Love again, was Re: A few random thoughts (long)

[cat_kind]

No: HPFGUIDX 123097


catkind:
> > If a mechanism is needed, then the fact that it's to do with love
> > isn't so much of a cop-out. Although then nor does it answer 
> any ofour questions about how LV can be defeated, so we're 
> back to square one.<
> 
> Pippin:
> It seems to me it's only a cop-out if you think there's an answer to 
> the problem of evil that's not a cop-out. I mean, what kind of 
> answer is throwing a magic ring into a fiery mountain?
> 
> What made it not cheesy was that it was so difficult. I am sure 
> whatever Harry is asked to do in the name of that power will not 
> be easy for him.

catkind:  I don't disagree. The answer to evil can be love, for
suitable definitions of both, and I wouldn't call that a cop-out.  But
the question isn't evil, the question is how to dispose of Lord
Voldemort. 

What I would find cheesy is for example if Harry was protected as a
baby simply because his mother loved him so much, if love has actual
magical power in this universe.  It's not (so) cheesy if there's a
mechanism there: she cast the protectcutebabybingo charm, or whatever,
because she loved him so much.  

The throwing of rings into volcanos (can't imagine what you could
possibly be referring to there, Pippin;->) is the mechanism.

If Harry has to *do* something, then that something is what defeats
LV, the mechanism, the charm, the volcano.  I've no objection to love
as a motive, but if love is the "power he does not know", then it's
threatening to be the mechanism as well. 

(And for me as a reader, love-as-a-motive works better the less is
said about it. If Dumbledore gets to do too much pontificating about
how love has saved the world, catkind will start griping about dairy
produce again.)

But then, if love is just the motive, why does it need a locked room
in the department of mysteries? Indeed, isn't it entirely obvious that
Harry and his cronies are motivated by some kind of love? So that's no
big answer, and the question remains, what is the mechanism by which
LV can be killed?
catkind