[HPforGrownups] Why is it locked?/ Harry & Love

[Richelle Votaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 71219

Nic xx wrote:

> What I am sure about though, is that if you open the door 
> something big will happen.  Wizards didnt invent love.  Love 
> isnt on the balance because of that room.

Hmm.  This reminds me of a JKR interview, where she was questioned about the witchcraft thing.  And I searched through my interview files in my HP binder :) before posting this to make sure I had it right.  It was the train interview, I think CBC?  Anyway, done after GoF.  They start on the "do you believe in God" question, she said yes, they said and in magic, she said:

 "Magic in the sense in which it happens in my books, no, I don't believe.  I don't believe in that.  No.  No.  This is so frustrating.  Again, there is so much I would like to say, and come back when I've written book seven.  But then maybe you won't need to even say it 'cause you'll have found it out anyway.  You'll have read it."  

Now, since then JKR has said something to the effect that she believes love is the closest thing to magic, something more powerful than magic could be, etc.  Taking that into consideration, combined with the quote above, does that mean it will all come down to love?  Love conquers all?  Of course, again, I haven't a clue how that would work! But what I'm reading in that quote above from JKR (and maybe I'm reading into it too much) is that in the end, it won't be magic that defeats Voldemort.

grindieloe wrote:

>  So, why do so many people think that Harry is filled with 
>  enormous quantities of love?

Well, all love isn't the same. One thing Harry has a lot of is compassion, which is a form of love.  He's been rather deprived of love all his life (from the Dursleys), yet he has this "saving people thing."  He willingly risks himself time and again to save others.  Even when they don't really need saving (Sirius, Fleur's sister).  He doesn't think clearly when he thinks someone needs help, he just helps.  I'm working on a running list of all the times Harry saves or tries to save people.  I'll post it one of these days, I'm sure I'll miss a time or two (or three or four!).  Anyway, I think Harry's "saving people thing" is directly tied to his compassion for others, which brings him to help them.  He's filled with compassion, which is a form of love, and something Voldemort sure couldn't understand.

Richelle


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