Harry's emotions his strength or his weakness? ( LONG)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 141575

> Alla:
> I am, quite sure that is. :-) Again, not saying that intellect is 
> nothing in Potterverse, but as Valky said, friendship loyalty and 
> bravery is what matters most, IMO.
> 
> Yes, Dumbledore is reserved, that is true, but don't you think
> that this leads him to one of his mistakes,as he himself is saying:
<snip quote>
> I read this admission as Dumbledore forgetting how young people
> feel and this is what lead him to make mistakes in his dealings
> with Harry and Sirius.

Jen: Oh Alla, I would love to feel your certainty about *something* 
in Potterverse. My only rock-solid prediction for Book 7 is 
Voldemort will finally, and for all time, be vanquished ;).

Cause see, you're swaying me here. Maybe in the case above and the 
case where Dumbledore is dismissive with Harry about Snape-as-
eavesdropper, maybe both were examples of him forgetting the fiery, 
idealistic passion of youth, and how important things are in the 
moment. Hell, sometimes I forget and I'm only 38. 

Alla:
> Oh, and at the same time he thinks that his mistake was caring
> about Harry too much, but I speculate that he is wrong here,
> because supposedly that fact ( Dumbledore caring about Harry too
> much - I have problems accepting it wholeleartedly in the light
> of "I knew you would suffer" speech, but I think that is what JKR
> trying to convey to us - that DD does love Harry)  and Harry 
> realising it lead to Harry proclaiming himself "Dumbledore man" 
> and picking up the torch.

Jen: I know you don't think much about that speech in OOTP, but I've 
always loved it and never believed Dumbledore made a mistake. Since 
we know Harry's power saves him from temptation by Voldemort (among 
other things), I'd say Dumbledore's power was the same. A lesser man 
would have given into temptation to mold Harry into a super-wizard, 
the only kind of person you might think could defeat Voldemort after 
hearing the prophecy, and that plan would have failed miserably. 

> Alla:
> I am SO not sure that JKR approves Dumbledore handling of the 
> situation here. I again think that those were more for plot
> related reasons, because I saw absolutely no sense in Dumbledore
> shutting Harry out, when he just learned that Snape had a hand in
> letting his parents be dead, IMO.

Jen: Aha! Interesting. See, *I* don't approve of how Dumbledore 
handled that. I don't care about confidentiality or any of it, Harry 
deserved more of an explanation. But I'm not sure how JKR saw it. 
HBP was about Dumbledore making a few mistakes, so this could be one 
of them, or she could support him by saying the cave was much more 
important at that moment, and Dumbledore expected to get back to 
Harry on the Snape thingy. Even though I don't like the idea 
Dumbledore was dying from the ring curse, this would be a reason I 
could see supporting his anxiety to get to the cave. Otherwise, 
hmmm...I could live with it but have difficulty understanding it.

> Alla:
> I think we are arguing semantics here. I am not saying that
> emotions should be out of control, I am just saying that shutting
> them down -BOTH positive  and negative could bring more danger
> than usefulness.

Jen: I misunderstood here, thought you meant Harry shouldn't try to 
control his feelings somewhat. We both agree he needs to get a 
handle on his hatred, that it could interfere with what he needs to 
focus on. But NOT through Occlumency. I hope change will come for 
him through emotional healing, brought about by the visit to 
Godric's or memories of Lily.

Alla:
> I think Harry controling his emotions, sort of - will 
> shape into channeling  them ( and I mean his hatred first and 
> foremost, because I don't think that he needs to do anything with 
> that Love of his) into something more positive  and concrete than 
> Unforgivables. Maybe something that will personify Love. You know, 
> doing magic of love with negative emotions or something like that. 
> Just speculating here of course.

Jen: That's a nice thought! I never considered that. Sort of an anti-
Unforgiveable, like an anti-dementor?!? Yes, very possible. Well, in 
fact I think we've seen it! The gong from Dumbledore directed toward 
Voldemort at the MOM. That man never gives up trying to see the good 
in people and perhaps he thought a dose of love might work 
wonders ;). Seriously, I truly believe Dumbledore **Never Hated 
Voldemort**. Think how big that was! Talk about never giving into 
temptation. Dumbledore spent most of his life trying to defeat LV 
yet never hated him for all he'd done to so many people Dumbledore 
loved. That last meeting in Dumbledore's office, the last meeting 
before Voldemort effectively extinguished Riddle, all Dumbledore 
felt was sorrow that he couldn't help Riddle see the power of love 
magic. That's some pretty awesome Love. 

> Alla: 
> Jen, I don't think that this is  the explanation for why Harry
> does not need to study Occlumency. This is an explanation of why
> Harry's scar is not hurting, that is it. I mean, it is sort of the
> same, but IMO not really, because nowhere in that quote Dumbledore
> is saying that "this is why you don't have to study Occlumency"
> I think that "your heart saved you" is a very significant
> statement, which will somehow play a big role at the end.

Jen: Actually, true confession time. One of the few things I 
predicted right for HBP was Harry wouldn't need Occlumency lessons 
because his heart saved him :). That the reason Dumbledore talked 
openly with Harry in the study afterward was because he had no fear 
Voldemort would try to invade Harry anymore, even using the mind 
link, given the power residing in Harry (well that part wasn't 
exactly right). 

Then HBP confused me! Was it emotion that saved Harry or his *soul*? 
Dumbledore called it his heart in OOTP, but then HBP was all about 
souls--was this a plot like the thestrals and JKR didn't want to 
start something new about souls that she couldn't explain properly 
in OOTP? And then the 'untarnished soul' bit and Harry's ability to 
resist temptation by Voldemort. Some days I think I have a handle on 
these things and other days not.

Jen