry put aside the Elder Wand, he was showing that he
had learned that he and his friends did not deserve to be invincible.
He changed the unbeatable wand for the phoenix feather wand, which
could be   broken, and has been lost  many times, to Neville and Lupin
as well as to Harry's enemies. Harry is showing that he believes there
could be times when he deserves to be opposed.

If JKR had made all this explicit, then it would be her taking a stand
against what Harry did, not us. That would be too easy. 
 
Pippin