Harry: Great or Lucky?

[mlacats at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 33643

In a message dated 12/29/2001 7:16:29 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
mandm at discover-net.net writes:


> "In The GoF, we learn that when V killed Harry's parents, Harry 
> survived the attack due to his mother's loving sacrifice.  V explains 
> that in 'His mother died in the attempt to save him - and unwittingly 
> provided him with a protection I had not forseen...I could not touch 
> the boy (p652). As a result of surviving that attack, Harry is labeled 
> a great wizard, but has Harry truly earned that title?  To what extent 
> would you say that Harry is not so much 'great' as lucky?  In all that 
> Harry does, how much is he acting of his own free will, and how much 
> is he simply living out what from birth has been his destiny?"
> 

I'm going to respond a little now and will think on this and add more at a 
later time....Well, here goes..........I've always thought that Harry got 
away because his wand matched that of V's.......there is luck but there is 
also bravery (Harry was prepared to die.......he was "not going to die 
crouched like a child........." behind the headstone of V's father - Harry 
stood up and faced V......Harry was also stronger that V already because he 
(Harry) was able to force the balls of light back into V's wand, something he 
would not have been able to do had he not been a powerful wizard already (he 
just doesn't know it yet!)..........Also, Harry was able to escape V (however 
he did it) when fully grown wizards had not been able to do so at the height 
of their power!......Also, Harry is cool under pressure...he conjured the 
Triwizard cup - remembering that it was a portkey (how many of us would have 
been under a blind panic and not remembered that, at least not in time to get 
away from V!).......And let us remember the goodness of Harry.....he did 
"what was right instead of what was easy" when he grabbed Cedric's arm, 
putting himself in mortal danger at the same time.........I think that's the 
mark of a great wizard in anybody's book!..........More food for 
thought..........?

Harriet
(A hopeless HP fan!)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]