Harry's Angst Re: A Simpler Scenario

[annemehr]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> wrote:
> > 
> > Anne:
> 
> > Now I'm just wondering how Harry got from "[Harry's]life must end
> in, or include, murder" to "damn straight, I want Voldemort offed,
> and I\want to be the one to do it" (slight paraphrase, there).
> > 
> 
> Pippin:
> For Harry to kill Voldemort because the prophecy said he must, which
> was the situation as he understood it at the end of OOP, would be 
> murder. "Yeah, your Supreme Mugwumpness, I did it because Trelawney
> said I had to." "Sure, kid. Here's your order of Merlin, and a writ of
> committment to St Mungo's." Can't have people running around killing 
> because they heard voices, after all.
> 
> To challenge Voldemort because Voldemort is trying to kill him, and 
> will kill others as he killed Harry's parents if he isn't stopped,
> makes it different. He is not dragging Voldemort into the arena.
> They are both entering it because of the choices they've made.
> 
> Pippin


But...

The prophecy didn't say he must, it said he was the one who would be
able to.  And the conditions in your second paragraph existed, and
Harry knew of them, before Harry ever knew the prophecy existed --
whether he thought about their implications or not.  He had already
realised Voldemort wanted to kill him, even if he didn't know why.

I can come up with a reasonable explanation for Harry's feelings and
how he got from one to the other, but I had expected that part of
Harry's story would be *how* he came to terms with it.  Instead, I
find his change of heart was a fait accompli that took place outside
our view.

Anne