Predictions, Wishful Thinking & Anything But *That*...! (Re: Satisfaction..)

[ohneill_2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 163392

Jen Reese wrote:

> 1)  Voldemort will lure Harry with the temptation of hurting and/or 
> murdering Snape (I don't know how, the the evil overlord will work 
out 
> the details.)  Harry will be *this* close to giving in to his 
feelings 
> of hatred and revenge when at the crucial last moment he will 
remember 
> that his 'ability to love...is the only protection that can possibly 
> work against the lure of power like Voldemort's' and he will stop 
> himself.  
> 

Now Cory:

I can buy into the idea of Voldemort using Harry's hatred of Snape to 
lure him into a trap, and I can buy into Harry stopping himself from 
killing Snape (although I could also buy into him *not* stopping 
himself).  The one part of this theory that I would have to quibble 
with, however, is the *reason* why Harry stops himself.

The ability that Harry has and that Voldemort lacks is, as you noted, 
the ability to love.  To me, that means the ability to *genuinely* 
love, not the ability to forgive someone because he "has" to in order 
to defeat Voldemort.  To me, it would seem very disingenuous if Harry 
were to reach the crucial moment and then, just short of killing 
Snape, suddenly remember that he "has" to forgive Snape, or else he 
won't be able to defeat Voldemort.  In those circumstances, 
Harry's "forgiveness" would not show his ability to love; he would 
have forgiven Snape for selfish reasons.

If Harry forgives Snape, I think it has to be because he genuinely 
forgives him, not because he realizes that he "has to."

And a happy new year to you as well!

--Cory