CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 29, Career Advice

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 116609


> -Nora adds in one long thoughtful note about Occlumency; learning to 
> relax is a skill, and a very tricky one at that; it is NOT well-
> developed by taking a beginner and hitting them until they chance to 
> actually manage to relax and deflect a hit; should be interesting to 
> see if teaching method is addressed at all...

Carol:
The problem with your analogy is that Occlumency, like resisting an
Imperius Curse, requires being on your guard and fighting off the
enemy's attempts to penetrate your mind. Relaxing would be disastrous
and could even be fatal. Snape is trying to demonstrate to Harry what
he would be up against if LV tried to invade his mind and the only way
to do that is to impersonate Voldemort. Basically Snape tells Harry
what he needs to do--whatever it was that he instinctively did to fend
off the invasion by Crouch!Moody. But Harry isn't listening.

Carol