Possession (Was:Re: Ponderables...)

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 83256

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "James Redmont"
<jamesredmont at h...> wrote:
>  
> > Geoff:
> > Yes, I'd forgotten that.
> > 
> > Without living up to your ID name then, are you suggesting that 
> > Riddle was possessing her literally and therefore he was producing 
> > the Parseltongue needed? He does say "she strangled.." etc. and 
> > not "I made her strangle..." or "I possessed her so that she would 
> > strangle...."
> > 
> > Your next postcard?
> 
> james redmont:
> 
> Yes he said that, but unless I'm wrong, he was trying to get a rise 
> out of Harry by saying it.  Riddle couldn't have done it alone, I'm 
> guessing, because he was only a memory.  And yes, he possessed her 
> literally because she said he did in OotP.  She blacked out and 
> couldn't remember what was going on for short periods of time.
> 
> James

Annemehr:

Though it might seem a bit egotistical, I'm going to repost a short
essay I did about being possessed by Lord Thingy back in early August
(when list volume was *really* high), on the off chance that someone
hadn't seen it who would be interested...

 Message 74992
From:  "annemehr" <annemehr at y...>
Date:  Sun Aug 3, 2003  2:38 am
Subject:  Possession by Voldemort

We have had many examples of possessions by Voldemort, but the final
one in OoP has me thinking more about this.

To review what we know, Voldemort spent much or all of the time he
was hiding in Albania possessing small animals. In GoF he explains
that none of them lasted long, it shortened their lives. I also
have no doubt that it was quite painful for the animals. Even
Wormatail heard the rumors of it from the other rats when he was
searching for Voldemort after his escape.

In PS/SS, Quirrell explained that Voldemort felt the need to possess
*him* after the failed attempt to steal the Stone from Gringotts.
Quirrell puts it this way: "When I failed to steal the stone from
Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me...decided he
would have to keep a closer watch on me...." Now, I'm not entirely
sure if Quirrell's case is a true possession or not. Voldemort is
*inhabiting* Quirrell, and can punish him by causing him pain (or,
more pain than usual), but he never seems to act *through* him;
rather, he just gives him orders. The arrangement *does* seem as
though it would have been fatal to Quirrell fairly early on, as it
was for the Albanian animals, neccessitating the drinking of Unicorn
blood to keep the host body alive (until Voldemort deserts it in the
end).

In CoS, the situation is entirely different, however, it is still
caused by the real Tom Riddle who at the age of sixteen enchanted a
diary to be able to possess someone. The eventual victim is Ginny,
of course, but her possession is nothing like what happens when the
real Voldemort possesses. Ginny does not feel pain, and her life is
not shortened *until* Diary!Riddle decides the time is right to
steal it. Diary!Riddle does act through Ginny (in contrast to what
Voldemort does to Quirrell), and Ginny loses chunks of time whenever
this is happening. All this is interesting in light of what Ginny
says to Harry in OoP: that she knows what it feels like to be
possessed by Voldemort. Her assertion bothers me, because it seems
clear that she *doesn't* know, really, given what we know about
Quirrell's possession (and Harry's, eventually).

Finally we come to Voldemort's possession of Harry at the end of
OoP. I was surprised when it happened, because at this point
Voldemort has a body *of his own*! How did he do it, then? When he
apparated out of the column of water from the fountain, did he drop
his body off inside a handy broom closet and enter Harry's,
travelling like an astral projection? Or was he all, body and soul,
hiding somewhere, and only their minds joined via the scar link
(most likely, I guess)? Surely, he didn't possess Harry with his
body as well as his mind (ugh)? In any case, this possession
reminds me most of the small animal possessions of his Albanian
days: he acted (spoke) through Harry, he caused him great pain, and
I have no doubt that the possession would have killed Harry had
Voldemort been able to keep it going.

The idea of possession by Voldemort seems to quite important. It
seems to be like all three of the Unforgivable Curses rolled into
one, and so much worse than all of them. I wonder if Voldemort will
ever confront Harry by possessing someone else? (Now I am thinking
of the divination homework in GoF where Harry ended by predicting
his own death by decapitation, and later Ron's parrot fake wand cut
the head off Harry's haddock fake wand, but the possibilities are
endless...)

Annemehr
wishing she could post a full-blown theory instead of endless
questions...
[end of post #74992]

Annemehr now:
I think it's quite a complicated subject, actually, where it may be
too easy to make assumptions (something Harry seems to do much too
often, unfortunately).  I also have to wonder about LV's possession of
Nagini (if it was indeed she) at the time of the attack on Arthur, and
whether he caused her pain or injury at the time.  I can't imagine him
wanting to do that to Nagini, because at the very least he risks
losing her trust.  Does he actually have the ability to possess
"gently" but is never interested in doing so except for Nagini?