In the fifth book, Dumbledore clarifies that the "power the dark lord knows not" mentioned by Trelawney in the prophecy was love. Yet my impression from Deathly Hallows was that if Harry had any sort of power/understanding Voldemort didn't, it was his acceptance of death (which was Voldemort was always afraid of).

Can someone clarify the significane of this line from the prophecy in relation to the canon storyline? Did it actually have a purpose, or was it just a thrown in line into the prophecy that was quickly forgotten afterwards?

Thanks.

 

No. Harry loved everyone in his life enough to resist the temptation of staying dead, and chose to return and kill Voldemort.

There.

 

Exactly, that's what I was thinking. If Voldemort "died" and wound up in a train station limbo, wouldn't he go back as well because he's afraid of death/wants to gain more power? The difference in motivation for not choosing death doesn't seem like a substantial enough "power" that Harry has which Voldemort doesn't.

Though it does make sense if you just examine Harry alone.

 

Start half an hour earlier:

Harry was going to sacrifice himself to protect the people he loved - that's something Voldemort wouldn't have done.

 

Harry has "Greater Love" down like a boss.

 

That makes more sense Dark Minion. Thanks for clearing it up.

I guess I was hoping that Harry would somehow manage to acquire that kickass power of "love" that melted his knife when he tried to open the so called love chamber in the Department of Mysteries. I guess I'll have to settle with noble self-sacrifice.

 

At the end of OoTP when Voldemort possesses Harry ,he experiences incredible pain. At that moment he is thinking about joining Sirius so that he can be with him. It reads like Harry wants to die so that he can be relieved of the pain of losing Sirius.
I guess this is what Voldemort didn't understand ;that how one could be willing to die. It doesn't read like self sacrifice though because Harry is not looking to save anyone here.

Also when Harry is giving that self righteous speech before Voldemort falls back on his ass and dies in DH,there is a line about how Harry and Lily's sacrifice is the same. In the case of Lily, she didn't know that her death would form some sort of blood protection over Harry. She had a choice to move aside but she didn't and wasn't invoking any ancient magic deliberately IIRC. She isn't even thinking of destroying Voldemort at that point.

Now in Harry's case,he is dying to make Voldemort mortal, not protect anyone although that's how Rowling attempts to write it. It feels more like suicide bombing to me.
Also a sacrifice actually demands a price . Lily paid for it with her life. Harry doesn't even die due to author intervention of Voldemort carrying Harry's goodness(blood) in him.So Harry lives,extends his love protection to others and destroys the horcrux in his scar. It doesn't read like a proper sacrifice to me.

 

The point was less making Voldemort mortal, and more helping his friends be free of Voldemort. It's a small but important distinction.

Lily sacrificed herself in an attempt to protect her child (from her perspective a vain attempt, but the intention was there). Harry sacrificed himself so that his friends could have a clear shot at Voldemort, with the final effect of them being able to live in peace. The target was to make Voldemort mortal yes, but his overall goal was less 'kill Voldemort' and more 'protect my friends and facilitate them living peaceful lives'. That's how I read it, anyway.

 

I remember it coming as somewhat of a suprise to Harry that he doesn't actually have to die for proper realsies. Also, is Harry's love protection being spread to others actually canon? I only sorta kind of read Deathly Hallows (and Half-blood Prince) because I lost interest in a big way after OOtP.