Merope (wasLily the popular girl)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 168074

Magpie:
> I couldn't believe that either. What Dumbledore says is that
> Merope "lacked Harry's mother's courage" which is just...obnoxious.
> Maybe you could say someone died from lack of courage if they were
> afraid to take a risk that would have saved their life, but judging
> Merope's death after having her baby as a lack of courage comes 
> uncomfortably close to saying that a) dying is a character flaw and
> b) depression is a lack of courage.

> I'm sure JKR believes neither of those things, but it's not one of 
> Dumbledore's better moments.

Jen:  I didn't read childbirth as the cause of death so much as 
starvation and exposure from wandering the streets of London in the 
dead of winter.  The focus of the conversation between Dumbledore and 
Harry was why Merope didn't use magic to save herself prior to the 
birth since Dumbledore mentioned in 'The House of Gaunt' that 
Merope 'gave full reign to her abilities' after Marvolo and Morfin 
were gone.

I've thought at times that JKR dismisses Merope's storyline so 
Dumbledore can impart key information for the rest of HBP and the 
series as a whole.  The fact that Lily had a choice is crucial, and 
the notion that despair can sap magical powers comes up later with 
Tonks.  Merope's 'choice' to die even though magic supposedly would 
have saved her is the antithesis of Riddle's assessment that magical 
people can't die.  

What's left is the comparison between Merope/Lily and Harry possibly 
feeling sorry for Lord Voldemort.  What could those elements mean for 
Harry, what conclusions will he draw for himself when he internalizes 
what happened with Lily?  I was surprised to learn Harry didn't 
realize his mom had a choice given the flashbacks and the other bits 
and pieces he's heard (maybe I assumed he'd read JKR's interviews 
<g>).

One thing that might transpire from this passage is Harry rethinking 
the tower.  Whatever happened with Snape, Dumbledore made a choice 
not to raise *his* wand to save himself from the moment Draco 
arrived.  Harry assumed Dumbledore 'cost him[self] the chance of 
defending himself' because he took the second to immobilize Harry, 
but I wonder how that could be the case after seeing Dumbledore in 
action all these years, even a weakened Dumbledore in the cave.  

There's the element of Dumbledore needing to be wandless and 
defenseless for the Draco storyline to work, but that moment might 
also prove crucial for Harry realizing the same force that drove Lily 
to sacrifice herself out of love for Harry was also what guided 
Dumbledore when he made a choice to give up his wand rather than 
having it taken from him.  And that realization is just a step away 
from Harry understanding he can access that same power and make a 
similar choice at a crucial moment.


Jen