Love: the Opposite horcrux

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 143148

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, zehms at a... wrote:
>
> > Steve wrote:  
> > Let me propose a hypothetical showdown between Harry and 
> > Voldemort. Voldemort ... says 'Avada Kadavra' while
> > simultaneously Harry... says 'I love you'. Who is  likely 
> > to win? ... Love is great but it's doesn't always keep you 
> > from dying. 
> 
> 
> 
> Szehms replies:
> 
> I think you are taking the 'love' angle too literally. 
> 
> I agree with Jen that 'love' will save Harry in the end, the 
> running theme of the series is the power of love, not the power
> of the avada curse.
> 
> However, I do not think that Harry will 'love' Voldemort to 
> death....I think that love will manifest itself in a uniquely 
> magical way ...
> 

bboyminn:

No, actually I think it is everyone else who is taking 'love' too
literally; though admitedly, perspective plays a big role in how we
view it.

As reader, across the grand and glorious arc of the story, yes in a
vague and general sense 'love can conquer all'. But that is very
different from the perspective of the characters, and presumably, we
want the characters to act somewhat logically and consistently in the
story.

So, from Harry's perspective, or Ron's or Hermione's or McGonagall's
or Dumbledore's, Harry has a very hard task ahead of him, actually
several very hard tasks. 

Fact: Harry has to kill Voldemort (again, from Harry current perspective).
Fact: No one is teaching him how or giving him the tools and resources
to do the job.

Fact: Harry has a Horde of DE's and DE supporters out for his blood.
Fact: No one is giving Harry the tools to deal with that.

It is very likely that Harry will have to face Dementors, giants,
werewolves, and DE's before he ever gets to Voldemort. Like it or not,
he has to be able to deal with those situations in a practical and
logical way. It would be irrational to depend on blind dumb luck forever. 

Fact: Harry has to find the Horcruxes, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, he has to
be able to spot and disarm the many enchantments that are likely
protecting the Horcruxes as we saw demonstrated very well in the cave.
Fact: Harry doesn't know how to spot magically enchanted objects, he
has never been taught complex and dangerous curse breaking, he has
never been taught how to destroy the Horcruxes themselves. 

In otherwords, from Harry's perspective and the perspective of every
other good character in the books, Harry is wholly and completely
unprepared for the task at hand. To a limited extent, I do blame
Harry, but Harry has only truly known of his fate for a short period
of time. His own lack of preparedness is understandable. But others
have know far more that Harry does, and for far longer than Harry has,
and they have been incompetently unresponse to Harry's needs and his fate.

 
> Szehms concludes:
> 
> Yes, I do think love and the manifestations of love will save
> Harry and destroy LV, I think anything less would not be in 
> concert with the theme of the series.
> 
> Szehms


bboyminn:

To say 'love will conquer Voldemort' is all good and well, but how?
What are the practical aspect of it. Think of it from Harry
perspective and ask yourself if you would really send a soldier into
battle who was untrained and unarmed? Would you really be cold enough
to tell him that 'love conquers all' and send him off? 

>From Harry's perspective, he has several task to accomplish, and
accomplishing those task requires skills, and in the meantime, he has
to stay alive against the onslaught of DE and Dark Creatures. Like it
or not, Love or not, Harry is in desperate need of practical skills
which he is being denied. Like it or not, somehow Harry needs to
obtain the Horcruxes and that task requires skills that he has been
denied. Like it or not, Harry has to overcome protective enchantments
around those Horcruxes, and he has been denied the skills necessary to
do that. Like it or not, Harry is facing an army of dangerous
opposition, and he virtually has to face them alone, and he has been
denied the skills to do just that. 

No reasonable and rational person would accept facing such potential
dangers untrained and unskilled, denied the knowledge he needs to
conquer the tasks that face him. Either Harry and everyone around him
start given Harry some serious training, or all reason and logic is
gone from the story. A quirky catch phrase of 'love conquer all' is
nice, but knowing this leave Harry unprepared for the practical
aspects of what he has to do.

Yes, to the reader, in the end, Love can conquer all, but to a 17 year
old wizard facing insurmountable tasks, you damn well better hone your
skills and gather your resources. To do otherwise is irrational and
illogical.

Just passing it along.

Steve/bboyminn