A moral theory of Magic (was Re: A simple-minded question)

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 95250

>Neri wrote:
>
> 1. Lily's sacrifice ("ancient magic").
> 2. Life Debt.
> 3. The three Unforgivables.
> 4. Patronus charms and dementors
> 5. Unicorn blood
> 6. Voldemort's resurrection(?)

Tip:
I wonder if the connection b/t 1 and 4 as "ancient magic" is
supported by the text. For that matter, I am in no way convinced
that the Unforgivables are "ancient magic" either.

Neri:
Perhaps you'd prefer calling them "anti ancient magic"? Or not. I'm 
not bothered much with the names and terms here. What I'm trying to 
say is that all these kinds of magic seem to take their power from 
the morality/immorality of the act, they are all central to the plot, 
they are all magic "at its deepest, its most impenetrable", and JKR 
takes care to keep all of them very mysterious.   

Tip:
I like the idea that dark arts take away Power X, except that we know
from the second prophecy that the dark lord will rise again, more
terrible and powerful than before. Is Power X being replaced with
some other, stronger power?

Neri:
I'm not sure. Perhaps there are two opposing powers, a moral power 
and an immoral power. This kind of dualism is certainly very popular. 
Only we have canon for the existence of Power X in Harry and in the 
DoM, but we don't have any canon for Power Y that is evil. In 
addition, Power X is described as "beautiful and terrible", which 
seems to exclude the need for an even more terrible force. Since I 
personally tend towards monism, I prefer to think that there is only 
one moral power, and every wizard is born with huge stores of it. 
According to this version of the theory Voldemort's second rise to 
power merely means that he had found better methods of achieving his 
goals by forever relenting what he still got left of his Power X 
stores. 

Tip:
I think the silver hand has more to do with harming Lupin or being a
red herring for harming Lupin than what power it comes from. It
reads in the book more as a powerful transfiguration than anything
else.

Neri:
I've seen this speculation before and liked it, but IIRC the idea 
that silver hurts werewolves is traditional lore, and doesn't have 
any canon in JKR's magic. JKR builds a lot on the traditional lore of 
magic, but she has created her own, very defined brand of it.

I admit that I don't understand this business with Wormtail's silver 
hand. We should remember that not all that is silver is necessarily 
Power X. It is, however, interesting to point out that besides the 
patronus and unicorn blood, there are two more magical things which 
are frequently described as silvery: ghosts, and the strands of 
thought in the pensieve.

Neri