Harry's special power, which leads to Dumbledore as the Half Blood Prince

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 104472

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Hans Andréa <ibotsjfvxfst at y...> 
wrote:

Hans in Holland:
> Every now and then I come across a wonderful post which moves me so 
> much smoke gets in my eyes.
> 
> Jen's was one of them. What she has said about Harry here is so to 
the
> point! She really has summed it all up for me! Harry does have a 
> special power and it's not the power which he accidentally received 
from 
> Voldemort. 

<Snip>

> I do take issue with one point Jen makes: >>Many times in 
interviews, 
> JKR or others talk about how Harry is every-boy, and that is why 
he's so 
> appealing. He's smart but not brilliant, makes many mistakes, and 
seems
> special only in his ability to fly and aptitude for DADA. ***In 
spite of
> this,*** I tend toward the first explanation, that Harry was indeed 
born
> with an innate power to vanquish the Dark Lord, whether he chooses 
to
> manifest it or not.<<


Geoff:
There is surely a distinct opposition of ideas here.

Harry cannot have a special power and be Everyman at the same time. I 
have said way back in previous posts that, as a representative  
Everyman, Harry echoes the progress of a Christian through life. We 
aspire to be special in that we follow the will of God for our own 
life but usually manage to mess up along the way - as does Harry. He 
is impetuous, unobservant, he misunderstands what should be done - 
don't we all? For those of us who are Christians, I believe that 
we /have/ chosen to follow God. We /do/ have a special power, that of 
the Holy Spirit working through our lives, if we discover it and take 
it to ourselves and then allow it to shape our outlook and attitude 
to those around us. It gives us, like Harry facing Voldemort, an 
innate power to vanquish the Devil, whether we choose to manifest it 
or not.

Harry is only special in the way that some Christians are, in being 
used for a task which appears to be more high-profile. There is no 
difference in the eyes of God between, say, Mother Teresa and St.Paul 
and a person spending their time caring for Alzheimer's sufferers or 
working with the homeless and helpless in a big city.