Cruciatus and Imperius (Some TBAY), Dark Magic Power Boosts

[abigailnus]

No: HPFGUIDX 40510

A truly evil thought occurred to me while reading this post, and even 
though it is (a) not exactly related and (b) rather short, I feel compelled 
to post it.  It actually ties in to a longer post I've been meaning to write 
on the nature of Harry's abilities, but until I can sort it out in my head 
(and find time in the middle of final exams to write it), this will have to do.

Elkins writes, about Imperius:

> I also found myself wondering about Crouch Jr's growing ability to 
> throw off the Imperius Curse for short periods of time in the months 
> leading up to the QWC.  I suggested that this might be related in 
> some way to Voldemort's return to England, that perhaps Voldemort's 
> newly embodied state and physical proximity might in some 
> metaphysical way have strengthened the will of those servants
> bound to him by the Dark Mark.
> 
> Cindy wrote:
> 
> > But how about an alternative theory? A theory that explains all of 
> > the pesky, FLINT-y problems with the Imperius Curse? How about if 
> > the Imperius Curse is only as strong as the wizard casting it? 

Let's accept that Crouch Jr.'s ability to throw off his father's Imperius 
is really due to Voldemort's growing strengh and his return to a physical 
body (and I think this makes a lot of sense, especially since the Dark Mark 
also returns as LV grows stronger.)  We know another character, who is 
not a DE, who has drawn qualities from the Dark Lord before.

That person is Harry.

Dumbledore clearly states in CoS that attributes of Voldemort's attached 
themselves to Harry when the Avada Kedavra failed.  What if a similar 
connection to the one that has been suggested between Voldemort and 
the DEs now exists between Voldemort and Harry?  It explains why Harry 
is able to throw off a relatively benevolent suggestion in class by Crouch Jr., 
and later, when Voldemort himself Imperiuses him, it's actually Voldemort's 
strengh (either magical strengh or strengh of will, I think a good case can 
be made for either of these, or both, affecting the quality of a wizard's 
Imperius) fighting itself, which is why Harry manages to throw the Imperius 
off - all he needs is to tip the scales a bit.

This suggests that at the final confrontation, Harry may find himself 
having to destroy a part of himself in order to destroy Voldemort.  It 
also gives a boost to the whole "Harry will die at the end of the series" 
contingent (strangely, this is the second time I've made a suggestion that 
strenghens that theory, and I don't even believe in it.)  It also helps, in 
my opinion, to clear up a scene in GoF that has always bothered me.  It's 
the one where Crouch Jr., masquerading as Moody, tries to help Harry to 
find a way to overcome the Dragon in the first task.  He tells him to play 
to his strenghs, and Harry immediately thinks that the only thing he's really 
good at is Quidditch.

That's never made any sense to me.  I know that Harry is both modest and 
friends with Hermione, which could make anyone undervalue their magical 
abilities, but he must have noticed by now that he's no magical slouch.  Why, 
only a few months before he conjured a powerful Patronus, which many adult 
and fully trained wizards are incapable of (OK, he knew he could do it, but 
the point is that he *could* do it.)  We know that James Potter was a good 
Quidditch player, so it's a fair assumption that Harry's skill at the game has 
been inherited from him.  What if Harry senses on some subconcious level that 
his abilities, the level of his magical power (note that I'm not suggesting that 
all of Harry's magic comes from LV, just it's level at his early age), aren't 
exactly *his*?  Which is why, when queried about his strenghs, he turns to the 
one thing that really feels natural, as though it comes from him and not from 
an outside source.

I'm already seeing problems with this idea - the timelines don't exactly work.  
Does Harry's exra strengh come from a one-time bond with Voldemort at the 
time of the AK or is it a connection that still exists and grows stronger as 
Voldemort does?  I'll think some more about it and hopefull come up with some 
clarification, but I'm still going to post becaue I really like this idea - this is 
supposed to be one of the points of the longer post I'm hoping to write (although 
this post seems to have gone on for quite a bit as well), but I really don't like the 
notion of Harry as the "special child" with superpowers or the prophecied saviour.  
I like the thought that Harry's magical strenght derives from evil, and that it will 
have to be returned in order for good to triumph.

Abigail