Nagini: If she's not a Horcrux, what the heck is she?

[Lisa]

No: HPFGUIDX 172037

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
 Can we compromise here? Harry certainly didn't *intend* to "set a boa
> constrictor on Dudley" any more than he *intended* to "blow up" Aunt
> Marge. But neither of them "just happened" any more than his hair
> growing back "just happened." In all cases, the accidental magic
> fulfilled a half-conscious or subconscious desire--to save himself
> from humiliation in the case of the hair, to scare or punish Dudley,
> to punish and hurt Aunt Marge. In no case did he act deliberately, 
but
> he "set" the snake on Dudley (subconsciously and accidentally and
> without realizing he had any such power) in much the same way that 
he
> subconsciously and accidentally (but with less naivete regarding his
> own powers) "blew up" his obnoxious aunt. Note that when the brandy
> glass explodes in Marge's hand, she blames her "very firm grip," but
> Harry realizes that his anger has manifested itself as accidental
> magic. I think, in retrospect, he recognizes a similar if milder
> subconcious desire for retribution with regard to Dudley.
> 
> Carol, who sees no contradiction between (accidentally) "setting a
> snake on Dudley" (to terrify rather than attack him) and
> (accidentally) melting the glass that set the snake free
==================================

Lisa:

LOL, well, it sounds as though the "compromise" is actually just me 
conceding the point, but okey-dokey, I'll drop it!