Occlumency and Shield Charm

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 89412

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman" 
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:

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?  

Geoff:
"He had soon mastered the Impediment Jinx, a spell to slow down and 
obstruct attackers, the Reductor curse which would enable him to 
blast solid objects out of the way and the Four-Point spell, a useful 
disocvery of Hermione's which would make his wand point due north 
therefore enabling him to check whether he was going in the right 
direction within the maze. He was still having trouble with the 
Shield Charm though. This was supposed to cast a temporary, invisible 
wall around himself that deflected minor curses; Hermione managed to 
shatter it with a well placed Jelly-Legs Jinx."

(GOF "The Third Task" p.529 UK edition)

So he had come across it.

May I add my two pennyworth by saying that I don't like the Harry-
bashers either but neither do I accept that he is invincible and a 
second cousin to Superman. He is talented and on occasion displays 
exceptional abilitites but he is also a teenager learning the ropes 
of life, often the hard way. As recently as message 89308, I wrote 
the following:

I have come out in support of Harry on a number of past occasions as
not being either evil, ruthless or on the opposite side a perfect
Christ figure.

The following is part of a comment I originally made in message 
78099 which also involved a discussion on belief but summarises my 
feelings about Harry as a character.

"Again, to finish, Dumbledore points out to Harry in COS that what 
we are is a result of our choices, not our abilities and this again is
part of the core of real Christian belief.

Harry reminds me so much of myself in many ways when I was at that
age, looking for answers, being impatient, not listening to wiser
counsels, making a pig's ear of things but I believe that I finally
reached decisions which have given me a full and satisfying life
because I made the right choices at the right time. I am sure that
many contributors to this group will snort and say "Rubbish" because
they do not share my view of life - and they have a perfect right to
do so. My point is that people who are at the stage of making 
choices for themselves at crucial moments could do far worse than 
looking at the advice Harry receives from all directions and the 
ultimate (and sometimes flawed)choices he makes".