CHAPDISC: DH35, KING'S CROSS

[kamion53]

No: HPFGUIDX 185164

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" <willsonkmom at ...> 
wrote:
>
>  
snap
> 
> Potioncat:
> Hard to separate the image of innocence from the baby, even an ugly 
> one. Was Tom Riddle's soul always stunted? If so, did he ever have 
a 
> choice in life? Or, has his soul regressed as it was corrupted. I 
> seem to recall someone suggesting LV was a big baby--having deadly 
> tantrums. Perhaps that childish (not child-like) behavior reflected 
> his soul.
> 
> But, why did JKR go out of her way to make Riddle's soul in such an 
> image when Harry's and DD's seems very much like they are in life. 
Of 
> course, theirs hadn't been as damaged in life.
> 
> > Geoff:
> > Like you, I have problems as a Christian deciding what happens 
> > to the unsaved soul and it seems that this may be a facet 
> > of JKR's thoughts on the same topic.
> 
> Potioncat:
> JKR has said she wrestles with aspects of her faith. And this one 
is 
> a biggy! I have the hardest times explaining it all to my answer 
> seeking 14-year-old. Heaven knows I don't have the answers!
>
kamion:
I believe there is a fundemental difference between the foetuslike 
Voldemort seen in GoF and the flayed foetus observed at "Kings Cross"

In the first case Voldemort's remaining soul had invaded a real 
excisting baby or toddler.... as of all his powers he kept his power 
to posess animals after been ripped from his body.... the mental 
resistance of a baby might not be stonger to this invasion then a mer 
animal. And Voldemort's contorted soul started to corrupt the body of 
the baby-victim, would he not have gotten back a body of his own, the 
baby-body would have died soon as the animals he possessed died after 
a short time.

 

In the second case it is Voldemorts  plain and naked soul we see in a 
not material limbo, it's a non-material being which looks like a 
foetus, because most likely Voldemort started from a very, very young 
age he started tiering on his soul, not ripping it apart, but at 
least damaging it.

At the orphanage there are several nasty incidents pointing in his 
direction. 

And honest... a child that tortures animals has major mental problems.

Riddle/Voldemorts soul never had the opportunity to grow healthy in 
contrast to Harry's soul who grew up unblemished and is thereby 
manifested as a naked "perfect" body, with no scars or nearsightness. 

 

In that aspect Harry at Kings Cross comes very close to the mediaval 
image of the Resurection, where the Blessed Souls rise from the grave 
as perfect bodies at the perfect age of 33, the age Christ died and 
resurected, while the Dammed Souls are depicted with twisted bodies.

and although Harry is somewhat of a Christ figure ( as Frodo from 
LotR is too) Harry does not have scars at this scene or any stigmata 
like Christ, in Christ those are the marks of his suffering in 
sacrifice to save mankind, Harry did not suffer in his sacrifice. as 
Sirius promissed. So scars are the the flaws of his mortal life and 
don't stay on in the after-life on his purified soul. Voldemort 
however flayed another piece of his unclean soul.

the whole image is very Christian in its core.