[HPforGrownups] Re: Wands and Magical Ability, Part Two

[Herald Talia]

No: HPFGUIDX 24373

I agree with what both of you are saying about Harry and Voldy exept for
the assertion that Harry and Voldy are fundamentally different people
with similar superficial circumstances. 
I think Harry's strength, and the reason he can oppose Voldy so
successfully is because they are so similar.YOu need to fight a similar
evil with a similar good. Both are stubborn, but Harry's stubborn-ness is
used for good. Both have "a certain disregard for rules" but again, Harry
is not own for his own selfish benefit. 
Harry and Voldy are two sides of the same coin. That's why they balance
out so well. They are exact equal  opposites. Harry is what Voldy could
be, if he'd give up his vendetta against his father and all Muggles.
Voldy is what Harry could be, if he joined Slytherin. All of this is
IMHO, but I really see Harry and Voldy as extremely similar, which I
think is JKR's point - Dumbledore said, it's all in the choices you make.

Robyn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Suzy spied an elf.
But all the magic I have known,
I've had to make myself- Shel Silverstein
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On Fri, 17 Aug 2001 13:47:49 -0000 fourfuries at aol.com writes:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., shall at s... wrote:
> > > He came to 
> > >Hogwarts without the baggage of hatred, envy, anger, etc
> > 
> > I don't quite accept that; Harry's abusive treatment at the hands 
> of the Dursleys is at least equal to Tom Riddle's experience in its 
> capacity to produce hatred ("how dare they refer to my parents like 
> that") envy (Dudley's 32 presents vs a pair of old socks) and anger 
> (Aunt Marge); as Dumbledore stresses, it is what he does with his 
> experiences that differentiates them.  Either Harry or Neville could 
> 
> have good grounds for saying they "had" to join the dark side - 
> sofar 
> they are resisting admirably.
> > 
> > Susan
> 
>   I think you do agree.  I think I failed to be clear!  You have 
> rightly pointed out the reasons why Harry COULD have turned evil.  
> But the events of a person's life do not determine the "baggage" we 
> carry away from those events.
> 
>   Even before he gets to Hogwarts, Harry displays tremendous, almost 
> 
> saintly perserverance and fortitude in just dealing with the 
> Dursleys, as opposed to burning their house down (as Tom Riddle 
> might 
> have done).  His kindness and generousity  to Ron on the first train 
> 
> ride to Hogwarts came from his sensitivity to the feelings of 
> others,which we are to assume he developed during his free time in 
> the cupboard under the stair.  When he arrives at Diagon Alley, not 
> only is he not snobby, stand-offish or rude, he is absolutely 
> delightful for a boy who suddenly finds himself the center of the 
> wizarding world.
> 
>   The "good" aspects of his character are already there.  They are 
> unconscious and genuine.  Tom Riddle on the other hand, came to 
> Hogwarts with an inarticulate but deadly hate, developed that hate 
> into a deadly alter ego, and then devised a murderous plan to spread 
> 
> that hate across the wizarding world, that the whole world might 
> come 
> to "fear" his name, Lord Voldemort.
> 
>   My point is that that similar experiences will only produce 
> similar 
> results in similar people.  Other than superficial similarities of 
> background discussed in CoS (and a minor transfer of the 
> Parseltongue), Harry and Tom have nothing in common.  The are 
> fundamentally different kinds of people.
> 
> 4FR Hopeful