We’ve seen nothing but evidence that Harry really does care for Random Bystander #4231. His True Patronus wouldn’t work if he didn’t genuinely want immortality for everyone.
Even if Harry stops caring for Hermione on a personal level (… not likely), he’s still going to get around to resurrecting her in the process of resurrecting everyone.
Harry’s reaction to her death suggests he’d be willing to use methods to bring her back that wouldn’t work applying to everyone, e.g., some type of equivalent exchange. Heck, most of the more promising ideas for saving Hermione involve killing someone else.
Wrong.
Lots of people came up with ideas that involved that. This is not because those options were better. heck, it was not even because they were any good. Generously, it is because those ideas were more dramatic—fit a certain kind of story logic. They were also very, very likely to fail, because they were much too complex. Far to many things would have to go just right in order for any of them to come off, most of them not under the direct control of the plotter.
The only timey-wimy gambit I would even attempt in their place is the one I suggested - a substitution of the injection Harry gave her, because that is a single change that does not violate the observed course of events.
Why?
Remember, his motivation isn’t to live a life together with Hermione or something. His motivation is for Hermione to live out her life.
I think it’s more probable in narrative terms that there will be at least some respect in which Hermione can remain Harry’s peer on restoration.
I’m not convinced this is the case. Or rather I suspect his main motivation is the former, with the latter being a rationalization.
Um.
We’ve seen nothing but evidence that Harry really does care for Random Bystander #4231. His True Patronus wouldn’t work if he didn’t genuinely want immortality for everyone.
Even if Harry stops caring for Hermione on a personal level (… not likely), he’s still going to get around to resurrecting her in the process of resurrecting everyone.
Harry’s reaction to her death suggests he’d be willing to use methods to bring her back that wouldn’t work applying to everyone, e.g., some type of equivalent exchange. Heck, most of the more promising ideas for saving Hermione involve killing someone else.
Wrong. Lots of people came up with ideas that involved that. This is not because those options were better. heck, it was not even because they were any good. Generously, it is because those ideas were more dramatic—fit a certain kind of story logic. They were also very, very likely to fail, because they were much too complex. Far to many things would have to go just right in order for any of them to come off, most of them not under the direct control of the plotter. The only timey-wimy gambit I would even attempt in their place is the one I suggested - a substitution of the injection Harry gave her, because that is a single change that does not violate the observed course of events.