Legilimency (Was: Unfortunate!Peter)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 118360


Sharon (azriona) wrote:
<huge snip>
> And while you may argue that being an accomplished Leglimens, Voldy 
> would of course *know* what Peter was thinking...well, being an 
> accomplished Leglimens, wouldn't Voldy also attempt to *alter* what 
> Peter is thinking as well?  Perhaps Voldy telling Peter how hated he 
> is isn't so much reinforcing what Peter already beleives as it is 
> trying to convince Peter of the opposite. <another big snip>

Carol responds:
First, my apologies for snipping your interesting comments on Peter's
possible motivations. I recommend that anyone interested in the topic
go back upthread and answer Sharon's original post.

I just want to comment on the Legilimency aspect. Many people seem to
think that Legilimency equals mind-reading. But Snape tells Harry that
a Legilimens can't read another person's mind as if it were a book. In
fact, he apparently doesn't see *thoughts* at all, only memories in
the form of moving pictures. There doesn't seem to be any accompanying
sound, unlike the memories inside a Pensieve, which are fully fleshed
out, with at least three of the five senses present. So the Legilimens
sees whatever images/memories are uppermost in the mind of the person
facing him. He also feels or senses the person's emotions, or perhaps
infers the emotions from the memories or projected consequences
imagined by the person whose mind is being invaded. He doesn't "read"
or hear the person's thoughts expressed in words.

Voldy might see a mental image of Godric's Hollow, for example, but
unless he was familiar with the place already, he wouldn't know that
the place was Godric's Hollow. Nor, IMO, could he plant images in
Peter's mind. That is not a normal part of Legilimency. It's possible
only because of the special connection between Harry and Voldy created
by the scar.

Carol, again apologizing for the extensive snipping and noting that
the unsnipped post on Peter can be found by going upthread