Teaching Harry

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 143290

- 
> > Steve bboyminn wrote in
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/143066 :
> > 
> > << Harry has been given a pathetic set of Dueling skills and
> > resources. ...edited... When schoolyard jinxes and curses 
> > aren't enough, Harry has no were to go but to the dark and 
> > unforgivable. >>
> > 
> > CatLady answered:
> > 
> > That's what his Triwizard preparation was about ...
> > 
> 
> Steve bboyminn also wrote:
> 
> No doubt that Harry is ahead of most of the students in school, but 
> he is unfathomly far behind other talented adult wizards...

> Plus, no one can hold candle to Dumbledore's skill and knowledge.
...
> Harry can't do anything near the level of dueling
> we see from Dumbledore, Sirius, or Remus. 
> 
> Further Harry doesn't just have a need for general defense spells; 
> he is fated to defeat Voldemort...

> Given that Harry has such a monumental task....
> 
> Now, on top of all that, he has to find and destory the Horcruxes.


Valky now:
I am of the opinion, Steve, that those who believe Harry is not up to
the task are set up by JKR to be all too pleasantly surprised by book
seven, for that reason, I don't seek to change your mind or persuade
your thinking, I wouldn't want to ruin said surprise. ;D

OTOH there are just a couple of specific points that you made in this
post that I would like to deliberate just for the sport of it. 




Steve wrote: 
> To do that, he needs to be able to spot enchantments and magical
> 'residue', which he can't, and he needs to be able to break the 
> curses protecting the Horcrux, which he can't, and he needs to be 
> able to destroy the Horcruxes, which he may not know how to do yet.
...... 
> I still say that if Harry doesn't start training hard in the next 
> book then all logic and reason have gone out the window.
> 

Valky:
I say to this, not necessarily, and my reasoning is consistent with
well known aspects of plot development within the written part of the
series. 

Above you say Harry can't detect magical residue - apparently true as
far as we know, However, the HP series has some considerable reknown
for JKR's ability to transform an old and seemingly inconsequential
passage of text within the existing canon into singularly obvious
logical precedent for crucial plot development. Sirius and Scabbers
are the most famous and cited examples of this, as well as the Snake
in PS/SS preceeding the discovery of Parseltongue, penetrating stares
preceeding the discovery of Legilimency and etc etc. Upon this, I
submit that, we have seen Harry detect magic before. 

This happened very early on in the piece, nothing substantial has yet
come of it but, as you fairly state above, if Harry has this ability
it is time he/we discovered it or else he is sorely lacking in
important training for the task ahead.

So now I direct you to the canon ;D -
PS/SS Diagon Alley (in Ollivander's shop)
Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library;
he swallowed a lot of new questions which had just occurred to him and
looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up
to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The
very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

I admit, it is a small thing that Harry can detect this magical
residue. And a small part of the task. But it does seem to cover the
all important ability to detect and discern specific attributes of the
magic. Harry pegs this magic in Ollivander's as 'secret' with only his
raw intuition. It's within reason for Harry to have developed slightly
beyond this stage during his six years tuition, and not entirely
unimaginable that this development, along with the aid of Hermione's
incredibly extensive knowledge of magic advanced beyond the Trio's
level, could be just enough to get them a toe over the line. Plenty
for our heroes in this saga, right? :D

Further you have said above that Harry can't break the curses that
protect a Horcrux - again, apperently true to the best of our
knowledge. However, he has so far been quite successful in the
physical battle against age old curses and dark magics such as having
the ability to overcome the Imperius, the extraordinary underage skill
of producing a corporeal patronus at 13, plus his incredible
achievements in the Chamber of Secrets and the Little Hangleton
Graveyard prove that he possesses what can only be described as
prodigious raw talent, reflexes and accuracy in defensive battle.
Besides all of this of course, as others have said, Harry has a grand
array of human resources, among those who love him are Bill Weasley -
a highly reputable curse breaker with the respect of WW creatures
whose protective defense magics are second to none, and Fawkes the
Phoenix - a healer of otherwordly order, and a friend in battle to
Dumbledore's loyal men. Again, without further training or development
it could be made believeable for Harry to get himself over the line on
curse-breaking. However I would stipulate that it might become
unbelievable here for Harry to break the curses on four or five
Horcruxes using these resources and skills. I *would* say that was
beginning to become contrived. But since there are only likely to be
two or three (or even as few as one) specific Horcruxes needing him to
apply curse-breaking I am content to believe that we *will* be
pleasantly surprised.

Finally, you contend that Harry doesn't know how to destroy Horcruxes.
And on this point, I believe, you have the most ostensible canon
refuting you, Steve. What we know about Harry's ability to destroy
Horcruxes is rather compelling just as it is in the Chamber of
Secrets. "Then without thinking, without considering, as though he had
meant to do it all along..." Harry successfully destroyed Voldemort's
Horcrux. If Jo only intends for Harry to be qualified in the
destruction of Horcruxes by virtue of some whimsical power mystique he
is not yet fully aware of, then it has logical steps laid all the way
to it, all we'd require there is an explanation.

That all said, I reiterate, I'd rather not persuade you against your
current line of thinking just in case it spoils the pleasant surprise
that could be in store for skeptical readers in book seven.

In my Humble Opinion
Valky