The Prophecy Again (Was:Re: Why were the sacrifices different?)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 95485

Annemehr wrote:
> <snip>
> > As for what happened at Godric's Hollow when LV ended up marking
> > Harry, JKR said in the chat that the reason neither of them died
> > by the AK was the central question.  There is something of great
> > importance that we don't know yet, so it's hard to argue
> > interpretations.  However, if the "power the Dark Lord knows 
> > not" is love, then it makes sense that LV was partly vanquished 
> > that night by the love Harry received through Lily's sacrifice.  
> > Harry *was* born with Lily's love; it was merely made apparent 
> > in a particular way just then.  Harry was also born with his own 
> > capacity for love as well as all his other innate powers, 
> > whatever they turn out to be. <snip>
 
Carol responded:
> Also, if Harry was *born with* the power to defeat Voldemort, why 
> was his mother's self-sacrifice necessary and why din't Voldemort 
> just die? Harry himself didn't do anything. There was no "power" 
> involved. He was simply on the receiving end of a spell that 
> bounced off him (through the "ancient magic," which I still think 
> is a charm). Somehow that spell also opened up a channel between 
> him and Voldemort that was not there before Godric's Hollow and he 
> received at least one power (Parseltongue) and perhaps others (the 
> ability to resist an Imperius curse?) that he did not have before.

> IMO, without the Prophecy and the events at Godric's Hollow, Harry
> (assuming he and his parents had lived) would have been an 
> ordinary, scarless wizard kid, raised by his parents, familiar 
> with the WW, good at Quidditch like his father, but with no 
> extraordinary talents and no special destiny. 


Siriusly Snapey Susan:
Ack!  We disagree yet again, Carol.  While we don't know enough 
about Godric's Hollow *or* the prophecy for my liking--and so I'm 
not sure about Annemehr's idea that The Power is Love--I *do* have 
an opinion about whether all of Harry's specialness & talents were 
transferred to him by Voldy and whether, without the Voldy transfer 
& his mother's ancient magic he'd have been simply an ordinary 
wizard.

I agree with your point that if Harry was born with *everything* he 
needed to vanquish Voldy, his mother's sacrifice would not have been 
necessary.  I believe, however, that it was a combination of what 
his mother provided, what Voldy transferred, and what was ALREADY 
INSIDE of Harry at birth that makes him who he is.  I believe Harry 
is a truly special wizard.  I know, I know, he has problems in some 
of his subjects, he doesn't work hard enough in some classes, not 
everything comes naturally to him, he lets his emotions get in the 
way at times.  But I think some things *do* come naturally to him, 
and I like to believe that his ability to throw off an Imperius 
Curse, his talent in flying, his strength in the wand duel w/ Voldy 
in the graveyard are all manifestations of things which Harry had 
*from the start*.  I do believe he was gifted with certain abilities 
beyond the normal wizard or witch--not in ALL abilities, but in 
many.  Some of those talents & gifts may well take time, practice & 
focus to develop fully, but I believe he's ahead of most others.  

These are my beliefs; I've no canon to prove it any more than others 
have canon to prove that *all* of Harry's abilities were transferred 
to him by Voldy [not that you said that outright, Carol].  If JKR 
tells us in the end that it all came from Voldy or from Voldy + 
Lily's sacrifice, I'll eat my words, but for now I believe very 
strongly that Harry would NOT have been an ordinary wizard even w/o 
those two occurrences.  Harry gets trashed a fair bit around HPfGU, 
imo, but I like to give him credit for some specialness that I 
believe he's really got going for him--and that was truly "his" from 
the beginning.

Or so that's what *I* think. :-)

Siriusly Snapey Susan