[HPforGrownups] Re: OoP - Occlumency - A case for Evil!Snape?

[Kelly Grosskreutz]

No: HPFGUIDX 66893


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> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "darrin_burnett"
> <bard7696 at a...> wrote:
> > First, full disclosure, I am very skeptical of Snape and his true
> > motives. I think it is entirely possible he is still a bad guy.
> >
> > Just letting you know what kinds of grains of salt you might want
> > here.
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> > But to plunge ahead, I wonder if Snape was truly teaching Harry
> > Occlumency the correct way.
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> > I have to wonder if that isn't the most obvious "hide-in-plain-
> sight"
> > foreshadowing you've ever seen.
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> Christi T:
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> I had thought that the Occlumency Snape was attempting to teach
> wasn't successful because Voldemort was not using Legilimecy (sp?)
> against Harry. The bond between Harry is something else, and as such
> different methods may be needed to counteract it. Harry was able to
> tap into Voldemort's emotions without knowing a thing about
> Legilimency, and Voldemort didn't even realize it until after the
> snake incedent. Voldemort was eventually able to send Harry false
> memories, which is entirely different from searching Snape's mind
> for evidence of lies. Perhaps Harry's 'purer' emotions are more
> effective against Voldemort than standard Occlumency methods, as
> their minds are actually 'linked' due to the failed curse. I had
> pictured Leglimency/Occlumency as more of a one-way transfer, an
> attack and defense rather than an attack and counter-attack. IMHO
> teaching Harry Occlumency was merely the best place to start.

Your thoughts mirror mine.  I believe Snape did his best to teach Occlumency
as he knew it.  What he was teaching Harry is probably exactly what he
himself has to do when he wants to block certain thoughts or feelings from
another (we'll use Voldemort in this case).  He would teach this exact same
method to any student, be it Harry, Hermione, or Draco.  This is because
this is the proper way to block a Legilimens spell.

 But, as we all know, Harry's situation is not like anyone else's.  No one
else has a link with Voldemort in the exact same way that Harry does.
Unlike, for example, Snape, Harry has a direct line into Voldemort' head,
and vice versa.  To me, this implies that a different method needs to be
used to block Voldemort or, what is probably closer to the truth, a modified
version of Occlumency.

There are a few things that I think Harry needs to learn how to do.  First,
he needs to be able to detect exactly when Voldemort is in his mind.  For
this, some of the standard Occlumency methods can be used.  If his mind is
at rest, he might be able to better detect if there is another with him.  I
do think clearing his mind could be beneficial for this purpose and this
purpose only.

The second thing Harry needs to do is get control of his emotions.  I'm not
saying he needs to control them as tightly as Snape implies or purge himself
of them completely.  Truthfully, I think the only thing that's going to help
him here is getting a little out of puberty.  Perhaps Sirius's death might
help in this, too.  Pretty much, he needs to not be completely consumed by a
given emotion to the point where he acts like an idiot.  This covers
everything from anger to going off and doing something without thinking
through it completely (like the Sirius situation).  If he is in better
control of his emotions, he will be less easily manipulated.  This again
does not have to necessarily be manipulation by Voldemort.  He has been
manipulated by many more people than just Voldemort.

Once he does that, I think the next thing he needs to do is learn to focus
his emotions to block Voldemort.  By this, I direct your memories back to
PoA, when Harry is learning how to cast a Patronus.  The only way he could
do that was to think of something happy.  He had to get control of himself
and overcome fear and despair to conjure up a happy thought.  Only happiness
and hope can defeat a dementor.  Many people on this list seem to concur
that love is something that Voldemort can't abide.  Dumbledore has said that
Lily's love for Harry is what prevented Voldemort from being able to touch
Harry for many years.  Many also believe that Harry's love for Sirius is
what pushed Voldemort out of Harry's mind at the end of the battle at the
Ministry.  A huge deal is being made of Harry having a great bond with his
friends.  He loves his friends (no, not romantically!).  There has to be a
reason this theme keeps occuring.

Here's where Snape went wrong when it came to teaching Harry Occlumency.
Harry is not going to be able to block Voldemort by clearing his mind of all
emotion.  He *needs* that emotion to focus back upon Voldemort.  But he has
to have control over them, or else Voldemort will have a field day sifting
through them and finding out how best he can manipulate Harry.  It is subtly
different than the traditional methods of employing Occlumency.

Snape could not have known this would be necessary.  To him, Harry simply is
not trying hard enough and not doing it right.  Granted, Harry really could
have cared less about learning Occlumency at all, but I don't think Snape
knew enough about the true nature of the bond to realize that Harry needed
to learn a modified version of Occlumency.  I think Dumbledore would have
seen the signs and adapted the lessons accordingly.

Kelly Grosskreutz
http://www.idcnet.com/~ivanova