Death-dealing Harry (was Seven Key Things Harry Needs to Defeat Voldemort)

[davewitley]

No: HPFGUIDX 40024

Pegoheart wrote:
>  There are seven key things that Harry 
> will need to defeat Voldemort. Harry has picked up one in each of 
> the first four books.
> 
> 1. Sorcerer's Stone – Harry's friendship with Ron and Hermione 
> 2. Chamber of Secrets –He uses his skill as a Parceltongue to
> find and kill the Basilisk 
> 3. Prizoner of Azkaban – He learns to use the Patronus Charm 
> 4. Goblet of Fire – He learns to throw off the Imperius Curse

Yep, these seem like 4 significant things.
> 
> These are the things he still needs. I'm not sure what order
> these will be in. 
> 5. Harry needs to learn to use the Dreamlink to anticipate 
> Voldemort's moves 
> 6. He needs to develop a defense against the Cruciatus Curse –
> This will be new – There isn't one 

I am doubtful about these two: we had no way of knowing in advance 
about any of the other four, e.g., we hadn't heard of the Patronus 
before POA.  There was some foreshadowing of Parseltongue and 
Imperius (the 'trances' mentioned by Hagrid in PS), but their 
significance was not clear.  Cruciatus sounds too much like a reprise 
of Imperius.

> 7. He's going to have to learn to kill. 
> 
This one, I disagree.  He wanted to kill in POA, first Sirius, then 
possibly Pettigrew, but learnt the importance of *not* killing.

I think, from the point of view of those who insist on dramatic 
endings (indeed, dramatic beginnings and middles), we have a fairly 
constrained situation:

- we want Voldemort to be bumped off;
- we want Harry to be the main hero of said bumping;
- we want Harry to not deliberately kill anyone.

It can be done - has often been done: think of Frodo Baggins at the 
Cracks of Doom, for example.

Actually, killing Voldemort may not be the eventual outcome, anyway - 
but that's for another thread.

David