I disagree. Relevancy does not mean throwing it in everyone's face. Sometimes subtlety works too. And because everyone reacts to trauma differently, Harry reacting to his as he did worked. He live his entire life abused and neglected, so why can't his coping mechanism be to ignore it as best he can and always look on the bright side? Why can't the best way for him to get by be to be really positive. Not everyone becomes bitter and horrid because they suffer abuse, not ever abuse person becomes an abuser or sits around being the victim and hating life.

Yes, it's a story, but stories should still mimic real life. If one abused kid decides to ignore the abuse--especially when there isn't anyone out there to save him from him--that doesn't mean he isn't still damaged by it. And again, get hung up on how he looks. He's tiny for his age for most of the books because of being forced to live in a cupboard and not fed well enough, a sign of his malnutrition and neglect even if no one pays attention to it.

All of his baggage makes itself known subtly until the fifth book when he's raging all the time. That wasn't just a product of Cedric's death.

Either way, look at it how you want, but I disagree.