Intention in Magic (was Re: Motivations for Joining DEs)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 141182

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Reese" <stevejjen at e...> 
wrote:
<SNIP>
> 
> I don't get why temptation is only a Star Wars theme! We're in 
> agreement Harry is not the next Anakin, but that doesn't mean 
> temptation won't be a theme in Book 7. So far Harry thinks pretty 
> much like you do, he saw what happened with the Sectumsempra when 
he 
> used it on Draco and felt remorse, but there he is, still trying to 
> use it on Snape plus a couple of Crucios. I don't think this 
> qualifies as serious moral danger yet, but I do think the more he 
> gives in to hatred, the less that power which saves him from 
> Voldemort will be operational in protecting him. 


Not only Star Wars, I suppose, but trite beyond belief in the post-
Star Wars era, particularly when your dealing with people that have 
special "sorcerers' ways" to quote Grand Moff Tarkin.  And I'm not at 
all sure that what we have seen of Harry constitutes "giving in to 
hatred" in any way that would imperil the "power of love" that 
Dumbledore has mentioned repeatedly.  As I say, if he were a Jedi it 
would, but he's not a Jedi and this is not a world where fierce 
emotion and attachment are per se bad and dangerous things.  In fact, 
it is attachment and fierce emotion that tend to save Harry time and 
again.  Now, I guess you could get rid of hatred and still feel 
fierce love, but we are into the country of Saint Harry once again at 
that point, which strays out of Star Wars and into the even more 
problematic region of a Sunday School lesson.

<SNIP>
> 
> Jen: Funny you should mention this, because *Snape* is the one most 
> aware of Harry's attempts at dark magic. Whether anyone knew about 
> the incident in the MOM with Bella is pretty tough to say. Harry, 
at 
> least, never told anyone. The Sectumsempra I feel certain 
Dumbledore 
> didn't know about. 

How could Dumbledore NOT know about it?  MCGONAGALL knew about it, 
for heavens' sake!  And it's unbelievable that she would not at least 
mention the matter to Dumbledore, even if Snape does not.  Certainly 
she is in part aware of Harry's importance, or at least of DD's 
interest in the boy.  She also knows about Harry's suspicions of 
Draco.  It just isn't in any way believable that she would say "Well, 
Harry cut Malfoy to ribbons, but I won't say anything to Dumbledore, 
because it isn't like he would like to know that the boy he has such 
an interest in cut another boy -- one he had accused of being in 
league with the DEs -- to ribbons using some kind of spell he should 
not have known."


Lupinlore