Very Large Values of Two

[laylalast]

No: HPFGUIDX 96455

> Tammy wrote:
> You know the saying, "Two plus two equals five, for very large 
values of two", right? 
<snip> 
> Anyway -- The First Two:
> 
> Someone postulated that Lily's sacrifice was a form of pact 

Lilian pipes up: that would be me!

> -- "Kill me instead" being quite literal:  if LV 'agrees' and kills
> Lily, he then CAN'T kill Harry, or he'd be breaking the pact.  
Which is what happened, whether or not that was HOW or WHY it 
> happened that way -- after he had killed Lily, for some reason he
> couldn't kill Harry.  
> This is, obviously, a very LARGE value of two, here -- it's 
> basically the crux of the whole book.  Yup, pretty big two.
> 
> The Second Two:
<snip>
> LV seems to ALWAYS underestimate the 'ancient magic', when he 
> doesn't ignore it completely.  He despises it, but why? 
<snip>
> For a criminal genius, forgetting to consider the one thing you 
> KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE can block you is a rather huge flaw, and makes
> a pretty big two, too.
> 
> The Math:
> 
<big snip>
> The 'ancient magic' doesn't work that 
> way -- it REQUIRES you to honor your pacts.  Or Else.
> 
> The Five:
> 
> LV despises the 'ancient magic' of magical pacts because he can't 
> buck its rules -- it punishes pact-breakers without regard to their 
> power or station, and he just can't stand the fact that there's a 
> FORCE out there that is greater than he is, and that doesn't care 
> about him one way or the other.  
<snip>
> When he had to use it to regain his body, he *had* to give Wormtail
> his reward, or suffer the consequences of breaking 
> another pact.  It probably irks him no end that he had to give 
> something back to what he presumably feels is his slave, Wormtail.
> But what would have gone wrong if he had reneged on THAT one?  His
> whole new body was at stake, this time.
> 

Lilian:
I like this, very much. Excellent post!
But if the resurrection of corporeal LV is a pact as well -let's call 
it a resurrection pact- could  there be four parties in this pact: 
LV, his father, Wormtail ... and Harry?
Based on my own reasoning (post 96236) a pact is only made by willing 
parties. LV's father is dead, Harry resisted so only Wormtail 
*agreed*. A pact only between him and LV, so yep, LV had to do 
something to keep Wormtail (or the ancient magic?) happy.

But I do wonder ... could that ancient magic have some unexpected 
side effects for LV because he forced Harry to give his blood? Is 
Harry a party after all? If so, will it blow up in LV's face later?

As Jen already quoted from a JKR interview: 

MauraEllen: "Did the debt Wormtail has to Harry carry over to
Voldemort when he sacrificed his arm to restore his body?"

JK Rowling replies -> "No. Can't say any more than that!"

That question was in fact about Wormtails hand. Nothing was asked 
about Harry's hand, but JKR clearly indicates that she won't give any 
further information on this topic (the resurrection pact). Might 
indicate that LV inherited something more through Harry's blood than 
harry's protection from the pact of sacrifice, or that the 
resurrection pact itself leaves LV with a debt to <gasp!> Harry.

Lilian