Harry Potter: 7 Times Harry Was A Complete Idiot
Every teenager makes mistakes, but some of Harry’s decisions were unbelievably stupid.
The titular character of the Harry Potter series goes on a considerable journey over the course of his adolescence. His various adventures – as fun as they are to read about – often involve pain, loss, and turmoil. As such, Harry grows mentally as well as physically throughout the series.
Whilst he’s always had a rebellious streak, this side of his character becomes more and more prominent the older he gets. This is particularly noticeable during The Order of the Phoenix when Harry is at the forefront of the revolt against Umbridge.
The combination of his rebelliousness and his heroism can sometimes backfire, however. There are multiple instances when Harry neglects wisdom and sense in favour of recklessness and knee-jerk reactions. Even with the help and influence of wise individuals such as Hermione, Dumbledore, and Lupin, he still manages to mess up from time to time.
Though some of his more idiotic decisions are understandable, others are much harder to forgive. Indeed, several of Harry’s actions were so moronic that he was very lucky to make it to the end of the series without any lasting injuries...
7. When He Snuck Into The Slytherins' Compartment – The Half-Blood Prince
After Malfoy’s suspicious behaviour in Diagon Alley, Harry is keen to learn more information. With the help of his Invisibility Cloak, he takes his opportunity during the journey to Hogwarts and sneaks into a train compartment full of sixth-year Slytherin students.
Given the compartments aren’t particularly big on the train, Malfoy picks up on Harry’s movements and decides to take revenge on the boy who landed his father in prison. After casting the Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus), Malfoy then breaks Harry’s nose by stamping on his face.
Had it not been for Tonks (or Luna in the movie adaptation), Harry would have been taken all the way back to London. To make matters worse, he didn’t even learn anything valuable. Malfoy spotted Harry almost at once, and as such, he deliberately withheld any important information whilst talking with his fellow Slytherins.
Put simply, Harry took a risk with the hope of discovering Malfoy’s secret but ended up paralysed and bloodied for no reason at all.