SYM: <>< and a bit of DENIAL

[Garrett]

No: HPFGUIDX 75666

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "terryljames76" 
<terryljames at h...> wrote:
> The <>< in the title line is a fish, and is intended to warn the 
> reader that Christian ideas--or at least my interpretation of 
> Christian ideas--are referred to herein.  
> 
> A comment has been made a few times here that JKR has said if you 
are 
> familiar with Christian theology, you could predict the end of the 
> series.  If this is indeed a correct quote, here's my idea on how 
> that could possibly go.  I'm taking the whole "sacrifice" thing and 
> twisting it one-quarter turn crossways to reality.
> 
> One prevailing theme of the "Harry will die" camp is that Harry is 
> the Christ-like figure who must die to save the wizarding world and 
> possibly Voldemort himself.
> 
> But this goes against the "Harry as Everyman" idea.  On OT-chatter 
> the idea has been brought up that by reading these books, we not 
only 
> feel that we are witnessing Harry's struggles, but that we are 
> participating; that somehow, just by reading, we are helping him.  
On 
> a subconscious level, I think we feel that way because we identify 
so 
> strongly with Harry that his struggles are our own; the support we 
> want to give him so badly is the support we ourselves need.  Harry 
is 
> the human in need of redemption; Harry is Adam.
> 
> When Harry was only a baby, Voldemort tried to kill him, and marked 
> him permanently.  This ties in with the Biblical idea of the snake 
> (Satan) attacking the very first man and woman and marking them 
> permanently with sin.
> 
> Harry has bumbled his way through a lot of adventures through sheer 
> nerve, bravery, a lot of luck and a lot of help--as he himself 
points 
> out, he didn't know what he was doing most of the time.  In the 
fifth 
> book, it has been brought home to him sharply that that won't work 
> forever.  He can't always rush into danger and expect everything to 
> work out.  Harry is beginning to realize that he can't save 
> himself.   
> 
> So, somebody else--not Harry, who represents humanity--has to die.  
> Who?  
> 
> Let's forget for the moment that traditionally the week starts on 
> Sunday.  JKR always starts school term on Mondays, so allow me the 
> same narrative freedom.  The fifth day of the week would then be 
> Friday.  On a Friday (according to tradition) two thousand years 
ago, 
> someone died to save humanity.  In the fifth book, someone died to 
> save others--specifically, Harry.
> 
> I know, I know--Sirius?!?  Keep following, I really am going 
> someplace with this.  Sirius was not Harry's real father, but had 
> become a father figure to him--just as many denominations refer to 
> God as "Father".  
> 
> (Puts on DENIAList hat)  Now, if we follow the Christian pattern as 
I 
> understand it, Sirius will stay "dead" throughout the sixth book 
> (Saturday) but will show back up in Book 7 (Sunday).  His rebirth 
or 
> escape or whatever will have significant impact on the final battle-
-
> victory would not have been possible without it.  However, for 
> whatever reason, he will be unable to stay on this side of the 
veil, 
> and will have to leave forever, but not before leaving 
a "comforter", 
> maybe a portrait.  
> 
> Does this make Harry any less important, or his confrontation with 
> Voldemort any less dangerous?  Not at all.  In the Christian world-
> view, the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ gained victory over 
> sin and Satan eternally, but the battle is still being fought in 
> every person's heart as to whether they will accept it, or turn 
> towards sin.  
> 
> Even if the final battle was fought and Voldemort was destroyed 
> totally, but Harry had had to turn Dark and Evil to do it, that 
would 
> not be a victory--for him, or for us the readers.  However, even if 
> the final battle is outside Harry's control, but he is able to 
> maintain his integrity and honor, then the true victory is his--and 
> ours, as he personifies all of our struggles.  
> 
> If you think this would not be satisfying in a narrative sense, 
think 
> back  to the ends of the other books.  Harry only lived in PS/SS by 
> his mother's sacrifice.  He only survived in CoS because Fawkes 
came 
> to his rescue.  He was never in real danger at the end of PoA.  He 
> was able to thwart V. in GoF by the lucky chance of the "brother" 
> wands.  And the DA, the Order and Dumbledore himself bailed him out 
> at the end of OOP.  
> 
> This is not to impugn Harry's character.  He seized the initiatives 
> provided by all this help and made the most of it.  His bravery 
> cannot be denied.  But he has never been able to save himself.  The 
> only thing he can do is the only thing, in the end, that we can all 
> do--try to make the right choices, and do the right thing, and 
stand 
> up for what is right and what is good.
> 
> It's also interesting to note that in Revelations, there's some 
verse 
> that goes along the line of (my apocalypse scripture is rusty, this 
> is the best I can do) "and they cast the beast, Lucifer, the 
dragon, 
> into the lake of fire".  There goes Draco and his dad, both in one 
> toss.  
> 
> Now, the sticking point in this whole theory--Sirius as Christ?  
Yes, 
> that's a tad bizarre, and I _like_ Sirius.  I'll go work on that 
some 
> more.  
> 
> Terry LJ (who really shouldn't eat frito chili pies before bed, as 
> they tend to result in strange theories)


That is a very good theroy... it explains alot and it goes good with 
canon and what shes said. 
Garrett