This is like arguing about which turd smells better. They're both heaping piles of crap, and it doesn't matter how much you try to cover it up with makeup, perfume, or designer clothes, it's still just shit. Some people can recognize that, some can't, and some will just keep making excuses for it.

 

This is like strip comic scribblers trying to heckle a legit writer.

I said it a mere page back: don't go full retard, just don't.

 

I probably shouldn't have mentioned Deprived at all, since everyone seems to be responding only to that part of my post. Correct me if I'm wrong (I may well be, I haven't read the start of this story since it came out) but I think that Harry was imprisoned after his second year? So (we'll ignore the fact that he randomly has enough power and knowledge to annihilate the basilisk) even if Ginny's death is his motivation to learn or w.e. he's been in Azkaban ever since.

 

The thing is, that Harry is not really a god like powerful wizard. As mentioned earlier, the potent magic he uses has the destructive force because of its dark magic nature.
He had taken the shortcuts, and because of his own foolishness he almost paid the ultimate prize for it with his own life. Even surviving the casting, the dark magic use comes with a cost, and in the latest chapter Dumbledore/(the author) let us know that it becomes obvious from his behavior and his resistance to the stunning curse, how deeply he is effected by the use of dark magic.
Probably more side affects will present themselves soon, but ultimately it comes down to Control, and in that respect Harry is already loosing it.

I agree on the use of his mindscape, which I personally think is a bad choice for showing symbolism and personality changes. It is over used in a number of bad fics and inevitably leads to responses similar to what IBG says. The thing is, though there are people screaming "cliche !!!", it actually works in this story.

 

How incomprehensible, from the point of view of self interest, to see the ministry aligned against HP and his display of raw magical talent. It would seem to be a positive thing, impressing the politicians on the international scene. HP is - to the ignorant masses - representative of Hogwarts' student body, and its teaching ability. HP's powerful display can bring prestige to Hogwarts, and to Britain's ministry, bolstering their reputation of the bastion of powerful sorcery and talent.

Of course, signs of intelligence from any form of bureaucracy and government is quite rare.

 

Yes, the government is extremely unintelligent for not cultivating an image of Britain as a society that supports the slaying of endangered animals, dark magic as well as an insane 14 year old.

And why would Harry's power be indicative of the rest of the student body. Aside from the fact he's only had 2 years of education at Hogwarts and his talent no doubt being vastly different to those of the 50+ graduates that jump into magical society every year, he has been distinguished from the rest of society since Halloween 1981. Saying every student at Hogwarts is as powerful as him would be like saying every man in Jamaica is as fast a runner as Usain Bolt.

 

Apart from the fact that in this fic, Neville is the Boy-Who-Lived, so until he killed the basilisk Harry was just another student.

 

Ahhh I forgot about that. Everything else stands though.

 

Well he's distinguished from the point that he went on a murderous rampage and went to prison. I also don't see why they would be jumping for joy at the idea of a kid throwing around very dark magic.

 

Nonetheless, one cannot dispute the fact that Harry performed POWERFUL magic. Drumstrang students as well as the slytherins.... and the rest of Hogwarts from the clapping scene... were suitably impressed. It is not a hard generalization to say that this act impresses the politicians as well. Plus, remember my limiting expression - to the ignorant masses he appears as representative of Hogwart's teaching ability in comparison to the teaching abilities of the other two schools. By leading the tournament in points, HP brings prestige to Hogwarts and the ministry in general. An ambitious and smart politician could use this in Britain's favor, cultivate deals and alliances based on an illusionary image of Hogwarts and Britain.

Also from book 5 animals really aren't a huge priority if umbridge's views are shared by the majority of the ministry employees.

 

Yeah, but Harry's dark magic and the fact that he went to Azkaban for murder would mean he'd get crucified in any foreign papers anyway, not to mention the fact that he's a complete retard and would probably go out of his way to infuriate whichever politician approaches him and assert his dominance. In any case I don't really see how one student could be used to "cultivate deals and alliances". It would make an interesting news story, for a foreign student to show such skill, but that's about it really.

I'll also point out that this Harry already has ridiculous amounts of power, without adding ministry influence (which would negate Dumbledore's hold over him w/ blackmail) to the mix.

 

They were impressed but how many Hogwarts students actually knew he was using dark magic as opposed to just powerful and awesome spells? For example Harry's 'friends' assumed he was showing house spirit when he failed to cast the killing curse. Politicians are not school children and are more likely to recognize the dark magic for what it is. In fact we could take their ability to recognize it out of the equation entirely when the Crouch reports what happened.

 

If dark magic was really frowned upon by society why would he be in the lead in the tournament and be awarded the highest number of points? Recall two of the judges are foreigners, and one of them is a ministry representative. Crouch might simply be an anomaly. In book 4 it was made explicitly clear he was anally anti-dark magic.

Coming back to the political aspect, if I were the politician I would, right after the first task, attempt to talk the other politicians into signing off on buying 10000 cauldrons or some shit. Harry's role has already been played; the demonstration of power is enough to lull the strongest of wills into some level of subservience.

 

I don't really see how some talented schoolboy in a foreign country would have any bearing on international politics. Think about how nonsensical it would seem if it happened in the real world.

 

THIS IS SPAAAAAAAAAAARTAAA

Ahem, muggle and magical societies differ considerably. Individual talent is highly prized in magical societies - this is my completely unsubstantiated theory - while group work and teamplay plays a more significant role in muggle societies. This is because magical talent is entirely innate to oneself and suffices to perform great deeds (such as making the philosopher's stone), whereas in muggle societies great acts stemming from the individual is less frequent than great acts stemming from groups. A good example of the latter is the progression of scientific knowledge; 'I stand upon the shoulders of giants.'

Just look at how everyone seems to consider Albus most powerful wizard in the world.

Quick, name me the most powerful man in the muggle world. Its obviously that wrestler who won the olympics right? Or maybe that math genius who solved the mystery of pie. When we think of power we think not individuals, but groups, countries. Whereas in the magical world, power is entirely individualistic.The public is easily misled, and can identify with power to self-delude themselves into thinking they are powerful by association. Isn't that probaby why Vol. attracted so many followers?

Following this line of thinking, people can associate HP's power with Britains power, and seek to ally themselves with power, to ASSOCIATE with what they perceive to be HSV, higher social value (not herpes simplex virus).

Moving on to another point, check out this link: http://www.solvemygirlproblems.com/2011/03/women-seek-men-of-higher-social-value/

I think this is why Daphne wants HP, not cuz of appearance but because of HSV (higher social value, not herpes simplex virus haha). Can we extend this behavior to the mass population? Why did he recieve the loudest applause? Why wouldn't politicians want to dance at his feet, seeing as HP is being cheered on by the public. Don't politicians chase the moods of the crowd the way ambulances do lawyers?

 

We've already established that his performance was impressive and it was stated that dark magic was allowed in the tournament.

 

Yeah, but no one is seeing that he went to Azkaban, so he's fucking mental...

 

Hagrid went to azkaban. He seems pretty sane to me, my big friendly giant BFG for life motherfuckers.

A cookie to anyone who got my reference.

 

Nah, he was there for several months, only.

Also, he's a giant, and I think there's some (apocryphal? self-drawn conclusion?) evidence that non-humans are affected less. I'm extrapolating from Sirius-as-a-dog (which has no higher thought) to giants, which are dumb as bricks.

While Hagrid's a bro, he's not exactly the most colorful crayon in the box. :\

 

Yes his friends Fluffy and Norberta prove that ;p