Resolving (?) the Riddle

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 125018


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "naamagatus" <naama_gat at h...> 
wrote:
> 
> One person, dual nature
> 
> Another thing that made me sit up in OoP was the cryptic "divided 
in
> essence". Several have conjectured that this refers to Harry and
> Voldemort. It's possible, but not really satisfying. Harry and
> Voldemort are two individuals. There is a connection between them,
> but why should there be any question about them sharing essence? 

a_svirn:
You know, that's funny – I have a similar theory, but not quite. 
Although, I admit until certain point my reasoning is somewhat 
similar to yours. I agree about snakiness, and non-humanness of 
Voldemort etc, BUT:

You say: "There is a connection between them, but why should there 
be any question about them sharing essence?" The thing is we have 
enough clues by now to assume that this connection – whatever it is –
 is the crux of the matter. The whole story starts and ends (as we 
know on the best authority) with the Scar, which represents the 
connection. We know that Harry lived because of Lilly's sacrifice. 
Of course there could be more to it than that, but this explanation 
seemed satisfactory enough to Riddle, so we can accept it too. But 
why, and more importantly HOW did LV survived? We know that his 
human body disintegrated and all his powers but one (the ability to 
share others' minds) gone. What does it leave? And where did the 
rest of his powers go? 

Funnily enough we know that at least some of it went to Harry. The 
issue first arises in CoS when everyone believes that Harry is the 
heir of Slytherin because of his ability to talk to snakes; and 
Harry himself is troubled by his "second slytherin nature" that had 
been detected by the Hat from the start.  This is where we learn 
that LV unwillingly transmitted part of his powers to Harry via the 
connection forged by the failed curse. Now, Harry who was still new 
to the WW might not think it a peculiar occurrence and therefore did 
not pursue the issue, but we know better by now, don't we? What 
exactly does it mean "transmitted some of his powers"? Was it all 
that he transmitted, or did he pass on something else for a good 
measure? Something that would account for Harry's hidden slytherin 
qualities? Something that makes Harry look similar to Tom Riddle? (A 
fact Riddle had commented upon, which  DD found interesting). How 
did it come about that part of his abilities stayed with him and 
part went to Harry? 

It would probably sound farfetched but I think that the answer is 
indeed in this divided "snake-human" nature of LV. Both LV and DD 
have strongly implied on number of occasions that LV is not quite 
human. Although at the face-to-face confrontation DD calls LV "Tom" 
usually he insists on calling him by "his proper name – Voldemort" 
which suggests that he is no longer Tom Riddle (who was just a human 
being albeit a magical one). On the other hand, LV identifies 
himself with Tom Riddle. I think it leaves us with a somewhat 
composite part-human-Riddle, part-Voldemort-snake-monster being. And 
whichever way you look at it the Riddle part is still mortal because 
of it humanness and, more importantly, WAS mortal at the night in 
GH. 

If I am right so far, what did happen when the Curse backfired? He 
lost his body – that much we know for certain. His snake-monster 
immortal part stayed behind in a somewhat vapory state. Did the 
TomRiddlish rest of him die then? Hardly, because if that were the 
case there would be no hope for him to be resurrected completely. 
Where did it go then? I hate to say it, but it looks like it went 
straight to Harry through this proverbial connection. Which stands 
to reason, after all a living soul (or whatever JKR choose to call 
it) can only dwell in a living body. And in OotP we are given enough 
hints to suspect that there is something rather alien in Harry, 
something that he started to feel after LV had risen again. 
Something that DD is able to detect looking in his eyes. And finally 
something that activates the connection between Harry and LV. Could 
it be that it is that missing tom-ridlish mortal part of Voldemrt? 
If I am right that would be the key to the part of the prophesy LV 
didn't learn:  "And either must die at the hand of the other for 
neither can live while the other survives". LV must get rid of Harry 
in order to recover his third missing "tomriddlish" part otherwise 
he is not properly alive, and should he succeed Harry wouldn't be 
alive any longer. At least not as "Harry Potter" (LV could possibly 
decide to exchange his artificially made body for Harry's"). That's 
what the final confrontation will be about – the battle for the 
soul, not just some sophisticated wizarding duel. That's why DD was 
so pleased that despite the fact that Harry couldn't close his mind 
to LV he expelled him with his hart. 

a_svirn