OOP: Disappointing (also posted on HPfGU)

[klmsign99]

> 6. Harry's Temper: This really took me by surprise. Harry 
> starts the book by taunting Dudley and it just escalates from 
there. 
> This is so unlike the Harry of the first four books – the Harry 
that 
> says nothing when Lucius Malfoy tells him in CoS that he'll meet 
the 
> same sticky end as his parents. Granted, Harry's getting older, 
but 
> I thought his temperament change was a bit too abrupt to be 
> believable.



I'm going to defend Harry's temper.  I actually think it was very 
believable for several reasons.

1.  He's 15.  I think anyone who is around that age group or raising 
them would agree it can be an interesting age.

2.  He spent the entire 4th book being ridiculed and facing extreme 
stress with the tournament.  Then Cedrics death.  Over the summer he 
is just pushed off to the Dursley's again.. and no one is there to 
help him through the grieving process.  He not only feels sorrow at 
the death, but guilt.  

3.  Over the summer he continually is on the alert for new 
information and is consistently not getting any.  He is perpeptually 
waiting for the bottom to drop out, and when the dementors arrive, 
he is treated as the criminal.  And still he is kept out of the loop 
for information.  

4.  Once he is at school everything that was consistent for him 
(being good a DADA and Dumbledore) have all disappeared.  He no 
longer can get the support he had.  Every move is being watched and 
he knows that Umbridge is trying her hardest to expel Harry or at 
least strip away everything he knows and loves.  

5.  The death of Sirius.  Which in and of itself is reason to be 
upset, but I think he tears apart Dumbledore's office for a specific 
reason.  Yes, he is upset with Dumbledore for keeping the truth from 
him, etc.  But I also think Harry is feeling an extreme amount of 
guilt.  Even though it wasn't explicitly written, I assume that 
Harry is feeling a tremendous amount of guilt for being tricked into 
taking 5 others into danger into the Ministry.  He knows that Sirius 
would not have died if he wouldn't have gone and listened to 
Hermione's advice.  


I think all things considered he kept everything bottled up and he's 
just now showing it all.  I think it was very in character even 
though it seemed abrupt.  It doesn't mean that at times I wasn't 
disappointed in his behavior, but I did understand it.

Hope I didn't repeat what's already been said...  If I did, forgive 
the newbie!
Kris