Why I think love is the most overrated of Harry's powers.

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 145227

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Corey Overton" <coverton at n...>
wrote:
>
> ... I'm going to give my view on why I think love is an 
> overrated power of Harry's as it relates to what he has to
> do. I'm also going to expound on a couple other matters 
> relating to HP. 
> 
> Why I think love is overrated for Harry in his attempt to kill LV. 
> 
> 1. ... I don't believe love will help in the slightest to kill LV!
> 2. ... I don't think Harry is going to love LV to death. I...
> 3. ... because he'll have so much anger in him that love isn't
> going to help.
>  
> Enough about love.
> 

bboyminn:

Sorry to not respond in detail even though I agree with you, but back
in the middle of November, I made a few posts on this subject that
cover my feelings on the matter nicely.

This is the original comment I made:

Date: Wed Nov 16, 2005  1:49 am
Subject: ...Grey Snape/Dumbledore/Harry - Harry Skill.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/143092

This thread broke off into a new thread-

Date: Thu Nov 17, 2005  2:18 pm
Subject: Re: Love: the Opposite horcrux
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/143148

Additional comments at-
Date: Fri Nov 18, 2005  1:15 am
Subject: Re: Love: the Opposite horcrux - Perspective - Then and Now
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/143181

These are well worth reading even if they are old. Frequently, reading
an old discussion will bring up new ideas that hadn't been considered
before. Don't forget to go up and down the thread to view other
people's opinions on the matter.

Here is a quick summary of my position-

Indeed in the end, after the fact, we may see that love really does
conquer all. But the concept of love is too abstact. From where Harry
is now, how can he even remotely apply love? He can't hone it. He
can't refine it. He can't train it as a weapon. He can't weild it like
a sword or hold it up like a shield. So, to prepare for the battles
ahead, how can Harry possible, from a practical stand point, apply
something as abstract as 'Love'?

My initial reason for posting these comments was to re-enforce the
idea that in the next book Harry needs to seriously start drawing on
the resources available to him and start refining and expanding his
skills. The circumstances are making tremendous demands on Harry,
demand that I feel he isn't even remotely skilled enough to tackle.


> Corey continues:
> 
> Now to another point. Where do you think Harry will learn the
> AK spell?  Who do you think will teach it to him? ...
>  

bboyminn:

Oddly, I think everyone around Harry will discourage him from learning
the Unforgivable Curses under the argument that if you use them, you
become the very thing you are fighting against. The exact nature of
how that will all play out is unclear to me however.

There have been several somewhat recent discussion about Harry using
Dark Magic and the Unforgivable Curses. Try searching 'unforgivable
curse' in the Group search box and see where that leads you. If links
don't come up on the first search, click the "Search More" button.
Each search only searches a very limited number of posts, then each
additional search moves farther back in time.

Even some of us oldtimers occassionally go back and search old posts
for inspiration. 

> Corey concludes:
>
> 4. My last question and thought. Does any one think Harry will
> face any more dementors? ...
> 
> Well that's my post. Hope it sparks good debate. 
> 
> Your fellow list member, Corey
>

bboyminn:

I find the Dementors a complete mystery. Not in terms of their general
nature, but in terms of how they will figure into the future of the
story. 

Given Harry unbelievable lack of skill, does he even know how to get
the Soul Pieces out of the Horcruxes? I once speculated that
Dumbledore injured his hand by placing the Ring Horcrux through the
Veil to release the Soul Piece. Actually, I've developed a whole
complex theory based on that, and it can be found by searching old
posts for 'bboy Veil Horcrux'. 

One other theory is that Harry could entice the Dementors to suck out
the Soul Piece from the Horcrux, but that brings up the additional
complication that is being discussed right now, or at least recently.
What happen to the soul when it is sucked out by a Dementor? Is it
destroyed? Is it preserved in side the Dementor so the Dementor can be
feed off of it for eternity? And, if it is preserved inside the
Dementor, is it then earthbound in a way that continues Voldemort's
protection from death? Really... enquiring minds want to know. 

I have to believe that Dementors will enter the story again but when,
where, and how is beyond me.

Hope that helps.

Steve/bboyminn