The magic power of love. Was: BANG! You're dead!

[feetmadeofclay]

No: HPFGUIDX 76803

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "arrowsmithbt" 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:

> 
> ] Mental liberation requires discipline. That Harry does not have,
> yet. Will he ever?  Anybody's guess.  And I'll bet my second best
> cauldron against a chocolate frog that V. enters Harrys' mind 
> again in the next book.
> Kneasy 

Well he has a point.  I wouldn't disagree that we haven't seen Harry 
show a great deal of discipline.  But we didn't see Harry show a 
great deal of magical skill in DADA either.  Sure he's battled 
Voldemort a few times and he has a kick ass patronus, but most of it 
is either his untapped talent (the Imperious) or just luck (the 
sister wand thing). 

Harry's got intuition but he's never been shown to be a great 
strategist beyond the Patronus he's never really honed any skill - 
not even Occulumency.  He is pretty much lucky most of the time. Book 
1 he barely did anything.  Hermione was the smart one and Ron the 
stragegist.  Harry just had the Mum Gaurd on. Fawkes saved him in 
book 2 and he got a a sword (though he succeeded in using it).  Book 
3 he never showed any action because in the end he didn't need to.  
What we saw instead was compassion. 

In book 4 he cheated his way through the tournament when it was clear 
that Barty expected him to be able to win of his own accord. Afterall 
he was Harry Potter...  Even after cheating Cedric nearly beat him.  
Really it wasn't expelleramus alone that saved him.  Harry had a big 
helping hand from fate with that wand thing. 

But none of Harry's past passivity or luck with respect to fighting 
Voldemort kept Rowling from bodly telling us in Book 5 that Harry was 
just perfect to lead the kids into battle and teach them all to be 
soldiers against evil.  Because he's Harry Potter - man of many 
talents. (None of which are being able to remember that the Wizarding 
World is concealed from the Muggle one.)   

What is to stop her from saying that pushing Voldemort out of his 
mind is a kind of mental discipline?  Afterall he did succeed mildly 
with Snape in the end...  Perhaps that will be enough.  Lame I'll 
grant you. But I haven't your faith that the story has to have any 
internal logic.  Afterall witches and wizards aren't good a logic.  ;)

So ... I have a couple of packs of chocolate frogs.  I'll take that 
bet. I could use a decent cauldron. Mine current one's bottom is too 
thin.  Keeps leaking my draught of peace all over the floor.

Golly