"Need and valor" and the Sword

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 179583

---  "Zara" <zgirnius at ...> wrote:
>
> zgirnius:
> Dumbledore's portrait, in DH, "The Prince's Tale" tells Snape
> that he must arrange the transfer of the Sword of Gryffindor 
> to Harry in such a way that Harry obtains it under conditions
> of "need and valor". Harry's instincts (DH, "The Silver Doe")
> seem to support this claim, since he feels it is important 
> that Ron be the one to destroy the locket with the sword. Ron,
> of course, is the one who ends up retrieving the sword after
> the locket tries to kill Harry.
> 
> So now I am wondering. Why was Dumbledore, who came into
> possession of the sword rather straightforwardly when Harry 
> gave it to him in CoS, able to use it to destroy the Ring? 
> Was it because his own ill-advised action in putting on the 
> cursed thing created the necessary danger?
>

bboyminn:

You've presented a very tricky question. I never asked myself
why Harry had to obtain the sword under conditions of 'Need
and Valor', I just accepted it when it came up in the story.
Now, after the fact, it doesn't quite make sense.

On one hand, I don't think the Sword is like the Elder Wand
in that it doesn't transfers it's allegance and it's 
corresponding power to those who obtain it under the stated 
conditions. In short, it is not really transferring allegance.

Its power to serve Harry's need comes from its own natural 
magical power, and from the fact that it has the ability to 
absorb power. For example, it has the ability to destroy 
Horcruxes because it was used to kill the Basilisk and in 
doing so absorbed the Basilik's power. So by being used
valiantly, it has absorb power from everything it has
conquered make it one very very powerful magical object.

The general theory is that the Sword will present itself, or
come to the aid of, a true Gryffindor in need. But, first and
foremost, you must be a TRUE Gryffindor, second you must truly
have a grave and heroic need.

Which brings us to the 'Valor' part. The Sword on the two 
occasions when it spontaneously appeared, it appeared in 
conjunction with the Sorting Hat. In this other case, it was
simply being handed over to Harry by Snape, so perhaps it was 
necessary to create a situation of peril which was countered
by Valor in order for the Sword to ...what... serve the
person who held it? To bend its full power to the person 
who obtained it under heroic circumstances? That's starting
to sound a lot like the Elder Wand, but I personally don't
see the same mechanism in play. But what mechanism IS in
play I can't say for sure.

You were also wise to note that it was Ron who recovered
the Sword under even more heroic and valiant circumstances
than even Harry's effort would have been if he had succeeded.
And that because of this, Harry felt it was Ron who should
wield the Sword against the Locket. I'm not so sure that
effects the power of the Sword, but perhaps it effect the
willingness of the Sword to serve?

So, were does that leave us??? I'm not sure. Certainly you
must have a heroic need for the Sword to come to you and
serve you, but as similar as it sounds, I don't, as I've
said, see the same mechanism at work as I see in the
Elder Wand, but exactly what mechanism is in play with
the Sword, I'm not really sure.

So, after all that talking, I guess I haven't really said
much. Still it is an intriguing question.

Steve/bboyminn