Gleam of Triumph: Protection backfiring on Voldemort?

[mad_maxime]

No: HPFGUIDX 98396

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jinsler3" <jinsler3 at y...> wrote:
> Dumbledore's gleam of triumph at the end of GOF remains mysterious
> even now that we know both the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort 
> and more about the connection between them. The gleam came right
> after Harry explained how Voldemort used Harry's blood to transfer
> Lily's protection into himself, enabling him to touch Harry. Why
> would this prompt such a small but positive response from 
> Dumbledore? 
> <snip>
> I believe that Dumbledore's tiny gleam of triumph came not because
> Voldemort merely used Harry's blood but because Voldemort
> foolishly put Harry's protection into his own veins. The sacrifice 
> of Lily Potter was part of the ancient magic that Voldemort despises
> and underestimates, so if he made an error in his resurrection, it 
> would involve this. Logically, it should be incredibly dangerous for
> a being like Voldemort to take such a powerful love-based protection
> into his own veins. Dumbledore understands the ancient magic much
> better than Voldemort and may have realized that the protection 
> might turn against Voldemort, literally consuming him from the
> inside. Perhaps (venturing even deeper into the realm of
> speculation) if Voldemort touches someone else who strongly loves or
> is loved by Harry, the protection will awaken and destroy him. But 
> this may be an unlikely event, explaining why the gleam was 
> short-lived; also, even if the protection consumes Voldemort's body,
> his spirit may still survive until Harry directly does away with it.
>
> "jinsler"

Max responds:

I had a similar theory last year. I called it 'Will Love be the Death
of Voldemort?' I imagined Lily's love protection eating away at
Voldemort from the inside rather like a growing cancer.  This 'cancer'
would not kill him, but would grow silently making him vulnerable to
Harry in ways he would not be aware of.

I've read other similar theories, and I must say I still like the
basic premise. Dumbledore's look of triumph, Voldemort's inability to
possess Harry, and Dumbledore description of the locked room at the
DoM all begin to neatly fall together like pieces of a puzzle.  

And this, ironically enough, happens to be my main problem with the
theory. It's all too predictable and straightforward.  I sincerely
hope JKR will offer us more of a twist at the end of this tale,
something more convoluted and complex.

That said, I still believe that Voldemort using Harry's blood will
backfire in some way. And the contents of the locked room - that which
Harry has within him in abundance - will be honed in some way as a
weapon against Voldemort.

So *will* love be the death of Voldemort? Possibly, though I rather
think it will be something much larger than simple, personal love.

Max