[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry's character development

[Kathryn Jones]

No: HPFGUIDX 139173

mimbeltonia wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dkeeberlibryn"
> <dkeeberlibryn at y...> wrote:
>  > As a librarian, I have read all the books in the HP series, and
>  > while I enjoyed this one, I came away with a nagging feeling that
> at
>  > the end, Harry just wasn't ready to battle V in the next book.  
snip
>  > I just don't feel that he is prepared to do battle with the most
>  > powerful evil wizard in history as he stands.

> HUGE SNIP

> Mimbeltonia:
> 
> I have been thinking along the same lines as you, but I seem to end
> up with the conclusion that this is because what makes Harry able
> to "vanquish the dark lord" will not be the skills that Dumbledore
> had and Harry doesn't, but must be something Harry has and even
> Dumbledore didn't.

KJ writes:
   I think that these are key points. Harry has the power to vanquish 
the Dark Lord, make him go away forever. Nothing says anything about his 
abilities. We know that Harry's only real ability is that Voldemort is 
unable to possess him, which is what would be necessary for Voldemort to 
survive if Harry does have a piece of his soul, and Voldemort's body is 
destroyed. If all of the soul pieces are destroyed except for Harry's 
and Voldemort's, it will come down to who survives the confrontation.
   I think that it is also interesting that Dumbledore died with a 
peaceful look on his face. To me, this indicates that he has all of his 
ducks in order, where he wants them to be. He has implicit trust in 
Snape and in Harry. He knows that their paths have been set and both 
will carry out what they have been set to do.
   Let's look at what might happen if Voldemort wins the confrontation. 
This would certainly be the anticipated outcome from what we saw of his 
battle with Dumbledore at the MoM. Harry's soul piece is destroyed and 
Snape is in place to perform an AK thus removing the final problem. If 
Harry gets in a lucky shot and takes down Voldemort, Snape is in place 
to button-hole Harry, and again the problem is solved. If Snape kills 
Voldemort in Harry's presence, it gets more interesting because of 
Harry's intense hatred for Snape. This hatred might allow Voldemort to 
get a better hold on Harry, which Harry would be able to sense. Harry 
might also ask Snape to perform the coup de grace and Harry would still 
get the last laugh on Voldemort. This would put the choice back in 
Harry's hands and allow him to make the same sacrifice as his mother.
    Snape would also have a choice to make at that moment. If, as I 
suspect, the Dark Mark will kill the DEs on Voldemort's true death (can 
you see him allowing them to survive if he does not?) Snape must in turn 
make the choice to die rather than allow Voldemort to survive, 
especially  looking like Harry. If Snape had a hand in Voldemot's bodily 
death, and he possessed Harry, Snape would be running for the rest of 
his short life. Harder yet would be casting an AK at the wearer of 
Lilly's eyes, if Snape was truly remorseful for being the unwitting 
cause of her death.
    What would be truly frightening, if Snape was killed or unable to do 
as I think Dumbledore has ordered, would be Voldemort walking around 
with Harry's face. He would have lots of money, respect, never be 
suspected, he would have the keys to the wizarding world. Harry might 
still be trapped in there, unable to do a thing about it. Gives me the 
creeps.
KJ