[HPforGrownups] Re: The Sorting Hat

[Kathryn Cawte]

No: HPFGUIDX 87413


Kneasy
>
> I'm starting to get the impression that  you're edging towards the view
that
> Sirius is the equal of Voldy in magical power. That he can withstand, even
> temporarily, the force of Voldy's will. If so, can you substantiate it?
>
K

No that's not at all what I'm saying - although we've not got any empirical
evidence that Voldemort is much more *powerful* than other wizards - more
*skilled* definitely (leglimancy, parseltongue etc). More evil - yep I'll
give you that too. We don't actually know how difficult the spells he's used
to try and gain immortality are, they don't seem to give you the kind of
immortaliy most people would really want (so far he's been a disembodied
spirit inhabiting someone else's body and having to drink unicorn blood -
which to wizards seems the equivalent of saying you can live for ever but
you have to go around killing babies - and then when he got a body, well he
doesn't seem to be exactly human any more. And the diary idea can't be
totally unheard of or Harry would have had more trouble being believed so
the fact he's using them and others aren't again doesn't show he's
especially powerful.

The reason he's supposed to be so all powerful is because he's so darn
scary - and a lot of that fear comes from the fact that *anyone* could be  a
DE and could appear at any time and attack. He controls peole through fear
and, presumably, vicous punishments, not because he's so much more powerful.

But that wasa  total diversion from what I meant to say which was a) I don't
believe Sirius is as powerful as Voldemort (or at least I didn't before the
above diversion, now I'm wondering exactly how magically powerful Voldemort
is) b) I still doubt you can use Imperius like that and c) will and power
are different things and we do know that Sirius is a determined and stubborn
person, which may well mean he's very good at fighting off the Imperius.
(Maybe he's even had ractice bearing in mind what his family are like)

K