Though this question may take the discussion in a way that I wasn't intending, I do have to wonder: is growing up within a magical household and thus, within the world of magic somehow bettering for those who want to create spells or use magic beyond their year's normal abilities?
This does go back to "how does one learn magic" and "what is magic," but I do hope to stay out of those discussions here.

 

It's perhaps a stupid analogy, but my son, growing up in a household with two theoretical physicists as parents, is far better equipped to deal with physics/math/computing than the average kid his age. When he was four, "eigenvalue" and "orthogonality" were part of his lexicon. He's now taking pre-calc as a seventh grader. It's not at all hard for me to accept that magical households confer a similar advantage to their kids.

 

Yeah, I would agree that growing up in a magical household is an advantage. Kids will pick things up through osmosis and such. Really, if Ron were more motivated he probably would've had a huge advantage, on account of having several older siblings who'd gone through Hogwarts. If he had Hermoine-level academic dedication, he probably would've been going through their old textbooks and such.

Not to mention that, from what canon has said, the underage magic restrictions seem to be effectively unenforceable against pureblood households.

 

No, that's actually a very good analogy, at least in my opinion. But I have to wonder, is his ability more nature, nurture, or both? I mean, part of growing up as a child of two theoretical physicists, is that you also inherit (to a greater or lesser degree) the intellectual capacity to operate at those levels as well. Since magic is something that is both inherited, and not inherited, I'd think that throws a variant into the discussion.

So, maybe, it's a sliding scale, rather than a yes no answer. On one end, it's high magical ability and consistent household exposure, and on the other end its little ability and no household exposure. So, someone with very high ability but little exposure is better than the average person with a lifetime of magic, but can't create spells and ends up being bound by the rules of magic, rather than creating their own spells until years later (I'm thinking someone like Hermione here).

There's other factors as well such as desire and dedication, but I'm leaving those out for now.

So, getting back to the main point of the thread, maybe what we see in Harry is raw ability, but because it isn't molded through a decade and a half of magical life, it's not at the same level as his father.

Lily would be the argument against that, but maybe she was the exception that proved the rule, rather than the point that broke the rule.

 

Lily, though Muggleborn, was far better off than Harry since she knew about magic prior to Hogwarts (her best friend, Snape, shared the magical world with her and he had an extensive knowledge of certain aspects of magic--he knew many curses, e.g.--prior to matriculating). Tom Riddle is probably the best example of prodigy talent developed in the absence of any formal pre-Hogwarts exposure to the magical world.

Such exposure, whether to mathematics, music, or magic, would be an enabler, not a guarantor of success. High ability in such an environment can certainly lead to prodigy (think Albus Dumbledore), but could as easily lead to mediocrity (Ron, Aberforth). In the end, I suspect like most talents one seeks to develop, success is primarily a combination of ambition, mindset, and innate ability.

 

Or wanting to impress the really cute co-ed you've been partnered with.

 

That falls under the category of "ambition."

 

I've always taken issue with the reading of "defied" as "duelled". There are plenty of ways to defy someone without duelling them, or even meeting them in person.

 

Didn't Aberforth managed to survive a duel with Albus and Gellert? That says to me that he's probably well over mediocre.

 

At ducking perhaps.

 

When it comes to apparition, I've never felt that Harry was mediocre. A lot of fics like to have him as being shit at apparition, and I have felt that comes from the descriptions in the books that for him it was an 'uncomfortable' feeling when apparating.

On the otherside, iirc, side-along apparation was meant to be something that wasn't common, something that only those of above average talent could succesffuly do. However that might be fanon leaking through instead of canon, if anyone knows.

Harry could side-along apparate in his sixth year, which suggests he has above normal aptitude for apparation since he can in his sixth year already perform apparation better then most of the adult populace.

I would imagine the uncomfortable feeling would be something you would get use to as you apparate more, and before long not even notice it.

 

It's hard to say much about his skill level, since he doesn't get much in the way of screentime or talking up. Not to mention that he's supremely unambitious, compared to his brother. My personal inclination would be to say that he's got a fair portion of his raw talent and potential, but unlike Albus he never really had the drive to improve himself and develop his abilities.

Or, possibly, he lost that ambition as a result of what happened with Albus.

 

I think he lost it before then, when he had to face the realities of supporting a family alone, on whatever income a recent Hogwarts graduate could swing. Kinda hard to swan off learning the depths of magic when it means your sister would starve, not that it bothered Albus.

 

But if he was that skilled in magic, shouldn't replicating food have been within his capabilities?

 

No.

Pers is a theoretical physicist and thus highly skilled, but I've yet to read a post from him that he's defied the laws of gravity, either.

Unless, of course, there's something he's not telling us.

 

You were just never taken into his confidence.

 

That seems to be supported in DH: the feeling is mentioned from time to time when Harry apparates, but only in passing.

 

Quidditch-Very Talented and usually extremely well equipped. Which means regardless of the other team or his own team, he hardly needs the rest to carry the team to victory. It's somewhat implied that without the Seeker being so disproportionately powerful, Slytherin had the best team. Certainly the most feared.

However, just a handful of instances indicate he was a good team player. He mostly just bum rushed to the victory. Efficient though.

Intellect - He is not a complete idiot, and gives genuine effort, but he only studies and practices hard when a fire is under his ass...or a Hermione.

Raw magical ability - His most exceptional feats were the results of private tutoring, and being highly motivated by close friends and several others. The patronus he produced was under incredible confidence, after nearly a solid year of private tutoring, truly powerful and driven motivation. He is not Hermione, who picks up magic appropriate to her level like its second hand nature and learns highly advanced for her age magic quite frequently, he is not Albus Dumbledore or Tom Riddle, who were all but legends in their time at Hogwarts. Harry is certainly above average, but he is not exceptionally a truly outstandingly powerful. However, given that certain magics feed directly from emotion and how strongly you can fell it....


Charms - Good, with practice.


Leadership - It helps that everyone expected the boy who lived to lead them in the first place. From there he does decently well. His plans themselves....aren't the best thought out, but he certainly gets people to follow him into dangerous situations. Slowly but surely on his own merits and not just the legend he carried from birth.

Dark Arts/Defense Against - His favorite subject, fairly competent at it, seems driven in it. Excellent.

Emotion - He feels strongly, both a weakness and a strength. He actually fucking listens to Malfoy in the 5th year Quiiditch match instead of simply walking away and not giving a fuck. He also supplied enough raw emotion to drive away a fuck load of Dementors, an outstanding accomplishment even with Private Tutoring.

Potions - Well....average.

History - He apparently just doesn't give a shit. Sadly this makes him average.

Flying (as opposed to actual Quidditch) - Damned good. Noted by everyone who has seen him in action, which matters because some of those people have seen literally thousands of other fliers before him. Excellent

Apparition - He is competent in this discipline and has no fear of regular splinching. This is a complement.

Strength of personality - Oh he certainly believes in himself.

Aptitude for Magic-Average, above maybe, he isn't super bright like Hermione and pick it up on instinct, but he keeps at it until he gets it. He isn't a complete dunderhead.
Etc.

 

I don't think Hermione is a genius or natural at magic just that she's very intelligent and practises magic and magical theory for hours daily, going by owl scores if harry gave a shit he could get all O's like barty crouch junior

Potions-Above average
History-Above average seeing as he tried to stay awake the longest
Emotions-Powerful emotions, he can't Learn Occlumency but could learn Impirius and Cruciatus
Apparation-Better than most with his determination, i forget the other 2D's
I'll post the others later as its frustrating to type non my phonesf