Why Dumbledore had to die

[steven1965aaa]

No: HPFGUIDX 150920

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:
 
> To a limited extent, I do agree that Harry has to realize the 
power he has rather than somehow increase his power. Yet to some 
extent, those are the same thing. Untappable power is like no power 
at all. Of course, I believe that Harry has a substantial reserve of 
untapped power, and that he will learn to better access it. 
I also think, though it should be no suprise to anyone, that part of
> Harry being able to access his own internal power is based in his
> willingness to tap the resources around him. Bill is an expert 
curse breaker, a skill that Harry needs. Moody is an expert Dark 
Wizard fighter, also a skill that Harry needs. Remus is a free and
> substantial, and trusted resource that Harry can tap, if he only
> decides to trust Remus enough to draw on him as a resource. Further
> Harry need information which includes information that people can
> gather for him as well as intellectual recourses like libraries. 
These are all available to Harry, the question is, will he be wise 
enough to tap them, and to tap them efficiently?

> Next, let us remember that Dumbledore is not really gone, in a 
sense,he is only diminished. That is, Dumbledore's portrait remains 
in the Headmaster's office. While that protrait is limited, it is 
still the reflected essense of Dumbledore, and certainly some wisdom 
can be gained from it. 
> 
> Further, Harry has access to Hogwarts with it's professors and it's
> library. All of which are sympathetic and supportive of Harry. But
> again, the question is, will he draw on them, or will he remain
> secluded trying to do it all himself? 
> 
> I personally have a seeking suspicion that Harry's greatest 
resource are the friends who are loyal to him. Their combined 
strength is far more powerful and formitable than Harry by himself. 
If 'love conquers all' then certainly the love and loyalty of those 
friends have the potential to carry the same significances as the 
love and loyalty of his mother. 
> 
> I have frequently fantasized a final scene in which Harry's friends
> willingly step forward and place themselves between Harry and
> Voldemort. Each gladly willing to die so that their friend Harry 
can live and fight on much like Lily gladly and willingly dies to 
save her son. That is power; that is power that Voldemort never can 
and never will understand. 
> 
> Yes, Voldemort can send his Death Eaters to their death, but they 
do not die as a glad and willing choice. They do not die out of true
> loyalty and true love. Their choice is to die at the hands of the
> enemy with a fighting chance, or to be cut down by Voldemort. Much
> like Peter sacrificing his hand, they do so, but they are not 
willing or eager, they simply see no other choice, so they comply. 
> 
> Harry on the otherhand would prefer to send his friends away to 
keep them safe while taking on the full burden himself. That makes 
Harry and his friends very and significantly different than 
Voldemort and his DE's. For Harry, I think that is part of his 
untapped power. 
> 
> As a final rambling note, I recall JKR saying something to the 
effect that "...Harry, also, in the course of previous six books has 
amassed more knowledge than he realizes...." [Melissa-Emerson 
interview; pg 3; LeakyCauldron.org] That seems important. One of the 
great things about the final book in a series is that it pulls 
together events and people from the previous books, and their true 
significance becomes clear. JKR's statement above implies that there 
are things from each book that have importance beyond their 
individual stories. It's going to be amazing to see JKR pull all the 
characters and events into perspective. 
> 
> I think it will be equally amazing to see all the seemingly
> insignificant events from the pervious books jell in Harry's mind 
and become a coherent plan for dealing with Voldemort. The clues must
> certainly be there, if we only knew how to interpret them. 
> 
> Of course, in the last book, I am looking forward to how Harry will
> defeat Voldemort, but the most exciting thing for me is seeing how
> everything falls into place. How diverse and seeming insignificant
> characters are sudden revealed in their true purpose. 
> 
> Not sure it adds up to much, but there it is.


Steven1965aaa says:

Great post.  I wouldn't even attempt to clip anything from that 
before replying.

There's only thing I would add, since you mention (I believe quite 
correctly) the importance of Harry's friends' willingness to die to 
protect him.  Voldemort's greatest fear is death.  He will do 
anything to survive.  Harry, on the other hand, if it came to it, 
would be quite ready to lay down his own life if that would result 
in vanquishing Voldemort. This difference between the two of them 
reminds me of the mirror of erised, Harry's goal is to vanquish LV, 
LV's goal is to be eternal and all powerful. This difference between 
them is a tremendous "advantage" to Harry in a battle between them. 
Because he can love, Harry would be ready to die to save his 
friends/the WW.  Even though I hate to say it, because I don't want 
the books to end this way, the power the Dark Lord knows not may be 
Harry's willingness to sacrifice himself in order to vanquish LV.

Steven1965aaa