More talented friends and other questions

[va32h]

No: HPFGUIDX 142931

ginny343 wrote:
> "He has fought his way out of a number of tight corners by a 
> simple combination of sheer luck and more talented friends.  He is 
> mediocre to the last degree . . . " 
<snip>
> I wonder what Snape REALLY thinks?  

va32h here: 
I think that Snape wants to believe that Harry is mediocre 
(say something often enough, you can convince yourself it's true).


ginny343: 
> -Who exactly are the more talented friend"s"?  Obviously 
> Hermione is very talented.  But who else?  Ron helped in PS with 
> the chess game, and I think we all hope to see him use his 
> logic/battle skills in the future, but how else have we seen 
> him "talented"?  

va32h:
Dumbledore is Harry's most talented friend. Lupin, Sirius, 
Tonks, Mad-Eye are also those that I would count as talented friends 
who have helped Harry in the past. 


ginny343: 
> Other questions:
> Does Snape walk around 24/7 practicing occlumency?  In PS/SS, 
> when Harry was with Quirrel/LV in front of the mirror, LV stated 
> that Harry was lying, even before Quirrel took off the turban.  
> Was he just guessing?  Was LV able to practice legilimency that 
> whole year when he was part of Quirrel? 

va32h: 
hmmm. No idea! Perhaps Snape is so used to shutting himself 
off from others that he is in auto-occlumency mode. Snape does say 
that eye contact is essential in Legillimency; perhaps Snape and 
Quirrel were avoiding each other (Quirrell has as much reason to 
hide his mind as Snape does).


ginny343:
> On the other hand, what exactly was Lucius trying to accomplish 
> when he gave Ginny Riddle's diary?  Did he know what it would do?  

va32h:
My understanding is that Lucius wanted to discredit Arthur Weasley, 
by having his daughter bring such a dark and dangerous object into 
the school. I am sure that Lucius knew the diary could cause havoc 
in some form, but I am sure that he didn't know it was a horcrux. As 
Dumbledore said, Lucius would not have treated it so carelessly in 
that case. 


va32h