I've been meaning to say this for quite some time: I don't believe in the Hogwarts houses and don't take them into account when writing fics or considering characterisation. There
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I agree the Houses reflecting character concept is a bit of a farce (fics that challenge the idea of Sytherins as cold & evil are my favourite) but..Harry as a Hufflepuff?
He has a tendency to save all who need saving, but isn't that as much impulsive Gryffindor heroics as loyalty?
As for hardworking, he's very targetted to working where he anticpates potential rewards, rather than having a consistent work ethic. He'll push himself to his limits in Quidditch practice & mastering patronus conjuring but he's hardly a diligent student is he? Even important things like working ot the Triwizard Tournament clues in GoF he leaves untill the last moment.
Harry is an inevitable Gryffindor to me, too non-reflective and unconcerned with knowledge to be Ravenclaw, too unsubtle in his self-expression and understanding of ethics to be Sytherin, too volatile in his loyalties and erratic in his labour to be Huffepuff, but absolutely consistent in showing bravery that borders on reckless stupidity.
That said, I keep getting sorted as a Gryffindor, despite being a total coward.
This is very interesting; I've thought a lot on Harry's personality and would like to ask you what you mean more exactly by "unsubtle in his selfexpression and understanding of ethics". Not necessarily because I disagree with you of course, I just want to hear some opinions. :)
I myself suspect that he has this "saving things" behaviour because of his (subconscious) utter lack of trust in the adults. (Brought on by his upbringing with the Dursley's.) He just doesn't expect them to be of any help to him, because that's what he's been used to all his life.
his bravery is sometimes useful, sometimes not; but who's expecting an 11-15 year old to have perfect control? What I always think when reading the books is that he throws himself so completely into danger, because he's really saving the only things he's got. His friends, Hogwarts, the wizarding world even; where would he be without them?
I've never seem him as overly demonstrative with his emotions though. Well, except when he grew so angry he couldn't hold it in anymore. And that was after an entire summer of being kept in the dark!
I mean, even after GoF he doesn't want his friends to see him cry, and he's just seen a schoolmate get murdered! After the events in OotP, he just goes to the lake and tries to cope with his feelings all by himself. Ron and Hermione rarely know what he thinks and they have to drag the words out of him almost one by one.
I think this is also a product of his upbringing. Showing his feelings to the Dursley's couldn't have done him any good, right?
He has a tendency to save all who need saving, but isn't that as much impulsive Gryffindor heroics as loyalty?
As for hardworking, he's very targetted to working where he anticpates potential rewards, rather than having a consistent work ethic. He'll push himself to his limits in Quidditch practice & mastering patronus conjuring but he's hardly a diligent student is he? Even important things like working ot the Triwizard Tournament clues in GoF he leaves untill the last moment.
Harry is an inevitable Gryffindor to me, too non-reflective and unconcerned with knowledge to be Ravenclaw, too unsubtle in his self-expression and understanding of ethics to be Sytherin, too volatile in his loyalties and erratic in his labour to be Huffepuff, but absolutely consistent in showing bravery that borders on reckless stupidity.
That said, I keep getting sorted as a Gryffindor, despite being a total coward.
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I myself suspect that he has this "saving things" behaviour because of his (subconscious) utter lack of trust in the adults. (Brought on by his upbringing with the Dursley's.) He just doesn't expect them to be of any help to him, because that's what he's been used to all his life.
his bravery is sometimes useful, sometimes not; but who's expecting an 11-15 year old to have perfect control? What I always think when reading the books is that he throws himself so completely into danger, because he's really saving the only things he's got. His friends, Hogwarts, the wizarding world even; where would he be without them?
I've never seem him as overly demonstrative with his emotions though. Well, except when he grew so angry he couldn't hold it in anymore. And that was after an entire summer of being kept in the dark!
I mean, even after GoF he doesn't want his friends to see him cry, and he's just seen a schoolmate get murdered! After the events in OotP, he just goes to the lake and tries to cope with his feelings all by himself. Ron and Hermione rarely know what he thinks and they have to drag the words out of him almost one by one.
I think this is also a product of his upbringing. Showing his feelings to the Dursley's couldn't have done him any good, right?
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