Harry's Power

[whizbang]

No: HPFGUIDX 78352

>  "Doriane" wrote:
snip> > > 
> > > OoP, chapter 37 :
> > > 
> > > 'There is a room in the Department of Mysteries
> > that is kept locked 
> > > at all times. It contains a force that is at once
> > more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human
> > intelligence, than the forces of nature. It is also, perhaps,
> > the most mysterious
> > of the many 
> > subjects 
> > > for study that reside there. It is the power held
> > within that room 
> > > that you possess in such quantities and which
> > Voldemort has not at 
> > > all. That power took you to save Sirius tonight.
> > That power also 
> > > saved you from possession by Voldemort, because he
> > could not bear 
> > to 
> > > reside in a body so full of the force he detests.
> > In the end, it 
> > > mattered not that you could not close your mind.
> > It was your heart 
> > > that saved you.'
> > > 
> > > Can you see how the word "love", or anything else
> > for that matter, 
> > is 
> > > not mentioned a single time ? 

<snip> 
> ?Moreover,Hope is the worst 
> > > enemy of any tyrant : as long as people keep
> > hoping that things can get better, they can't be crushed. They 
can be
> > isolated, tortured, 
> > or 
> > > whatever, as long as they have hope, they keep
> > fighting. So for 
> > > someone like Voldemort, Hope would be the worst
> > feeling people can 
> > > feel, because it keeps them fighting against him,
> > no matter how 
> > > powerful he gets.
> > > 
> > > So what do you think ? Am I completely off-track
> > or what ? Shoot 
> > > away !

Hmmm...
That's really well written and full of hope itself.  And hope is a 
powerful quality.  It fits in with JKR's tendency to weave elements 
of myth into the series.  The story of how hope was released into 
the world after all the ills is seems like her style.  But maybe 
Harry  himself could be thought of as the hope of the magical world.

I'm not sure it's an emotion, either.  I think that like the 
Patronus and the Ridikkulus among others, it requires an emotional 
response.  Remember when Uncle Vernon was throttling Harry in the 
first chapter.  Suddenly a force rose through Harry that made him 
impossible to hold on to.  There are other examples.

In the "tell all" speech, Dumbledore made repeated references to 
Harry's bravery.  Courage can be another term for "heart".  Harry 
has extraordinary courage.  He's not even afraid to die.  But 
Voldemort is.

Voldemort is so terrified of death that he has gone to incredible 
legnths to prevent it. 

In chapter 36, (page 814 am ed)  
   "There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore," snarled 
Voldemort. 
   "You are quite wrong," said Dumbledore ... 
   "Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much 
worse than death has always been your greatest weakness-"

I don't think the "power" in Harry is an emotion, but I think it is 
triggered by emotions.  And I think what Harry has that Voldemort 
doesn't is courage.  And he was willing to die when Voldemort 
possessed him.  But it wasn't until he experienced a powerful 
emotion that Voldemort, unable to bear the rush of power, fled.  Not 
unlike when Uncle Vernon couldn't hold on to him.

What is this power triggered by emotion?