Harry's Characterization (was: Satisfaction of the story to date )

[Ken Hutchinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 163470

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Mike" <mcrudele78 at ...> wrote:
 
> Ken:
> I also disagree about the apparation. <snip> So I would argue that
this is
> another example of Harry being able to call upon his innate power to
> do something at need that he had not been able to do otherwise. He
> certainly had never acted as the "master" in a sidealong apparation.
> That really was quite a feat.
> 
> Mike:
> OK, I'll buy that it was a good feat. I will say though, that if this 
> was Harry's big show of ability, at the end of his sixth year, then 
> it pales in comparison to his previous feats.
> 

Ken:

I certainly think it is fair to say that a disappointing amount of
progress was made on many fronts in HBP. In the whole book we could
only fine *one*, whoops, *NO* horcruxes? HBP convinces me that Harry
won't be dealing with Voldemort or even Snape on an equal footing as a
duelist, he will find other means. But your comments remind me of
something and it could be that in some aspects we are being set up,
not in an unnatural, contrived way, but set up none the less.

When I was a young intermediate skier I had tremendous trouble
learning to ski on the bumpy and rutted ski slopes packed with what
are called moguls for some reason. Big moguls on a steep slope are a
nightmare for those who have not learned to deal with them and books,
friends, and many, many attempts could not teach me the art of mogul
skiing. Then one day I was skiing at a resort in upper Michigan and
after a morning of cruising the groomed slopes and trails I made my
obligatory attempt at a moguled run. And suddenly it all clicked, I
could look down one of these monsters and see what I had to do at each
step, on the fly, and make up for minor missteps as I needed to. I
could launch myself off the top of one and land on the back side of
the next at will. I had it, moguls were no longer a terror for me. The
last step was one that is impossible to teach, the ability to calm
your mind so that it is free to lead your body through the gauntlet. I
undoubtedly had possessed the physical skills I needed to do this for
years, it was the mind that needed to let go and just do. Buddha would
have been an awesome mogul skiier!

This was not magic but it is an example of being able to dig down
inside yourself and suddenly integrate odd bits of learning and
practice into a skill you've never shown before. Ron Weasley can do it
too, sometimes, in front of a Quidditch goal. Apparently our Chicago
Bears quarterback can do it too, somewhat less reliably than Ron --
sigh. So we've seen Harry struggle with Occlumency, show signs of
progress, and then fail. We've seen him succeed with some non-verbal
spells but fail under stress. Even his ability to cast a Patronus
isn't all that solid when faced with a real Dementor. But despite the
lack of apparent progress in HBP I would not count on him to be unable
to do any of those things when he needs to bad enough. 

Lord Voldemort might though.

Ken