SYM: <>< and a bit of DENIAL

[terryljames76]

No: HPFGUIDX 72985

The <>< in the title line is a fish, and is intended to warn the 
reader that Christian ideas--or at least my interpretation of 
Christian ideas--are referred to herein.  

A comment has been made a few times here that JKR has said if you are 
familiar with Christian theology, you could predict the end of the 
series.  If this is indeed a correct quote, here's my idea on how 
that could possibly go.  I'm taking the whole "sacrifice" thing and 
twisting it one-quarter turn crossways to reality.

One prevailing theme of the "Harry will die" camp is that Harry is 
the Christ-like figure who must die to save the wizarding world and 
possibly Voldemort himself.

But this goes against the "Harry as Everyman" idea.  On OT-chatter 
the idea has been brought up that by reading these books, we not only 
feel that we are witnessing Harry's struggles, but that we are 
participating; that somehow, just by reading, we are helping him.  On 
a subconscious level, I think we feel that way because we identify so 
strongly with Harry that his struggles are our own; the support we 
want to give him so badly is the support we ourselves need.  Harry is 
the human in need of redemption; Harry is Adam.

When Harry was only a baby, Voldemort tried to kill him, and marked 
him permanently.  This ties in with the Biblical idea of the snake 
(Satan) attacking the very first man and woman and marking them 
permanently with sin.

Harry has bumbled his way through a lot of adventures through sheer 
nerve, bravery, a lot of luck and a lot of help--as he himself points 
out, he didn't know what he was doing most of the time.  In the fifth 
book, it has been brought home to him sharply that that won't work 
forever.  He can't always rush into danger and expect everything to 
work out.  Harry is beginning to realize that he can't save 
himself.   

So, somebody else--not Harry, who represents humanity--has to die.  
Who?  

Let's forget for the moment that traditionally the week starts on 
Sunday.  JKR always starts school term on Mondays, so allow me the 
same narrative freedom.  The fifth day of the week would then be 
Friday.  On a Friday (according to tradition) two thousand years ago, 
someone died to save humanity.  In the fifth book, someone died to 
save others--specifically, Harry.

I know, I know--Sirius?!?  Keep following, I really am going 
someplace with this.  Sirius was not Harry's real father, but had 
become a father figure to him--just as many denominations refer to 
God as "Father".  

(Puts on DENIAList hat)  Now, if we follow the Christian pattern as I 
understand it, Sirius will stay "dead" throughout the sixth book 
(Saturday) but will show back up in Book 7 (Sunday).  His rebirth or 
escape or whatever will have significant impact on the final battle--
victory would not have been possible without it.  However, for 
whatever reason, he will be unable to stay on this side of the veil, 
and will have to leave forever, but not before leaving a "comforter", 
maybe a portrait.  

Does this make Harry any less important, or his confrontation with 
Voldemort any less dangerous?  Not at all.  In the Christian world-
view, the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ gained victory over 
sin and Satan eternally, but the battle is still being fought in 
every person's heart as to whether they will accept it, or turn 
towards sin.  

Even if the final battle was fought and Voldemort was destroyed 
totally, but Harry had had to turn Dark and Evil to do it, that would 
not be a victory--for him, or for us the readers.  However, even if 
the final battle is outside Harry's control, but he is able to 
maintain his integrity and honor, then the true victory is his--and 
ours, as he personifies all of our struggles.  

If you think this would not be satisfying in a narrative sense, think 
back  to the ends of the other books.  Harry only lived in PS/SS by 
his mother's sacrifice.  He only survived in CoS because Fawkes came 
to his rescue.  He was never in real danger at the end of PoA.  He 
was able to thwart V. in GoF by the lucky chance of the "brother" 
wands.  And the DA, the Order and Dumbledore himself bailed him out 
at the end of OOP.  

This is not to impugn Harry's character.  He seized the initiatives 
provided by all this help and made the most of it.  His bravery 
cannot be denied.  But he has never been able to save himself.  The 
only thing he can do is the only thing, in the end, that we can all 
do--try to make the right choices, and do the right thing, and stand 
up for what is right and what is good.

It's also interesting to note that in Revelations, there's some verse 
that goes along the line of (my apocalypse scripture is rusty, this 
is the best I can do) "and they cast the beast, Lucifer, the dragon, 
into the lake of fire".  There goes Draco and his dad, both in one 
toss.  

Now, the sticking point in this whole theory--Sirius as Christ?  Yes, 
that's a tad bizarre, and I _like_ Sirius.  I'll go work on that some 
more.  

Terry LJ (who really shouldn't eat frito chili pies before bed, as 
they tend to result in strange theories)