Harry and Snape's redemption

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 150943

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Don L." <lauciricad at ...> wrote:

Don L:
> Aslan, Gandolf and Dumbledore (and Obi-Wan), truly understood their 
> own individual importance and destiny relative to their respective 
> heros, as means for determining the outcome.  Each understood that 
> their demise would strengthen their heros, certainly forcing them to 
> rely on themselves and friends, and to accept their destinies.  
> Interestingly, each mentor anticipates their sacrifice, but not the 
> time or place, but as the story progresses the mentors develop the 
> circumstance and prepare the hero, and at the moment of sacrifice 
> without hesitation accept their demise, understanding their time has 
> come to an end. 
> 
> Each hero upon the deaths of A, G & D understood at that point they 
> were basically on their own after a short period of shock, denial, 
> anger and acceptance.  Peter, Frodo and Harry all quickly began to 
> make important decisions almost immediately upon their respective 
> mentor's deaths, albeit not correct at first.  Yes, later Aslan and 
> Gandolf were instrumental to the outcomes, but from that point each 
> hero began to act as a decision maker.  Each relied on family and 
> friends, but from that point all other primary characters, i.e. 
> Susan, Aragon, Han Solo & Liea and I expect the Order defer to the 
> decisions of the hero.  I believe the mentors, Gandolf, Aslan, Obi-
> wan and Dumbledore specifically understood, anticipated and intended 
> this as part of their anticipated sacrifice – having done enough to 
> prepare the hero and for that matter others for the inevitable 
> destiny of the Hero.
> 
> This is where I believe the relationship between Aslan, Gandolf, 
> Dumbledore, Obi-Wan (and if you can add in Christ) share a common 
> bond.

Geoff:
Hmm..... Maybe. Maybe not.

Aslan obviously anticipates his death because that is part of the agreement he makes with 
the White Witch as she also believes that she can break the pact when he is dead...
"And now, who has won? Fool, did you think that by all this you would save the human 
traitor? Now I will kill you instead of him as our pact was and so the Deep Magic will be 
appeased. But when you are dead what will prevent me from killing him as well?"
(The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, "The Triumph of the Witch")

Peter, as the hero in this book, does not understand that he is on his own because of 
Aslan's death. At this point in time, the only two who know about the events at the Stone 
Table  - and Aslan's return to life the following morning - are Lucy and Susan.

Peter does find himself in charge of the army and has been instructed by Aslan but the 
great lion has not explained fully why this might happen....
'During the first part of the journey, Aslan explained to Peter his plan of campaign.....
He then went on to outline two plans of battle...
And all the time he was advising Peter how to conduct the operations... till at last Peter 
said, "But you will be there yourself, Aslan"
"I can give no promise of that," answered the Lion.'
(ibid.)

So Peter's  understanding of being "basically on his own" does not follow  "a short period 
of shock, denial, anger and acceptance"of his mentor's death. All he has to deal with is the 
absence of Aslan and the fact that he has been entrusted with the conduct of the battle.

In the case of Gandalf, he is not expecting that his earthly incarnation is going to be 
ended. The confrontation with the Balrog comes as an unpleasant surprise. Consider the 
scene where the creature is first recognised...
'"Ai! Ai!" wailed Legolas. "A Balrog! A Balrog is come!"
Gimli stared with wide eyes. "Durin's Bane!" he cried and letting his axe fall he covered his 
eyes.
"A Balrog," muttered Gandalf. "Now I understand." He faltered and leaned heavily on his 
staff. "What an evil fortune! And I am already weary."
(Fellowship of the Ring, "The Bridge of Khazad-Dum")
Gandalf is not epecting to be killed even here. Later he seems to have defeated the Balrog 
as it falls from the bridge and it is only in the final seconds that it drags him down as well.
Again, Frodo is not left "basically on his own". He is supported by particularly by Aragorn 
until the fellowship separates at the end of the first book. By the time he is left only with 
Sam as a companion, Gandalf's death is behind him and he himself has taken the decision 
to go on without the others only after the problems with Boromir.

And Harry...?
Well before Dumbledore's death he has known that he will be alone.
'Perhaps the reason he wanted to be alone was because he had felt isolated from 
everybody since his talk with Dumbledore. An invisible barrier separated him from the rest 
of the world. He was - he had always been - a marked man. It was just that he had never 
really understood what that meant...'
(OOTP "The Second War Begins" p.754 UK edition)

Dumbledore's death obviously does create anger and shock but here we reach the grey 
area which awaits Book 7. Was it planned, like Aslan's because Dumbledore was already 
dying from the injury to his hand? Was it unexpected, like Gandalf's?

I agree that the various "heroes" in the books have had to unexpectedly had to take on 
tasks which they did not anticipate - Harry in the sense that he may well have to operate 
on his own in Book 7 - but the circumstances in which they were precipitated into this are 
by no means identical.