Bad Love in HBP (was:Re: Calling Tonks Nymphadora...)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 152160

> >>Sherry:
> > > But we are led to believe that love is the most important 
> > > thing, the power the "dark Lord knows not".  I can't see 
> > > her love as a weakness.

> >>houyhnhnm:
> > I don't think Dumbledore (or Rowling) was talking about that     
> > kind of love.  I don't mean that conjugal or erotic love cannot 
> > be a manifestation of the kind of love studied in the locked     
> > room.  But not unrequited love, surely.  I mean is it really    
> > love or is it just wanting something, something that the other   
> > person doesn't want to give.  I think it is giving-love, not    
> > getting-love that is the power the "dark lord knows not".

> >>Alla:
> I think Dumbledore ( or Rowling) is talking about love in general.
> <snip>
> Positive love of course , but IMO erotic love is included, just as 
> love of the parents, love of the friends, sacrificial love, etc.
> So, no, I don't see Tonks love as her weakness at all. 
> Misunderstandings which were in the way between her and Remus that 
> stopped them from expressing their love THAT what weakened her,   
> IMO.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I've lately come to the conclusion that HBP is all about "bad 
love".  Which probably means that it's not really love at all.  But 
that's what it gets called.  I like how houyhnhnm phrased 
it, "getting-love", the sort of grasping, selfish, weakening "love" 
that I think Voldemort *does* understand and uses to his benefit.  A 
love of personal glory, for example.  Or a fear of love's 
destruction.

I think HBP is filled with example of "bad love":  

The liberal use of love potions through out the books (and the 
destruction they leave in their paths) point to a "bad love" of a 
particularly grasping sort.  

Tonk's pining actually costs her her power, which *is* a weakness.  
And the pining can be defined as "bad love".  It's a very self 
involved sort of feeling.  

Ron and Hermione's feelings for each other actually caused each 
other a great deal of pain.  Because they both wanted the other to 
be the one to give.  Another case of "bad love".  

And I really think Ginny's anger might be traced back to a "bad 
love" cause, whether it's Harry, or her jealosy regarding Bill, or 
even a reaction to her mother's fears.

But if this is the case, I think book 7 will be all about "good 
love" or real, actual love.  And I think we've already got hints 
about it.  Dumbledore's sacrifice is an ultimate example of "giving 
love".  Perhaps Ginny's willingness to let Harry go can be seen as 
an example of "giving love" too.  We're all expecting a great deal 
of Lily in the next book, and she's already expressed the sort of 
ultimate "giving love" or "good love" when she sacrificed herself 
for Harry.

I have a feeling that once we're done with book 7 it will be fairly 
obvious that the "love" expressed in HBP wasn't real love all.  (Not 
that the couples set up in HBP won't be couples in book 7, but that 
they'll be healthier relationships, if that makes sense.)

Betsy Hp