Book 7 predictions

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 98293

annemehr wrote:
> A small attempt to assuage some of Del's angst, in lieu of chicken
> soup which would probably have been a better remedy:

Del replies :
Thanks anyway :-) I didn't get chicken soup, but several pills to be 
taken 3 times a day, and believe it or not, one reason I was feeling 
so fuzzy yesterday is that I actually *forgot* to take those pills 
once... Lol !

Annemehr wrote :
> Well, I went to look up the symbolism linked to stags, to see how a
> stag might naturally have been both James' avatar and the symbol of
> Harry's protection, and I found this:

Del replies :
Wow, thank you ! When I said "stag symbol", I wasn't talking about 
the symbolism of the stag, but just the fact that Harry's Patronus 
happens to be James's Animagus form (tell you, fuzzy head :-). 
However, it is *very* interesting to learn of the link between the 
Stag and the Serpent.

Annemehr wrote :
> Still, Harry never knew what his patronus would be until he saw 
> it. Could you believe that it was never any knowledge of Harry's, 
> but the mere *fact* that James was Harry's protector, that 
> magically formed the Patronus?  Dumbledore said Harry found James 
> within him.  Even though Harry didn't know James' animagus form, 
> that form was nonetheless the symbol of the man who gave Harry 
> many of his own traits and fathered him for 15 months.

Del replies :
That's precisely what's bothering me. Is there a practical reason 
for Harry's Patronus to be James's Animagus form, or is it all just 
some kind of mystical mystery ? I guess we would need to know more 
about Patroni and Animagi to answer that question, though.
And I'd like to point out that Harry himself didn't know how 
peculiar his Patronus was, until DD told him about James's Animagus 
form. He could have lived all his life without knowing the 
relationship between his Patronus and his father.

I, Del, asked :
> > Even after all that time, even after reading so many posts about 
> > it, I still don't see it, I still don't see that Harry has any 
> > more love or compassion than any average kid. Harry has a lot of 
> > qualities, courage and perseverance for example, but he doesn't 
> > strike me as either particularly loving or exceptionnally 
> > compassionate. Can someone explain that to me yet again :-) ?
 
Annemehr answered :
> There is something to say for him in how *unhesitatingly* he runs 
> off to "save people."  In the day-to-day little things, you don't 
> see anything special from him, but when he knows someone, or 
> everyone, is in great danger, he wants to help with very little 
> thought for his own safety.

Del replies :
I agree. But I don't think that's just compassion. It's bravery, 
courage, self-assurance, recklessness, whatever you want, and 
usually based on compassionate feelings, but it's not exceptional 
compassion. Most of us, I would think, would have the same impulse 
to run and help when someone needs help. But the difference with 
Harry is that most of the time, we stop ourselves for following our 
impulse. There can be many reasons we do so : 
- because we know we can't do what it will take, while Harry, on the 
contrary, has learned through his experiences that he's talented 
enough, strong enough, and lucky enough to succeed in most attempts;
- because we feel someone else would be better entitled to go and do 
it (firemen, policemen, army, teacher, parent, neighbour...), while 
Harry was taught by the Dursleys and by later experience that nobody 
will listen to him and care about the things he cares ;
- because we're scared, while Harry has this ability to act first 
and be scared later (recklessness ?)
- etc...
So yes Harry is exceptional in the way he just goes and does what 
needs to be done, no matter how dangerous. But he doesn't do so 
because he's any more compassionate or loving that most of us. 
That's strictly IMO, of course.

Annemehr wrote :
> I also have in mind that he has some growing to do.  As he
> increases in his general understanding of people, more of his 
> natural compassion may show through.

Del replies :
Again, nothing exceptional there either. Most kids are naturally 
self-centered and learn to open up to others and increase their 
compassion for others through experience and maturing. But IMO Harry 
is not exceptionally compassionate for a 15-year-old boy.

Annemehr :
> For the purpose of the story, though, he doesn't actually need to 
> be the most loving person in the world to defeat Voldemort, 
> because there are other things unrelated to his own virtue that 
> single him out and make him special.

Del replies :
I think the problem is that DD talked about the power that is 
studied in the DoM, that Harry has so much of, and that LV doesn't 
have at all. The most obvious answer is Love, of course. So it would 
seem that DD is saying that Harry has an exceptional amount of love. 
But I just don't see that.

Annemehr wrote :
> Not sure how well I did here... 
> I hope you feel better soon!
> 
> Annemehr
> who thinks neither dying nor living in misery are the worst 
outcome --that distinction is reserved for turning evil

Del replies :
Thanks for the post, you did really well. The information on the 
symbolism of the Stag, in particular, is dead interesting.
Thanks for the good wishes too !
And I agree with your opinion about the worst outcome, but I don't 
want to consider it for Harry, precisely because he *could* turn 
evil, if he's not careful. But he will be, I have no doubts about 
that.

Del, who thinks Ron and Hermione will be careful for Harry anyway, 
if Harry isn't careful enough :-)