Umbridge and Harry's Temptations (was Re: False Alarm?)

[imamommy at sbcglobal.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 120025


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, imamommy at s... wrote:
 
> > >Dungrolin:
> > Harry never did practise clearing his mind enough to know how 
much 
> > it would have helped him block Snape during the lessons.  But DD 
> > thought it would stop the dreams, and that was what was 
important, 
> > wasn't it?  Voldy didn't stand in front of him with a wand 
> > shouting `Legilimens!' he got at Harry through his dreams.  
> > Practising clearing his mind before he slept was what would 
> > stop the dreams; Snape seeing how easy it was to penetrate
> > Harry's mind with the Legilimens spell was his way of checking up 
> > on how Harry was progressing.  And since he wasn't practising,
> > it's no surprise that he wasn't progressing.
> >  
> > Harry wasn't supposed to *study* Occlumency on his own, he was 
> >  supposed to *practise* it.  Which he didn't do, no matter who
> > told him how important it was.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Alla:
> > 
> > I completely agree that Harry never practiced enough, but what I 
am 
> > getting it is - I am not sure that practising "clearing" your 
mind 
> > equals "practising Occlumency" Am I being confusing? And I am not 
> > sure that Snape's only function was to check up on how Harry was 
> > progressing. If lessons were THAT simple, surely Dumbledore could 
> > have find  someone else to check on Hary's progressing , who 
maybe 
> > knows Occlumency, but not as good at it as Snape is.
> > 
> > I think I am going back again to speculation that something VITAL 
> > was missing in Snape's instructions.
> > 
> > So, what was my original point of this discussion? Oh, yes 
> > Dumbledore's warning was too late and not sufficient. IMO, he 
could 
> > have written a letter to Harry explaining about possibility of 
> false 
> > visions, but of course then we would not have a story. Just my 
> > opinion.

imamommy:
(I think Yahoomort ate my other reply!)
Well, I agree with Alla that something was midding from Snape's 
instruction, namely, er, instruction.  The only direction he gave 
Harry, IIRC, was to clear his mind.  He never told Harry how to fight 
against him, he never told him how to lock him out, just clear your 
mind.  So, IMO, Snape never really *taught* Harry Occlumency, he just 
attacked, over and over again.  Why this could be is a subject for 
another post.

With regards to DD sending Harry a letter:  I think he might have 
done, except that Umbridge was quite likely to find something put in 
writing.  I don't even think it could have gotten from the 
Headmaster's office to Harry's dorm without interference.  A self-
destruct message (or one that says, chuck this in the fire as soon as 
you're done) would only work if Harry was the first person to read 
it.  IMO, DD knows that Umbridge is watching him and Harry with 
extremely close scrutiny, and has sufficient concern that she would 
intercept any message he tries to send.  Especially since Harry and 
the Weasleys only just manage to get away the night Arthur is 
attacked.

Perhaps, deep down, DD didn't want to give Harry this information, 
due to the reasons he gave Harry at the end of OoP (ie he cared too 
much for Harry), and Umbridge happened to allow him to excuse 
himself, but it amounts to the same thing.  DD did make a mistake to 
not do *something*, but it may not have been easy to get this 
information to Harry.

Also, I wanted to address a secondary theme of the books, that of a 
personal struggle with temptation.  Harry has temptations; albeit 
they may not be the usual ones you might associate with a teenage 
boy ;P  In PoA, he is *tempted* to not fight the dementors because 
they give him the only chance he has to hear his mother.  He has to 
fight this temptation in order to learn to cast a patronus.  He does 
so, IMO, because he doesn't want to pass out around dementors, he 
doesn't want to lose anymore quidditch matches, and he has an 
understanding teacher helping give him support.

He has a similar temptation in Oop; to allow the visions to 
continue.  On one hand, he knows he's supposed to shut them out, and 
everyone from DD to Hermione to Sirius has reemphasized this.  But he 
feels tempted, he wants to find out what's behind the door, and he 
knows his vision of Arthur saved the man's life, plus his (dubious) 
instruction is coming from a man Harry distrusts deeply.  Hence, he 
doesn't put the same level of effort into Occlumency as he did into 
patronus lessons.  Interestingly, learning the patronus charm saved 
Sirius' life; failure to learn occlumency may have cost it.

Resisting temptation and learning to do the responsible thing is a 
skill many adults struggle with, and learning to do this is part of 
Harry's growing up process.  He will continue to struggle with it, 
but hopefully this lesson will stick with him.

imamommy
who is grateful no one is reading seven volumes on what I was like as 
a teenager