Harry's Protection (was Re: Questions)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 119245


Snow:
<snipping>
> The room at the DOM is said to 'contain' this force
but it is also 
> said that it is the 'power' that is 'held within this room' that 
> Harry possesses in such great quantity that Voldemort detests. The 
> room therefore contains a force 'and' holds a power. We may be 
> dealing with two separate states of matter; the one that Harry 
> possesses and the one contained in the room. 
<snip>
> 
> In the end my suspicions would be that immortality is the force 
that 
> can be more wonderful and terrible and the power is `pure' self-
> sacrificing protection. 

Jen: This is good, Snow! My first thought was, "but Harry isn't 
immortal" then I realized you're saying the power Harry possesses in 
great quantities is essentially the opposite power from the one that 
drove Voldemort to seek immortality. And you make a good case for 
immortality being more wonderful and terrible than any other force. 

I do wonder though, since it's a power Voldemort 'detests' whether 
we're not back to the idea of pure Sacrificial Love (SSSusan's gets 
the nod here) and not just pure self-sacrifice. Harry has definitely 
shown over and over he is willing to sacrifice himself, most notably 
in OOTP when Voldemort possesses him. But it was Harry's feelings of 
love for Sirius and total lack of fear of death that ultimately 
drove Voldemort away in that instance. 

To me, self-sacrifice must be for a greater or higher purpose to be 
something other than killing yourself. I'm not trying to sound tacky 
there, but do you know what I mean? True, pure self-sacrifice is 
about Love in the end. 

And then there's the question of how Harry came to have this power 
and Voldemort not at all. Did Voldemort reject this power in his 
quest for immortality or never have it to begin with? We know he 
wasn't born evil, he must have possessed this power in *some* small 
quantity at least. 

Jen Reese