OP32: That Saving People Thing
b'Hermione says something very important in chapter 32 of Order of the Phoenix, something which helps define the overarching plot of the entire seven-book series.
\\nWhen Harry is frantically describing the vision he had of Sirius captured and tortured by Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries, Hermione tries to reason with him.
\\n‘OK,’ she said, looking frightened yet determined, ‘I’ve just got to say this -‘
\\n‘What?’
\\n‘You\\u2026 this isn’t a criticism, Harry! But you do\\u2026 sort of\\u2026 I mean – don’t you think you’ve got a bit of a – a – saving-people thing!’ she said.
\\nHe glared at her.
\\n‘And what’s that supposed to mean, a “saving-people thing”?’ (OP32)
\\nIt\\u2019s true. Harry does have a \\u201csaving-people thing.\\u201d It\\u2019s an integral part of who he is, how he views his place in the world. This aspect of his nature has been developing over almost five years of time at Hogwarts. He risked his life to save Hermione in book one when the troll was loose in the school. In the second book he again risked his life to enter the Chamber of Secrets and save Ginny\\u2019s life. Sirius and Buckbeak were the recipients of his selfless \\u201csaving-people thing\\u201d in book three. And, as Hermione points out, he went above and beyond to save Gabrielle Delacour in book four.
\\nHarry has developed a sense that it\\u2019s all up to him. He\\u2019s also discovered that selflessly charging in and using his nascent skills to fight against the enemy, be it a basilisk or a hoard of dementors, wins the day. His \\u201csaving-people thing\\u201d works.
\\nBut Hermione senses something else, something dangerous about this heroic streak. She knows that all of Harry\\u2019s daring and skill isn\\u2019t nearly powerful enough to battle the truly legendary power of a wizard like Voldemort. She knows that charging in and fighting can also be a death sentence. And as Harry himself pointed out in the Hog\\u2019s Head, his successes have been due as much to luck and the help of others as to his own prowess. As he says, \\u201cI don’t want to sound like I’m trying to be modest or anything, but\\u2026 I had a lot of help with all that stuff\\u2026\\u201d
\\nSo yes, he has a \\u201csaving-people thing,\\u201d and yes, he\\u2019s trying to enlist help again now to go rescue Sirius. Hermione is understandably cautious, knowing that the rescue mission Harry is proposing might be a bit more than they can handle. So she asks him to think about things logically before letting his \\u201csaving-people thing\\u201d kick in.
\\nBut Hermione\\u2019s statement is actually more profound than even she realizes. What becomes obvious over the next few hours is that Harry\\u2019s \\u201csaving-people thing\\u201d is not only a strength. It\\u2019s also a weakness which Voldemort is exploiting. And the hubris that goes along with it is perhaps the most dangerous aspect of all. Harry is starting to believe that he\\u2019s the hero who can defeat Voldemort. Harry sees himself as becoming what I call \\u201cSuperhero Harry.\\u201d He\\u2019s competed with the older students in the Triwizard Tournament and outflown a dragon. He\\u2019s driven off a hoard of Dementors. He\\u2019s killed a basilisk. He\\u2019s a Quidditch hero. And if that weren\\u2019t enough, he is also the son of the revered James Potter.'