Harry Potter

Harry can be hard to write sometimes because he’s got a really wide emotional range. He tends to act on his impulses, and sometimes it’s just hard to predict what exactly he’s going to do next. And it’s not as if he’s the most rational guy in the universe. No, he’s done plenty of irrational things, all because of the way he feels at a certain point. So I end up thinking to myself, “Would Harry really do something like this? What if he was really desperate?”

So going on to the Unforgivables, I don’t think Harry would use them unless he really needed to use them. We know he’s not afraid to use them, that’s for sure, because we’ve seen him try Crucio on both Bellatrix and he *attempted* to cast it on Snape as well. So he’s willing to use them, but I think he’s only going to use them if the person is doing something really bad, or has just killed someone that’s close to him. Like, if someone tries to kill/does kill Ron or Hermione, for example, I’m sure Harry wouldn’t hesitate to use one of the Unforgivables. We saw how he reacted when Dumbledore died. He was desperate, and he was angry, like VERY ANGRY. But I don’t think that Harry would use Avada Kedavra. He’s impulsive, yes, but I think he knows well enough the difference between good and evil, but I really can’t picture Harry stooping to the same level as the murders of the people he loved. I can’t see him using the Imperius Curse, either.

Harry might use Sectumsempra again, if the time seems right, but I doubt it. He was pretty horrified at the effects of it the first time around, and I don’t think he’s all that comfortable with it. If it was someone he hated the guts out of, maybe he’d try Crucio again. Chances are that he’s not going to refer back to Snape’s potion book. I could picture Harry delving deeper into the Dark Arts. Not because he’s evil or anything, but because he’s being driven by very strong feelings of revenge and desperation. He’d definitely go into all that Dark Arts stuff, though he would likely use them for defensive purposes.

--Little Kitty

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Does anyone else find writing Harry difficult?

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Yes, definately. He is one of the most difficult to write, no doubt. When I write Harry, I really think about it and refer to the books. Is this what Harry would do? Would he lose his anger over that trivial matter? Would he say that? Is he that romantic?

When writing Harry, I try to stay true to his character. I find that the best way to do that is try and ask the aforementioned questions, and really think about it. If you keep doing so, then pretty soon it'll be really easy.

Hi!
I have a question: how do you think Harry would react to someone who had just saved his life (or Ron or Hermione's life), if he barely knows the person in question?
Would Harry be willing to trust him and even think about starting a friendship or do you think he will just thank him and maintain the distance?
Sorry if I was supposed to open a new thread for this question. If this is the case, I ask a mod to delete my post.
Thanks in advance for any answers!

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So going on to the Unforgivables, I don’t think Harry would use them unless he really needed to use them. We know he’s not afraid to use them, that’s for sure, because we’ve seen him try Crucio on both Bellatrix and he *attempted* to cast it on Snape as well. So he’s willing to use them, but I think he’s only going to use them if the person is doing something really bad, or has just killed someone that’s close to him.

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I agree. Bursts of high emotion and trauma provoke him to 'rashly' attempt the Unforgivables, but I'm certain he would never intentionally use them. He's tried the Unforgivables twice now, and succeeded in using a Dark spell once, which has costed him gravely. Judging by his reaction when he learnt what Sectumsempra was, I feel he wouldn't take the risk again, even if someone close like Ron, Hermione or Ginny was attacked or killed. I think he's up to holding his impulses now... Things like the death in HBP could be a numbing factor - sort of putting him on the straighter path to victory.

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how do you think Harry would react to someone who had just saved his life (or Ron or Hermione's life), if he barely knows the person in question?
Would Harry be willing to trust him and even think about starting a friendship or do you think he will just thank him and maintain the distance?

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Hmm... it depends a lot on what sort the person is. Given the current situation, Harry wouldn't be likely to immediately bestow his trust to anyone who appears good. He could possibly thank him, I suppose. I prefer the idea that Harry would still remain distant. He is cautious now, I think. Even in PP/SS, when he was younger, his opinions on Snape didn't change when Dumbledore told him he'd been saving Harry's life all year. It's safe to say that it would still take a lot of time to earn Harry's full trust...

Hi all,
I have a new question about Harry. Do you suppose he might ever be able to master the arts of Occlumency/Legilimency? It seems his emotions are too close to the surface for him to be able to clear his mind and focus. He was terrible at it in OotP (although when he did toss Snape out he did it with a lot of power, so it seems the potential is there!), and he didn't practice in HBP. After Snape's enigmatic comments to Harry as he was toying with him on the grounds, might Harry try to practice these skills? Could he someone use them in his battle with Voldemort?
Or would Harry learning and successfully using Occlumency/Legilimency be considered out-of-character based on what we've read through book six?
Thanks so much for your opinions!
~Gina :)

After what was said in Book 6, I don't think he could ever master Occlumency. Legilemency -- maybe, but not if the two abilities are so closely tied together. In my fic, Harry is a Legilemens, but its helped along because his mother was one, and his ability is very crude and unfocused. He just randomly has insights into people's thoughts and has trouble focusing on what he wants to know. He tends to do it accidentally.

He did cast a quite effective spell against Snape, enabling to see into his mind, after all. But, I would stay away from Occlumency almost completely, unless you're planning on approaching it with a lot of development and recognising that Harry would have to have a VERY good reason to continue Occlumency, and he would have train extremely hard. His ability to control his thoughts and emotions is a huge part of him, and he would have to change to be able to grasp the skill of Occlumency.

Legilemency, not as big a problem, but something that should be saved only for the purpose of a plot in dire need.

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Originally Posted by Gmariam

Hi all,
I have a new question about Harry. Do you suppose he might ever be able to master the arts of Occlumency/Legilimency? It seems his emotions are too close to the surface for him to be able to clear his mind and focus. He was terrible at it in OotP (although when he did toss Snape out he did it with a lot of power, so it seems the potential is there!), and he didn't practice in HBP. After Snape's enigmatic comments to Harry as he was toying with him on the grounds, might Harry try to practice these skills? Could he someone use them in his battle with Voldemort?

Or would Harry learning and successfully using Occlumency/Legilimency be considered out-of-character based on what we've read through book six?
Thanks so much for your opinions!
~Gina :)

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Originally Posted by GringottsVault711

After what was said in Book 6, I don't think he could ever master Occlumency. Legilemency -- maybe, but not if the two abilities are so closely tied together. In my fic, Harry is a Legilemens, but its helped along because his mother was one, and his ability is very crude and unfocused. He just randomly has insights into people's thoughts and has trouble focusing on what he wants to know. He tends to do it accidentally.

He did cast a quite effective spell against Snape, enabling to see into his mind, after all. But, I would stay away from Occlumency almost completely, unless you're planning on approaching it with a lot of development and recognising that Harry would have to have a VERY good reason to continue Occlumency, and he would have train extremely hard. His ability to control his thoughts and emotions is a huge part of him, and he would have to change to be able to grasp the skill of Occlumency.

Legilemency, not as big a problem, but something that should be saved only for the purpose of a plot in dire need.

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Hm. I think he *could* master it, but he'd have to apply himself, which is something that, as yet, he's been unwilling to do. You could possibly argue that he's got more personal desire to keep Snape out of his head than Voldemort, and would be willing to study it, but unless he's got a Legilimens handy to practice with him, he might find it doubly difficult to master.

I can easily see Hermione going and devouring everything she can find on Legilimency and Occlumency - research is what she does after all. Hermione's strength is in the fact that she is willing to dig through tomes and tomes of books. It is not, however, necessarily in the practical application of the skills she reads about, without intensive practice. She's ok at Charms and Transfiguration, but she's a bit lacking when it comes to Defence, and in Herbology, Potions and Defence you see her basically reciting the books.

Once she has the academic knowledge, however, at least with Legilimency and Occlumency, I don't know that she'd be able to transfer that academic information to practical application. These disciplines seem to require a natural ability - Legilimency needing an in-born psychic ability (which I agree Harry does seem to have, given both the rebound onto Snape and what appears to be a random and unintentional gleaning of information from Parvati), and Occlumency the ability to compartmentalise one's emotions. Without a Legilimens to "attack" Harry, I don't think he can master Occlumency, and I don't know if Harry has the ability to communicate the technique and results or even understand Legilimency well enough to teach either Ron or Hermione, and that's assuming it *can* be taught at all to someone not possessing the innate ability.

At this point, we only know of five people skilled at Legilimency and/or Occlumency. Dumbledore, Voldemort, Snape, Bellatrix, and Draco, and Draco we only know about Occlumency. The last four are certainly not going to sit down with Harry and teach him, and Dumbledore is, for the moment, dead.

So, I say, you *could* do this, but it would have to be *really* well done, and you'd have to make it a sincere struggle for everyone involved.


5 points to Slytherin
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"Me I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly it's the honest ones you have to watch out for, you never can predict if they're going to do something incredibly stupid." Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Carribean

For some reason I thought this ^ quote was relevant to the discussion. Hopefully it will make sense by the end of post.
I think because of Harry's emotion-rollercoaster he is somewhat unpredictable. He flys off the handle quite often (not that he is not justified to do so). However, his actions are a diffrent story. He does have a "saving people" thing. Not because he wants fame, but because he has a need to help people he cares about. Voldemort already exploited this need by using Sirius to get Harry to the DoM.

With other characters, the dishonest and emotionally supressed ones,(anyone thinking of Snape?), you can't predict their emotions because they never let them show, other than anger and sarcasm:D . Their actions are just as predictable if they truly are selfish. If everything they do is for themself and themself only then all you would have to figure out is which option or action is in their best intrest. I'm not saying Snape is ultimately out for himself; I'm still thinking about that one.

Anyway hope that made sense!

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I have a new question about Harry. Do you suppose he might ever be able to master the arts of Occlumency/Legilimency? It seems his emotions are too close to the surface for him to be able to clear his mind and focus. He was terrible at it in OotP (although when he did toss Snape out he did it with a lot of power, so it seems the potential is there!), and he didn't practice in HBP. After Snape's enigmatic comments to Harry as he was toying with him on the grounds, might Harry try to practice these skills? Could he someone use them in his battle with Voldemort?

Or would Harry learning and successfully using Occlumency/Legilimency be considered out-of-character based on what we've read through book six?

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I agree with cmwinters. If he learned one, it would surely be Legilimency. He doesn't seem to have the focus needed to close off his mind for Occlumency. However, I think it also goes on the principle that what you want the most, you work for. Harry has never really understood how important Occlumency could be. Legilimency could be much more useful in this life-after-Hogwarts that he's probably going to persue -- for instance, reading Mundungus Fletcher's mind to know where Sirius's things are (including, of course, the Horcrux-locket).

Now, Voldemort can't possess Harry because it hurts him too much. But he was able to read, use, and manipulate Harry's mind, as we saw in OotP. Dumbledore then tells us after that that Voldemort has recognized the danger in using Legilimency on Harry. So Harry's not in any apparent danger from Voldemort.

I think Harry's inability to control his emotions is, as GringottsVault said, a huge part of him -- it produces his "saving-people thing" and his duels in the hallways -- what would we lose if Harry gained the ability to control himself? He might be too cold for Jo to want to make that happen to him. I rather think she's relying on his love to hold off opposing Legilimency.

Does anyone think that Harry might have the ability to sing? In a fic I'm working on I have him being musically gifted along with his family on his mother's side. Is it OOC or is it a possibility?