Snape, again...(was Re: Come on folks)

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 173712

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at ...>
wrote:
>
> Because it isn't power that can defeat Voldemort. It's love, and
> forgiveness, and compassion, and, above all, the willingness to
> sacrifice yourself for the WW. It helps, of course, to be a Horcrux
> and share blood with Voldemort and be the master of the Elder Wand.

I just wanted to comment on the last point you made here, Carol. Over
the term of Harry's schooling we saw, from him, average to mediocre
magical talent coupled with extraordinary bravery and selflessness.
The extraordinary courage of Harry was not the least of his weapons
against Voldemort by any means. But beyond his valour and love there
was another very notable exception in Harry's mediocre arsenal. He
mastered a complex magic spell that was beyond his years, Expecto
Patronum; I don't think this can be rightfully played down, it's made
clear by JKR, kids are not supposed to be so adept at this complex
branch of magic, it takes a very important something inside the wizard
to produce a corporeal Patronus, we aren't give explicit detail on how
that complexity works, but it is repeatedly hinted at just how complex
the patronus can be with side events like Dumbledore choosing it for
secure OOTP communication, Hermione having trouble conjuring it, Snape
having different ideas to Harry on the theory behind the Patronus,
etc. All up I don't think we would be right to diminish the importance
of Harry mastering the Patronus Spell. It is, yes, merely an exception
to his otherwise not-so-inspiring talent, however, still an exception
of notable degree.

It is this exception of notable degree that foreshadows Harry's
ultimately victory over Voldemort. With little exposure to the ancient
and complex wandlore of the WW Harry outstrips his mentor magical
theoreticians in the art and seizes control of the Deathstick in the
heat of a deadly battle. Like the Patronus, this cannot be
understated, Ollivander, Gregorovitch, Voldemort even Snape who is
nothing short of prodigious himself doesn't even know the first thing
about it, none of the wizarding genuises, even those studying hard to
understand, have a working theory for the Deathstick. Dumbledore
commanded it for some 50 years, to his credit, and won it from
Grindelwald in spectacular battle, an amazing feat, but Dumbledore was
an adult with greater intellect and vaster knowledge under his belt
than 17 year old Harry. And so a complex old wizarding lore, which we
only know of having been conquered before by Dumbledore in his prime
as an adult adept wizard, was mastered both theoretically and then
practically by a 17 year old with barely a license to practice under
his belt. No mean feat by any measure.

As with the Patronus, JKR leaves it to our imaginations to nut out the
complexities of this exception to Harry's wizarding skills, but it
just doesn't do to understate it. In essence Harry has done the same
as Snape ever did in his potions text, the same as Dumbledore did in
his remarkable defeat of Grindelwald, he has delved into a complex
magical theory and mastered its power, he went beyond known magic and
become a founder of lore (his signature 'expelliarmus'), an Elder wand
legend.

Valky