Chances of Being Alive at the End of Book Seven

[bohcoo]

No: HPFGUIDX 82530

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "augustinapeach" 
<augustinapeach at y... wrote in post #82494:
 
> By the way, is there something to this "What's worse than death" 
> question that might point to books 6 and 7?  Not only did Ron say 
> it, but the idea played prominently in the fight between Dumbledore 
> and Voldemort in the MoM.  As Dumbledore said, ". . .your failure  
to  understand that there are things much worse than death has always 
> been your greatest weakness. . ."  

 
> "augustinapeach"


Bohcoo responds:

I loved this question you brought up, "augustunapeach." I hope 
everyone weighs in with their opinion, or directs us to earlier posts 
on the matter.

I, too, was hit rather strongly by these remarks. At first I thought 
that the thing worst than death would be isolation or absolute 
aloneness. But Voldemort lived that way for 14 years and didn't seem 
to mind being alone; he only mentioned that he couldn't hold a wand 
and perform magic and those were the things that bothered him while 
he was "less than the meanest ghost."

True, he possessed beings, but for the most part they were snakes or 
rats, not many wizards (which, by the way, I found most puzzling. He 
latched onto the back of Quirrel's head, but why not possess him 
outright? Too weak? Unicorn blood not potent enough to strengthen him 
to a power that would allow that?)

So, then -- what is worst than death? Being a dementor-kiss survivor -
- alive but souless? Being alive, like the Longbottoms, but insane, 
unable to remember or interact with loved ones? 

Or, being shunned? Rejected from interaction with the very people 
whose company and attention you crave? 

Voldemort hated being part-Muggle and abandoned by his father, in 
essence, shunned. Yet, other than living in an orphanage, which I am 
sure was no walk through the roses, it sounds as if he had plenty of 
friends at Hogwarts -- which, as we have seen in Harry's case, can go 
an awful long way toward filling in the emotional gaps left by absent 
or uncaring parents. 

I imagine this is really a two-part question, then. What is worst 
than death?

And, what is worst than death to Voldemort?

Bohcoo