Book 7 spoilers ( I know they are implied, but I'd feel bad if I didn't warn) - Edit 1
Before modification by Seriana Sedai at 11/10/2010 12:51:31 AM
if Voldemort's AK against Harry had hit. Would Harry have survived it, the way he does in book seven, with a third Horcrux destroyed?
Good question. It should not kill him, should it? Isn't he protected by the blood of Petunia even when he is not actually in her presence?
You would think so. But I don't know. I mean, we're talking killing curse here. How many times can a person survive it, even with protection?
I thought that Harry survived the AK there because he was the master of all the Hallow at that point (not in physical possession of the wand, but it was still "his"
, not because of the protection and that was why it killed off the part of him that was a Horcrux but not him. Edit: and something else I just thought of. If you look at this from Voldemort's PoV, you have to say that it's an abysmal failure and a massive setback. Prophecy lost, most of his competent DEs captured, and his cover blown at last, everyone knows he's back now. And for all that he gets exactly one dead OotP member, who was stuck in his house anyway, and taking up the attention of the Aurors besides.
Indeed. But the price...
As such, while the readers and Harry obviously won't see it that way because of Sirius' death, it has to be considered a massive victory for the good side.
True.
So why is it, then, that the aftermath in book six makes it seem more like a victory for Voldemort, and an encouragement to start up more daring plots? I suppose he could have done those more daring plots during book five already, as soon as the Azkaban breakout happens, but he was waiting because for the prophecy he needed stealth which once lost he couldn't regain - because he wanted to take out Harry before doing anything else, and needed the prophecy to be sure how to do so. And then once the prophecy is lost and his cover is blown, he's forced to forget that plan and move on, which works rather well for him as the good side is totally on the defensive, at least openly, in books six and seven until the end. But at the very end we see the proof for why his plan A was indeed the better plan after all (though the prophecy wouldn't have told him all that much useful, but then he can't know that).
It don't think it is so much like a victory for Voldemort as it is a signal for him to let loose. He has nothing to lose at this point.
Agreed.
Me too. He was already outed, so it was time to go big or go home.
And still something else: can anyone make something of the two fragments of prophecy we hear? It's tempting to think they're relevant, but they're so short that it's fairly hard to tell.
Nope, but I'll be interested to hear it if someone else can.
I am not that person. Well, I am the person who will also be interested, but not the one who can make sense of it.
I am also not that person. I thought they were just there for filler, but now that the question has been raised I remember Rowling rarely writes anything that serves no purpose.