Power in JKR’s magic (was: Boggart/ Patronus Musings - Quote Lupin)

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 105438

> Carol:
> <snip>
> As for Lupin <snip> I think we don't see his Patronus because he
> can't quite cast one, DADA instructor or not. All we see on both his
> attempts is a bright light from his wand. Not particularly good with
> potions or he wouldn't rely on Snape, not as good as his friends at
> Transfiguration or he wouldn't have to study for the O.W.L
<snip>
>I don't think Lupin is a particularly powerful wizard.

Neri:
In JKR's "theory of magic", power seems to come not so much from 
learning or skill, or even some arbitrary row potential, but more 
from courage. Mainly the courage to make moral choices and be loyal 
to a person or to a cause. Hermione (JKR's alter ego) explains this 
to Harry, just before the moment of truth in SS/PS, in a very 
simplistic way:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Harry – you're a great wizard, you know."
"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go 
of him.
"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important 
things – friendship and bravery"
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 
The patronus is a typical example of this principal: you need a 
powerful and happy memory to produce it. The more powerful the 
memory, the more powerful the patronus. Another example: the power of 
the Fidelius comes from the choice of the Secret Keeper not to betray 
his friends. We also see a similar principle in the Dark Arts, only 
in reverse: the power of LV or Bellatrix comes from their willingness 
to commit terrible atrocities and enjoy them.

I once tried to formulate this as an explicit theory based on the 
power behind the locked door. This was probably overdoing it, but the 
principle certainly holds in the metaphorical level of HP.  

There are only five people in HP that have the courage to pronounce 
Voldemort's name regularly: DD, Harry, Lupin, Sirius, and (only 
recently) Hermione. This is one reason I think Lupin is a powerful 
wizard, and also why neither Lupin nor Sirius will turn out to be 
ESE. 

Snape is an interesting complication of this principle. He is unable 
to pronounce Voldemort's name, but he is not exactly weak. He is 
valuable because as a "deeply horrible person" he is able to mingle 
with the bad guys and spy on them, something the good guys can't do. 
But this ability of him is useful for the good side only because he 
made the moral choice to be loyal to DD. 

We see the same principal in a simpler form in Mundungus: He is 
useful because he knows all the crooks. He knows them because, as 
Sirius notes, he is a crook himself. But this is useful only because 
Mundungus will not betray DD. This was Mundungus' single non-crooked 
moral choice.

Neri