That ugly baby thing.

[Sandra Collins]

No: HPFGUIDX 173617

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Annette" 
<CariadMel at ...> wrote:
>
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Annemehr" 
<annemehr@> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > Jim Ferer wrote: 
> > > I took it like this: Harry and Voldemort are both at the border
> > > between this world and the next - the "on." 
> > <snip>
> > 
> > I don't think the "ugly baby thing" at Kings Cross can be the 
bit of soul from Voldemort's body (the bit he calls "I"), because 
that is the part which is still tied to earth by the Nagini Horcrux. 
For that reason, even though LV collapsed in the Forest like 
Harry did, he could not have had the same near-death 
experience.  That's why I feel sure the fetal thing under the chair 
is the soul-bit that had been attached to Harry, and it "came 
along for the ride" with him.
> > 
Annemehr
> 
> Cariad:
Thank you for the responses to this interesting thread that 
Sandra started. I can see that this baby is a representation of the 
evilness of LV's soul, whether or not it is the horcrux baby that 
Harry became, I'm not sure. The disturbing images of St Michael 
and the baby about to be crushed are new to me. I guess that 
these images are in a Traditional Catholic iconography as they 
deal with Original Sin, a concept which I don't know much about.
> 
> I read the scene in GOF again re. LV's rebirth in the cauldron 
and I can see the similarities, thanks to whoever pointed that out. 
At the first time of reading I thought it was some sort of sacrificial 
animal. Certainly, as much as 'Kings Cross' is a time where 
Harry is enlightened, this for me proves one of the darkest 
passages in the book. 
> 
cariad.


Thanks everyone so much for giving your thoughts on this, it's 
given me more to think about and also to look up! I have revisited 
TGOF earlier on to see the rebirth bit and it's reminded me of a 
lot, even though it's all pretty grim stuff. I feel the Kings Cross 
part was the most inspired part of TDH and I'm glad JKR took a 
small diversion to take us there, even though it was an 
unpleasant section in certain places.
I go along wth the general feeling that the ugly baby thing was 
part of LV's soul carried by Harry, but that raises many questions 
which weren't even hinted at in the book. For example I mean 
what if Harry had gone to the distressed baby and been caring 
and loving to it, or what if he had waited for a train and then sent 
the baby off to wherever before H himself returned to the real 
world? Or what if he'd recognised it as part of LV and killed it? Or 
left it on the track?
It was certainly a very good chapter and a great setting, and 
Dumbledore came across very well with a little too much to 
explain, but the baby situation was confusing and unsettling to 
me. But thanks to everyone here I'm feeling like I understand it a 
bit better, even though the number of possible answers and 
even bigger number of questions make it a very open ended 
scenario to have put into a conclusive book.
I'm hoping JKR might say something in an interview or address 
it if she every has a Q&A session on a website.
Cariad - I know even less about original sin and catholic 
iconography, so the thought of St Michael crushing babies will 
stop me shopping at Marks & Spencer ever again!

Thanks everyone, Sandra x.