'crushing the magic out of him'

[barkingiguana]

No: HPFGUIDX 173578

I'm new to the group, and I don't know if this has been discussed in
the past. I hope if none of it is new, you'll forgive me.

I think the Dursleys locking Harry up in the house and believing that
by being awful to him--by crushing his soul--they can stamp 'that
nonsense' out of him, we are meant to see the treatment many young
homosexuals receive in homophobic families. As a high school teacher,
there are students I've thought would especially benefit from reading
Harry Potter for that reason.

On another note, before DH came out, I and most of my friends were
pretty sure Snape would wear the white hat in the end. But one of my
more perceptive friends pointed out that Snape was nonetheless
Judas. The Judas from those Christian traditions that see Judas as
Jesus' best freind, who with Jesus' instruction, does what he must so
that Jesus may be freed from his body and become the immortal beacon
that must be.

Also, the reason that Voldemort killed Snape is something I've seen
before, but I can't remember where. I don't know if it was in
literature or made up many years ago by a friend was who was DMing a
D&D campaign I was in, or what. But the murder of an ally so that an
already delivered magic item would accept the murderer as its true
owner was not new to me. Does anyone else here recall having seen
that plot device before?

--
Dvd Avins (The Barking Iguana)