Occlumency and Shield Charm

[Hitomi]

No: HPFGUIDX 89395

Sigune wrote:
> Harry casts a Shield Charm and the result is he gets to see 
> some of Snape's memories. What I find strange is that something 
> like a simple (?) Shield Charm should permit Harry to get inside 
> Snape's mind. I think that is strangely in contradiction with the 
> repeated qualification of Snape as a superb Occlumens.
 
> NOW Siriusly Snapey Susan:
> 
> I hesitate to say this to the whole list, because I think a lot of 
> people get sick of those of us who think Harry is "gifted" with 
> special talent & abilities, but that's how I would explain it.  I 
> mean, had Harry ever been *shown* a Shield Charm, or did he just 
> somehow know to use it?  Whether shown or not, it was apparently a 
> very strong charm to have caused this effect which Snape didn't 
> expect.  I just think Harry is a VERY POWERFUL wizard...maybe even 
> more powerful than Voldy [hence his ability to hold on/"win" the 
> connected wands duel], and that explains why it affected Snape as 
> it did.


Now Hitomi:

Here's my thing with Occlumency.  I think it is very similar to the 
Imperius Curse (Snape does mention Harry's ability to throw it off 
in the first Occlumency lesson, I believe) in that very few people 
can get past it.  The shield charm struck me as just a method Harry 
used, a spell to counterattack, it wasn't what enabled him to get 
into Snape's mind, THAT was Harry himself, and only because he was 
fighting with his will, he didn't want Snape to see his memory with 
Cho.  Harry's ability to throw off the Imperius Curse struck me as 
the same thing - a force of will.  Harry is incredibly strong-
willed, and I think it ignorant of readers, who don't believe Harry 
has special abilities.  The kid is going to have to defeat Lord 
Voldemort, something no other wizard can do.  The kid has special 
abilities, we just are not entirely sure what they are yet.  One 
other thing, we don't entirely know how the Ligilimens thing works, 
in that Voldemort and Dumbledore know when someone is lying without 
using the actual spell.  Maybe that was just Snape's way of training 
Harry, we really don't know, and because I have a feeling Dumbledore 
might end up teaching Harry Occlumency next year (he probably still 
needs it), we'll just have to wait to find out.

And I'm going to keep repeating this quote in my signature, because 
the Harry-bashing is annoying me to death.  Why on earth are you 
reading a series named after him, if you don't like him? (Not to 
mention, how can you not love Harry?  His character is beyond 
beautiful.)

JKR in responding to a reader asking her which character she missed 
most when done writing (at Royal Alber Hall interview with Stephen 
Fry): "I really miss all of them, but I suppose I'm going to have to 
say Harry, because he is my hero and there is a lot of me in Harry."

~ Hitomi, who agrees with Siriusly Snapey Susan :)