Some thoughts after HBP

[kiricat4001]

No: HPFGUIDX 144919

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "kchuplis" <kchuplis at a...> 
wrote:
>
> After a second read of HBP I had a few thoughts, or 
just "wonderings":
> 
> How important is the sectumsempra curse in regards to book 7? It, 
of course, served 
> the purpose of alerting Snape to Harry's possession of the HBP's 
book, but it seems to 
> play more of a role than that. It is certainly the most evil spell 
Harry has ever used. 
> But I just wonder if it will somehow be important in the 
denouement at all.


Marianne:  

I'll jump in with idle speculation.  I think that, as supposedly we 
will find out the complete story of the Prank, we will also be given 
additional information that young Snape could be a nasty piece of 
work. As he was the innovater of Sectumsempra, I would not be 
surprised to learn of its use during his time at Hogwarts. 

kchuplis:
> Harry's "noble hero" distancing of himself from Ginny seems little 
better than a 
> bandaid to me. Just because one is not "with" said S.O. doesn't 
make them less cared 
> for. One would know by now that the use of any Weasley as hostage 
(besides Percy 
> probably) would be a good way to hold Harry over a barrel. I still 
continue to wonder 
> what role this plays in Book 7. It just seems more that a "B" 
plotline to me.

Marianne:
I agree with regards to Ginny, or any of the people Harry cares 
about. Maybe one of the things Harry will be faced with is a choice 
of sacrificing someone he cares about in order to go on with his 
quest, or rescuing that person while many nameless others might die. 
It would be a nice parallel to the part of DD's speech at the end of 
OoP where says he cared more for Harry than the lives of others who 
might be lost if his plan failed. Voldemort knows how to play on 
people's affections for each other. It's worked for him already with 
Harry in OoP.  Like any evil overlord worth his salt, I'm sure he'll 
try it again.  But, maybe in Book 7, Harry's response will be 
different and he will show himself capable of sacrificing one person 
for the good of many. 

kchuplis:  
> How the heck is Harry supposed to be knowledgeable enough to 
continue on his own? 
> It's fine and dandy to say he must continue without DD because the 
hero must be 
> alone, BUT there is no way Harry would have known what to do (even 
with good luck 
> and friends) in retrieving the horcux-that-wasn't and from DD's 
injury after retrieving 
> the ring, we can assume all the horcruxes are going to be pretty 
significantly 
> guarded. There is something missing here. I'm sure we'll find out 
what, but I just can't 
> see Harry or even the trio being successful without older 
knowledge of magic. Heck, 
> all Frodo had to do was get to the big obvious mountain. Harry 
seems to have a much 
> more complicated task.
> 
> I still think it is DDM!Snape.  Let's face it, LV might be annoyed 
someone else killed 
> Harry, but it would not be the end of that person. Snape could 
have easily done Harry 
> in. Also, I thought it was signicant when Snape tells Harry (HBP 
pg. 603) "Blocked 
> again and again until you learn to keep your mouth shut and your 
mind closed, 
> Potter!" One last attempt to get the message to Harry that he HAS 
to master 
> occlumency if he has any hope of defeating LV. (It has bothered me 
since the 
> occlumency lessons that Harry hasn't worked harder at that.)

Marianne:
I think that occlumency is a dead issue with Harry. JKR pretty much 
stated in her TLC/Mugglenet interview that Harry was never a good 
candidate for learning occlumency because he doesn't have the 
capacity for compartmentalizing his feelings.  As far as that Snape 
quote goes, it might be good advice from a DDM!Snape or an OFH!
Snape, (assuming an OFH!Snape who ultimately wants Voldemort has to 
be defeated.) Or it might be evidence, for whatever version of Snape 
one supports, that he really had no idea of what makes Harry tick.  
Keeping his mind closed, stifling his emotions, shutting down his 
empathy, probably has always worked for Snape.  I don't think it 
plays to Harry's strengths. 

Marianne