The Mirror and Love

[Alz]

"You are protected, in short, by your ability to love!" said Dumbledore loudly. "The only protection that can possibly work against the lure of power like Voldemort's! In spite of all the temptation you have endured, all the suffering, you remain pure of heart, just as pure as you were at the age of eleven, when you stared into a mirror that reflected your heart's desire, and it showed you only the way to thwart Lord Voldemort, and not immortality or riches. Harry, have you any idea how few wizards could have seen what you saw in the mirror? Voldemort should have known then what he was dealing with, but he did not!"


What did Harry see ...


She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes - her eyes are just like mine, Harry thought, edginga little closer to the glass. Bright green - exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just like Harry's did.
Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.
'Mum?' he whispered. 'Dad?'
They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror and saw other pairs of green eyes like his, other noses like his, even a little old man who looked as though he had Harry's knobbly knees - Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life.
The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness.


Dumbledore says 'and it showed you only the way to thwart Lord Voldemort, and not immortality or riches.'

I suppose I would like some thoughts on this - how would you read it - what is Dumbledore really trying to say to Harry?
What does it say about Harry?

[kashlie]

Harry saw two things in the mirror. He first saw his family, and then he saw himself with the stone.
Dumbledore's protection on the stone using the mirror is interesting. What if Nicolas Flamel had returned to collect it?
Only someone who wanted to find the stone, but not use it, would be able to get it. So Dumbledore wouldn't have been able to get it because he would have wanted to give it back to Flamel to be used...

anyway, not the point!!

Harry saw in the mirror what he had the greatest love for. Voldemort saw what he desired, or at least, Quirrel saw the object that would set him free.
For Harry to be able to get the stone, knowing what it could do, would mean he is purer in heart and mind than we could imagine. All he wanted to do was stop Voldemort from returning and killing more people. His love and concern for other people at that time were apparent when the stone came to him.
I guess after seeing his parents in the mirror, and then coming face to faces with the man responsible for their death gave him the desire to keep the stone from Voldemort.
am i making any sense at all??

[kaz]

Yes, Kash, you make sence. Sometimes...kidding!

In the movie ( I can't remember if it's in the book) Voldemort taunts Harry about his parents saying something like "Wouldn't you like to see your parents again?" Harry seems to sway at this moment before fiercely defying Voldemort and getting the stone. He is swayed by love firstly- the love of his parents and the meer possibility that he may see them again, and secondly the love for those who matter to him in the present- friends, and their families, students, etc- those who would be severly affected if Voldemort got hold of the Stone.

You ask what Dumbledore means by saying what he does? OK, I think he is referring to the 'final battle' between Harry and Voldy. I think it means that Voldemort is fighting to gain power for himself and Harry is fighting more than himself. He is definitely out for personal revenge, but he is fighting for his parents death, for his friend Neville and what he has had to deal with due to Voldemort's orders, and for anyone else who has been affected by the wrath of Voldemort or is to be affected.

[gumshoe]

I just read a comment on another board about this very topic. The poster wondered why Quirrell couldn't get the stone, as he didn't want riches or immortality, but saw himself handing over the stone to his master (as Harry would want to get the stone to give to Dumbledore). I'm not sure I agree with that but it's a point worth making.
We could turn that around and say that we know Quirrell hoped to gain power and reward from Voldemort for his efforts, whereas Harry's intent was entirely without personal gain in mind.

In terms of what it says about Harry, perhaps, we might wonder if it means that in order to defeat Voldemort, his motives must remain altruistic. And so Harry wanting revenge might light the fire under his seat to get him going after V, it can't be what makes him capable of "vanquishing" him.

gumshoe

[Alz]

I think Kazza hit the nail somewhat with her closing comments.
Dumbledore said Harry saw in the Mirror what would help him thwart Voldemort - his parents and the love and sadness he felt at never really knowing them.
I think Dumbledore was saying that if Harry remembers above his thirst for revenge and lust to destroy Voldemort, that he is only doing this because of the love of his parents and the sadness of never spending time with them - it will stop him becoming a cold killer like Voldemort and instead allow him compassion and caring that will force Voldemort into doing himself in - as per another thread we have.
Voldemort HAS to kill Harry - Harry has a choice and Dumbledore was very keen to let Harry know that he doesnt have to fulfil the prophecy - the fact is Voldemort started it and will also cause his own downfall.