Harry's character development: Static or Dynamic? Was: Saving Private Draco

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 183757

Potioncat:
Thank you, everyone who answered my questions. I picked one post to 
send more.

 
> Carol:
> No. It's only a way of looking at a character. Does he (or she) 
change
> fundamentally, learn a lesson or undergo an experience that alters 
his
> (or her) behavior or outlook on life permanently? 

Potioncat:
So, it's sort of 'did the events change the character?'; or 'did the 
character remain constant throughout the events?' An author could 
plan either sort of plot. 

Could it then be a flaw if the static/dynamic development doesn't 
fit? Are there certain plot types that would, if not dictate, at 
least suggest one development type over the other?

Did I read that usually only one character is dynamic in a book? So 
that it was important to see that Neville's character was dynamic, 
but we don't need to see that Mundungus is now clean and sober? (just 
for the record, I made that part up.)
 
 
> Carol:
> 
> We need to look at Sirius Black as we see him in the books, not his
> off-page, youthful self. He goes from a half-mad escaped prisoner
> intent on murdering his former friend to a man Harry is happy to
> accept as his godfather in a few short chapters, changed, I suppose,
> by Harry's act of mercy, so in PoA he seems to be a dynamic 
character.


Potioncat:
So, can it be considered dynamic if what the reader sees appears to 
change? I understand Black behaves very differently at the end of 
PoA, than he did in the middle--but I'm not sure 'he' changed as much 
as our perspective of him changed.

At the end of the 7 books, when the reader can reflect on everything 
that has appeared in canon, does the difference between canon!
youthful-Sirius (as seen in OoP and DH) and Canon!adult-Sirius make 
for a valid subject. (or did that make any sense at all?)

Pettigrew! We were told he was a hero, but we find out later he was 
not. Did the character develop or did our perspectives change? (and 
does it matter that he went from 4 legs to 2?)