NOT EVERYTHING IS HORRIBLE, THOUGH! Harry is far from a miserable, tortured soul; he's just been through a hell of a lot more than even most adults twice his age. Among the people who have survived alongside him are his closest friends--Ron and Hermione--and his girlfriend Ginny. They have been the rocks he's clung to during his tumultuous adolescence and part of what gives him such strength and courage to overcome the seemingly endless obstacles he's endured. Sure, they've had their ups and downs like any group of friends is going to see, but the bond he shares with them is unbreakable. Love, courage, and loyalty, through the good and the bad: these are the things that truly define Harry Potter. They make him so much stronger than Voldemort and allow him to accept the fact that, for Voldemort to be defeated, he must sacrifice himself. It is for his friends. For the people who have given up so much already, made the ultimate sacrifice, and for those they've left behind. The Weasleys and the Dursleys, the Wizarding World, and Muggles--Harry doesn't want anyone else to have to suffer because of him.
Among his less than perfect attributes are his stubbornness, and the tendency to make snap judgments. He had Snape pegged as a villain from the start of his first year, for instance, and not even Dumbledore's unwavering faith in Snape was able to convince Harry that he was anything but a slimy evil git. It didn't help that Snape seemed to always see more of James in Harry than he did of Lily, but Harry did nothing to fix Snape's perception once his assessment had been made. That stubbornness he probably inherited from his father, as well as a penchant for finding mischief even when it wasn't actively finding him. The number of times Harry has been out of bed past midnight, sneaking about the halls of Hogwarts, are uncountable unless one actually keeps track of them while reading. He's not above playing tricks on people, but he doesn't bully for sport. He's also not above bending or outright breaking rules if he doesn't agree with them, especially if he's convinced that it's the right thing to do.
The fact that he is ruled by his emotions in most instances can be a double-edged sword. It allows him to be honest with people and not bottle up what he is feeling, provided that someone is around who he is willing to talk to. His emotions are usually pretty readable--he wears them right out on his sleeve most of the time; and like any teenager, he is prone to his ups and downs. The problem this causes, on occasion, is that if he is feeling something strongly enough, he may act on it without thinking things through. The best example of this is after Sirius is killed by Bellatrix, Harry is in complete emotional upheaval and chases after her with the intention of killing her for what she's done. He is blind with grief and anger, but he still can't muster enough hatred to kill or torture her because that is not who he is; that is not who Sirius would have wanted him to become. Even through the end of the series, he never casts a killing curse. When defending himself, Harry's repertoire consists mainly of disarming spells or spells to stun or otherwise disable his enemies.
[CANON] Harry Potter || Harry Potter || no reserve || 2 of 3
Among his less than perfect attributes are his stubbornness, and the tendency to make snap judgments. He had Snape pegged as a villain from the start of his first year, for instance, and not even Dumbledore's unwavering faith in Snape was able to convince Harry that he was anything but a slimy evil git. It didn't help that Snape seemed to always see more of James in Harry than he did of Lily, but Harry did nothing to fix Snape's perception once his assessment had been made. That stubbornness he probably inherited from his father, as well as a penchant for finding mischief even when it wasn't actively finding him. The number of times Harry has been out of bed past midnight, sneaking about the halls of Hogwarts, are uncountable unless one actually keeps track of them while reading. He's not above playing tricks on people, but he doesn't bully for sport. He's also not above bending or outright breaking rules if he doesn't agree with them, especially if he's convinced that it's the right thing to do.
The fact that he is ruled by his emotions in most instances can be a double-edged sword. It allows him to be honest with people and not bottle up what he is feeling, provided that someone is around who he is willing to talk to. His emotions are usually pretty readable--he wears them right out on his sleeve most of the time; and like any teenager, he is prone to his ups and downs. The problem this causes, on occasion, is that if he is feeling something strongly enough, he may act on it without thinking things through. The best example of this is after Sirius is killed by Bellatrix, Harry is in complete emotional upheaval and chases after her with the intention of killing her for what she's done. He is blind with grief and anger, but he still can't muster enough hatred to kill or torture her because that is not who he is; that is not who Sirius would have wanted him to become. Even through the end of the series, he never casts a killing curse. When defending himself, Harry's repertoire consists mainly of disarming spells or spells to stun or otherwise disable his enemies.