Harry's protection and Ron's wand (WAS Re: AK and victims' remains)

[serenadust]

No: HPFGUIDX 91440

> > Sunday, February 22, 2004, 3:09:42 AM, Elihu wrote:
> > 
> > > A particular wizard [Gilderoy Lockhart] believes that Harry 
> Potter
> > > will be a danger to him [as a result knowledge which Harry now
> > > had]. He attempts to use a spell he never failed with [memmory
> > > charm,] on someone else and [at the same time] on Harry. The 
> spell
> > > ordinarily has no effect on the surroundings, just 
incorrectable
> > > damage [memmory loss] to the intended victem. However, the 
spell
> > > caused distruction of the surroundings [part of the tunnel 
caved
> > > in], and temperaryily affected the wizard [Lockhart] in a way
> > > simalar to that intended on Harry. [2 1/2 years later, he's
> > > starting to gain back his memmory].


To which Susanne replied: 

> > You mean, Lockhart using Ron's damaged wand had nothing to
> > do with the cave-in and the spell backfiring on Lockhart, and
> > it was instead some type of special protection in Harry?
> > 
> > I always thought the above event had nothing to do with
> > Harry's powers or protection, and everything with Lockhart
> > using Ron's broken wand, which has been seen to malfunction
> > in similar ways before.
> > 
> > It "could" be a cover-up, but I don't really think so.


 
Ravenclaw Bookworm responded:

> What an interesting connection.  I never thougth about connecting 
> the two scenes.  Elihu, I have to agree that there is usually 
> something to JKR's 'coincidences'.  Susanne, the other times we 
have 
> seen Ron's wand misfire, it usually redirected the spell onto 
> himself - slugs being the most dramatic example.  It gave Ron 
> trouble, but I don't remember it causing destruction.
> 
> It may be that Ron's wand caused the memory charm to hit Lockhart 
> instead, but that Harry's mysterious protection is what caused the 
> tunnel to collapse.  So maybe Petunia's complaint that leaving 
Harry 
> alone would mean the house would collapse isn't so far off after 
all.


I actually think that this time, canon is pretty straightforward 
about the reason the tunnel collapses and Lockhart loses his memory. 
As Ravenclaw Bookworm said, Ron's wand backfiring hadn't caused 
destruction before Gilderoy L. used it. However we should remember 
that Ron had not ever tried to use it in a confined (and unstable?) 
space before and more importantly, Ron is only a second year wizard 
with a second-hand wand at the time of the COS events.  Lockhart is 
a fully trained wizard who, while he may be magically inept at DADA 
and healing charms, is a master at powerful memory charms.  This 
fact is the entire justification for his success in taking credit 
for the accomplishments of many other wizards and witches.  Since he 
tried to Obliviate both Harry and Ron at once with Ron's feeble, 
spellotaped wand, I can easily accept that the power of the charm he 
attempted to cast was enough to result in the tunnel's collapse as 
well as his near total memory loss.  I just don't think that JKR 
left much wiggle room here.

In spite of Harry being the central character in the books, I just 
don't think that every event which takes place can be the result of 
his "special powers".  Sometimes the simplest explanation is 
actually the correct one.

JMO,

Jo Serenadust, who thinks that while Harry may blow up the odd aunt, 
can't imagine why he'd blow up the house (Petunia is just being her 
silly self again)