Average Harry -- Harry & Hermione Potential Conflict

[dfrankis at dial.pipex.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 18924

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer <pennylin at s...> 
wrote:
> we know from Dumbledore that Voldemort (Quirrell) couldn't touch
> Harry in PS/SS because of the layer of protection given to him by 
his
> mother's sacrifice.  But, the layer of protection is not 
necessarily an
> explanation for why Voldemort's AK spell *rebounded* on Voldemort,
> zapping him of his powers. 

Yes, I believe from V's explanation to the DEs that he doesn't really 
know what happened, certainly not how he survived to the extent he 
did (he uses the word 'apparently'. (IMO, Dumbledore's gleam isn't 
about mixing blood, but realising that V is still ignorant of 
something important, probably about Harry - sorry if that's already 
been done to death).  Briefly, at the end of PS/SS we have three 
implied questions 1 why did Harry survive? 2 why did V get almost 
killed? 3 why did V want to kill H in the first place? D gives the 
answer to 1 (and extends to the effect on Quirrell) and refuses to 
answer 3.  Everyone in the story including V assumes that the answer 
to 1 is also the answer to 2.

Sorry for the rush job, please insert IMOs where appropriate

>To me, it makes sense that her sacrifice
> could have prevented Voldemort from harming her infant son -- 
that's the
> protection.  But, Harry didn't just survive.  He dispatched 
Voldemort
> too.  I know Hagrid isn't a very reliable source, but I still think 
back
> to his observation that there was something about Harry that Voldy
> hadn't counted on.  "There's something about Harry" ....
> 
> I think there was something about infant Harry that was special.  I
> think child/adolescent Harry remains special.  We the readers are 
shown
> in GoF that not only is Ron unusually susceptible to the Imperius 
Curse,
> but we are also shown that Harry is unusually adept at shaking it 
off.
> Yes, he has faults, weaknesses and is unmistakeably human (and not
> immortal).  But, he does seem to have some rare or unusual 
talents.  I
> don't necessarily mean he's special as in Superhuman (or un-human) 
in
> the vein of Superman (or the Magid/Mage powers that Lori & Cassie 
have
> bestowed him with in fanfic).  But, I do think Harry has stronger 
than
> average innate magical abilities, and I don't have a problem 
imagining
> that he has a destiny.

IIRC, in a chat someone asked JKR who would win if Harry duelled 
Hermione, and she answered that until GOF, Hermione would, but Harry 
is getting better at DADA: it's the thing he's innately good at (as 
well as Quidditch)

David