Teaching Harry

[ornadv]

No: HPFGUIDX 143305

>Steve/bboyminn
> Harry's need is far and away above the needs of others, yet in many
>areas, he is far below others in his level of knowledge.

>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.


Orna: 
I agree with you that Harry's dueling skills are nowhere up to a 
match to Voldermort, as far as his spells are concerned. However, I 
don't think he'll start training in book 7. I mean, the whole point 
about Voldermort is that he is an exceptional wizard with magic 
skills, advanced beyond most wizards. Even as a child he starts 
using magic consciously, without knowing what it is.

Harry's power OTOH lies in his love – so we are told, or in Snape's 
language – receiving help from talented friends. I agree with you, 
that in no encounter Harry could have survived without help from 
friends (living or dead), who come to his aid and rescue. That's 
power in a way - being able to draw friends willfully to help him – 
even if it involves endangering their lives. It has to do with love. 
Nobody could imagine anybody coming to Voldermort's aid, just 
because of love. Even his most insanely devoted servants (Bella, 
Crouch jr.) never fail to mention that they are going to be honored 
and rewarded – beyond any other DE. That's also, why although the DE 
fight together, there is never love between them. 
Without coercion, torturing, threats, and promises of rewards or 
power-rewards nobody would help him for a second. When Voldermort 
holds his speech in GoF, he says, that he was sure some devoted DE 
would look for him. I think that there lie the seeds for his 
downfall – even if he doesn't recognize it – he is coming to spell 
out the limits of his power. He doesn't understand what he is 
saying, but it is "spelled out", and perhaps some recognition of 
this, when his death is near will mark this issue of Love-power vs. 
Power-Power.

Another characteristic of Harry IMO: Harry has some sort of unusual 
presence of mind and heart in crucial moments, which allows him to 
be focused on a crucial feature, which saves him. I mean his being 
able to recover from the shock of the connection in GoF, and 
understand that the crucial thing is to force the beads towards 
Voldermort. Voldermort seems to lack this resolution, and my guess 
is, that he lacks it because being connected is an experience which 
is uncanny for him, so he sort of looses some power. Just like when 
possessing Harry in OotP, he can't stand feeling the love inside 
him, and in PS he is burnt by Harry's skin. I think that in all 
those instances, a wizard as powerful as Voldermort should be able 
to have some spell ready to deal with it, but at the crucial moment –
 he is frightened, shocked, flies or forgets some of his knowledge 
(I mean his forgetting, that killing Lily might protect Harry). 
I would like to add to this, that Voldermort is deep inside himself 
afraid of darkness, death, and human feelings. 
So Harry, whose love and being loved enables him to be less in panic 
in moments like this, has got his chance – of course with a little 
help from his friends. 

So I don't think we have to imagine Harry learning complex skills 
and spells – he never was exceptionally good at them, as a matter of 
fact, even if he got an outstanding owl in DADA. 

All this goes along with a feeling I have that the farther the books 
get along, human virtues seem to get more magical power than hocus-
pocus. (Apparation, DD's intuitive exploring in the cave, 
occlumency, Snape's stopping spells just by shouting "NO" , just to 
mention a few)

Orna

P.S. Having said all that - I would love some new spells being 
taught on book 7.