The Power of Harry ... (was: Harry's Characterization)

[Mike]

No: HPFGUIDX 163510

--- In HPforGrownups/message/163490, "Magpie" <belviso at ...> wrote:
>
> > Magpie:
> > To me it seems a lot simpler to just accept that
> > although we're told about certain people being geniuses
> > in the HP world, the world's not about intellectual
> > genius ....

Mike:
Right, the HP world is about *magic*. However much this story is 
about Harry the everykid/man, the story first and foremost is about 
wizards and witches and their ability to do magic. The great 
protaganist Voldemort, is *that* because he is "powerfully magical", 
not just because he's a sadistic psychopath. Harry survived GH 
because of magic, not just because his mother loved him but because 
his mother could turn that love into *magical* protection. How and 
why someone is "powerfully magical" is not explained, but it exists 
in this world and to deny the impact is to deny a major storyline.

And I'm not saying anyone is denying it, I'm saying downplaying it 
because it doesn't sound interesting enough is a mistake of 
ommission. Whatever Harry's final solution to the Voldemort problem 
will be, magic will have to be included in the solution. But, as 
Steve has already pointed out, just to get there, just to get to the 
final showdown, Harry will have to avail himself of some interesting 
and some banal magical solutions. IOW, to find and destroy the 
Horcruxes (whether they are McGuffins or not, that's where Harry is 
headed at the beginning of DH), to just survive until the endgasme, 
Harry needs to arm himself with as much magical ability he can.


--- In HPforGrownups/message/163493, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:
> > Steve:
> > I think in the final book, we will see Harry grow
> > tremendously. I think we will get a much truer sense of
> > Harry's real underlying magical power.
> >
> > So, in short (if that's still possible), I was merely saying 
> > that I think people are magically underestimating Harry.
>

Mike:
Exactly! I'll even stick my neck out here to predict that Harry's 
final solution will involve his usage of that *magical* quality that 
he and only he brings to the table. Whatever the power of love is, 
*if* that's where JKR is going, Harry will demonstrate the ability to 
harness it like no other wizard has before him.


--- In HPforGrownups/message/163503, "Magpie" <belviso at ...> wrote:
> Magpie:
> 
> Like I said, when it comes to magical knowledge and prowess to me  
> it seems like there's just no "there" there. There's nothing to 
> learn, because Rowling hasn't worked it out.    <snip>

Mike:
I'm not sure from where you base this on. I read somewhere that JKR 
has introduced at least 10 new spells in each book, not counting the 
spells we see (from Harry's pov) but don't know what they are or what 
they do. 

There are surely more spells that Harry could learn, like the ones 
used by the Order in the MoM battle. Deciding that new magical spells 
would be mundane (someone wrote that, can't remember who), would be 
removing much of the *excitement* from the book. One of the reasons 
JKR and Harry Potter is such a phenomenon is because she got *boys* 
to read again. Take the magic out and where is she with that 
readership? 

But beyond that, she has shown Harry to produce prodigious feats of 
magic, besides his ability to remain clear and quick thinking under 
pressure, right up to OotP. IMO, he seems to regress slightly in HBP. 
She needs to continue that storyline, imo, advance Harry's magical 
knowledge if for no other reason than to be true to her own story.

--- In HPforGrownups/message/163503, "Magpie" <belviso at ...> wrote:
> Magpie:
> So while I do agree especially with your thoughts on how within the 
> story it's unrealistic for Harry to not want to work on his skills, 
> my doubts about it come more from wondering just what there would  
> be for him to learn.  <snip>

Mike:
It's not so much *what* he needs to learn, there are a lot of *whats* 
available to Harry even if we don't know them because JKR hasn't told 
us (or, as you have rightly suggested, JKR hasn't invented them). 
It's more of Harry should be shown as trying to advance himself in 
this area. IMO, he should have started before book/year 7.


--- In HPforGrownups/message/163503, "Magpie" <belviso at ...> wrote:
> Magpie:
> Which is not to say that Harry couldn't, as you say, be 
> exceptionally powerfully magically. He could. I just don't 
> think he's got the stuff in his world for us to really 
> follow him on a training course.

Mike:
You have to think of it the way Steve said earlier; the internal pov 
of Harry vs. the external pov that we have reading the story. Right 
now, I think you're mixing those two in a way that won't allow you 
accept the more "mundane" magical preparation.

I'll try to analogize it this way. Say a mob boss is after you, the 
top guy, with a lot of muscle, both physical and political. Now your 
mentor gives you a special gun that will kill this guy if you can get 
close enough to him. Problem is, you don't know where to get the 
bullets for this special gun and your mentor forgot to tell you how 
to fire it. Do you arm yourself in the meantime with regular and 
maybe some hightech weapons that you can get and can learn how to use 
to defend yourself? Remember, it's not just the top guy you have to 
worry about, he has all these minions that you've already had run-ins 
with. Wouldn't you want to make sure that his cronies can't 
neutralize you before you figure out how to work your special gun?

IMO, that's where Harry is at. He may even have stepped out of his 
immediate pov to realize that the *power of love* will save him and 
defeat Voldemort. Fine. How does he get from here to there? 

Are there spells for breaking curses if he finds another Horcrux 
guarded like the ring was? Is there a healing spell, in case 
something else demands a blood payment? Is there an anti-apparation 
spell, to stop someone (cough, Mundungus, cough) from escaping before 
you can get some information or thing from them? Is there a drying 
spell, in case you have to wade through frigid water again? (Was 
there anything more pathetic than the visual of Harry standing in the 
outer cave shivering while watching Dumbledore?) Hell, he generated 
some force, like an electric shock, which caused Vernon to release 
him in OotP. Could he maybe figure out how he did that?

Sure, Harry will get help from his friends. Is that a valid excuse 
for not learning *some* of this himself? I hope Harry has "learned 
more than he realizes", and will display this knowledge in DH. I just 
wish he would have shown some flashes of this knowledge/ability in 
HBP.

Mike