The smoke serpent

[susanbones2003]

No: HPFGUIDX 79258

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "corinthum" <kkearney at s...> 
wrote:
> Geoff asked:
> 
> > I don't think this has been raised in a thread previously but I 
am 
> > puzzled as to its importance having just reached it on my fifth 
> > reading. Anyone got a view?
> > 
> > OOTP Chapter 22 pp.415-6 UK Bloomsbury edition.
> ...
> > 
> > "Naturally, naturally", murmured Dumbledore, apparently to 
himself, 
> > still observing the stream of smoke without the slightest sign of 
> > surprise. "But in essence divided?"
> > 
> ...
> 
> > OK, so what's all this about? Something to do with Harry 
> > being "inside" the snake yet separate from it? 
> 
> 
> I believe those little silver intruments are going to play a much
> larger role in books to come.  They've received far too much face 
time
> to play such a small, cryptic role.  The fact that Harry was
> interrupted just as he was going to ask about their purpose makes me
> think that little detail is crucially important.  
> 
> My current theory regarding the things:  Dumbledore was using the
> instruments to learn about Voldemort's current powers.  He's known 
for
> quite some time (due to Harry's previous psychic dream episodes) 
that
> Harry and Voldemort are at times mentally connected through the 
scar.
>  His "Naturally, naturally" comment was therefore due to his 
receiving
> the information that Harry was once again seeing things from
> Voldemort's perspective.  No big surprise.  He had also been 
concerned
> that Voldemort mught use this connection to manipulate Harry's
> behavior siince the beginning of the year, so I hardly think he 
would
> wait until this moment to question the nature of the Harry-Voldemort
> connection. 
> 
> However, the one thing Dumbledore seems quite interested in is how
> Harry saw the attack.  In SS/PS, we learned that Vapormort was 
capable
> of possessing other animals and people.  It was something I never
> really questioned; an evil spirit trying to regain life would
> naturally be able to possess other beings.  But in OoP, the 
situation
> is different.  Voldemort has his own body; he is mortal again.  Yet
> Harry saw the attack, not from the view of Voldemort directing the
> snake, but from Voldemort being the snake.  By doing his research 
with
> the little silver instruments, Dumbledore learns that Voldemort has
> not transfigured himself, nor is he an animagus.  Voldemort and the
> snake are "in essence divided."  The fact that Voldemort is still
> capable of possessing animals (and, as we later see, people) makes 
him
> a much more dangerous foe.  Indeed, the only time Dumbledore shows 
any
> fear during the final battle is when Voldemort disappears, preparing
> to possess Harry.
> 
> I'm not quite sure how this possession ability is going to come into
> play, but I am certain that it's going to be extremely important.  
An
> Evil Overlord wreaking havoc by directing his minions is bad, but an
> Evil Overlord capable of taking over his enemies, causing them to
> wreak havoc, and then leaving them for dead, in addition to 
directing
> his minions, is worse.  
> 
> -Corinth

Corinth,
During LV's possession of Harry, Harry's intense desire to die, to 
end the pain, to see Sirius again seemed to drive the Dark Lord out. 
According to theories advanced by Talisman (the posts are no longer 
available in the regular archives but they are 66983 and 67142)this 
event innoculated Harry from any incursions from LV. Remember that 
Dumbledore never looked directly at Harry before this time.  After 
the possession, he looked at him in the eyes, had his first real 
conversation with him. So, perhaps Lord Voldemort can possess other 
enemies, but Harry is now protected.
Jennifer