I've looked for other threads on this subject, but since my search didn't yield any results, I'm assuming that this topic hasn't been started yet. Sorry if a thread similar to this one already exists!
Full Version: "in Essence Divided"
| QUOTE |
| Dumbledore now swooped down upon one of the fragile silver instruments whose function Harry had never known, carried it over to his desk, sat down facing them again, and tapped it gently with the tip of his wand. The instrument tinkled into life at once with rhythmic clinking noises. Tiny puffs of pale green smoke issued from the minuscule silver tube at the top. Dumbledore watched the smoke closely, his brow furrowed, and after a few seconds, the tiny puffs became a steady stream of smoke that thickened and coiled in the air.... A serpent's head grew out of the end of it, opening its mouth wide. Harry wondered whether the instrument was confirming his story: He looked eagerly at Dumbledore for a sign that he was right, but Dumbledore did not look up. "Naturally, naturally," murmured Dumbledore apparently to himself, still observing the stream of smoke without the slighest sign of surprise. "But in essence divided?" Harry could make neither head nor tail of this question. The smoke serpent, however, split itself instantly into two snakes, both coiling and undulating in the dark air. With a look of grim satisfaction Dumbledore gave the instrument another gentle tap with his wand: The clinking noise slowed and died, and the smoke serpents grew faint, became a formless haze, and vanished. |
Given that this scene can be interpreted in so many different ways, I'm leaving this thread pretty open-ended. We can safely say that the "splitting" of the two snakes somehow represents the relationship between Harry and Voldemort (ie, the fact that they can sense one anothers' thoughts and emotions), but I think there is more to the silver instrument than just confirmation of Harry's story. On another thread which can be seen HERE there has been some discussion about the color green, which seems to be recurring in the books. Does this scene have any connection with other instances in which the color green is mentioned? Why does a serpent in specific represent Harry and/or Voldemort? How could Dumbledore predict a "division" before the snake even split? Why is Dumbledore "grimly satisfied" by what he observes? Post any theories here, please!
I myself am not sure what the machine does. But what I think is that Dumbledore misinterpreted the meaning of the machine. The only thing that Dumbledore isn't quite sure on is Harry's connection to Ol' Voldy. I think that it really meant that Harry's essence is divided. We can't be sure, but to see why this might work out, check out my Changeling Hypothesis thread in the books 6/7 forum. It just might work out that way!
When I read that part in OotP, I was confused and intrigued.
I don't want to sound like a "Gryffindor-house-obsessive", but is it slightly unusual that the smoke formed into two snakes?
Perhaps it means that... hmm. I simply cannot come up with any theories.
I shall return later.
I don't want to sound like a "Gryffindor-house-obsessive", but is it slightly unusual that the smoke formed into two snakes?
Perhaps it means that... hmm. I simply cannot come up with any theories.
I shall return later.
Sorry I haven't replied before now, but my time's been pretty limited lately and I kept meaning to come back to this....
I remember reading that bit in OotP and wondering just exactly what JKR was trying to say.....
I guess it could tie into what I was saying the other day in the Lily's green eyes thread, about the emphasis on the colour green possibly hinting to a tie between Harry and Salazar Slytherin. Certainly, the one snake splitting into two must mean something and, (Bandoth is just going to love this, coz I'm not the kind of woman who usually eats her words...
) but it certainly would fit into the changeling hypthesis scenario.
Whatever, I think that it's becoming very clear that Harry and Voldemort are bound together in far more ways than just through the scar, and I think it has something to do with Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor. Perhaps edging towards a final battle between these two perhaps not-so-dead wizards is the reason she's chosen to call the next book HBP (coz I'm still sticking to my GG is the HBP theory).
But still.....'In Essence Divided'.....two halves of the same snake, but they are still divided....Harry knows that he made a choice in PS/SS and he knows that it's his choices that matter, which is perhaps why, despite Voldy's best efforts in OotP, he still cannot gain total control over Harry.
I certainly think that this is something to watch out for in the next book because it's something that wasn't explained, and JKR never drops such a huge thing as that and then just leaves it......
I remember reading that bit in OotP and wondering just exactly what JKR was trying to say.....
I guess it could tie into what I was saying the other day in the Lily's green eyes thread, about the emphasis on the colour green possibly hinting to a tie between Harry and Salazar Slytherin. Certainly, the one snake splitting into two must mean something and, (Bandoth is just going to love this, coz I'm not the kind of woman who usually eats her words...
) but it certainly would fit into the changeling hypthesis scenario.Whatever, I think that it's becoming very clear that Harry and Voldemort are bound together in far more ways than just through the scar, and I think it has something to do with Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor. Perhaps edging towards a final battle between these two perhaps not-so-dead wizards is the reason she's chosen to call the next book HBP (coz I'm still sticking to my GG is the HBP theory).
But still.....'In Essence Divided'.....two halves of the same snake, but they are still divided....Harry knows that he made a choice in PS/SS and he knows that it's his choices that matter, which is perhaps why, despite Voldy's best efforts in OotP, he still cannot gain total control over Harry.
I certainly think that this is something to watch out for in the next book because it's something that wasn't explained, and JKR never drops such a huge thing as that and then just leaves it......
Dana, im guessing by your post that you assume Harry is a descendant of Godric Gryffindor? I would agree, with evidence being seen in the Chamber of Secrets when Dumbledore says "only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that sword out of the hat" or something like that. Gryffindor in this case, I believe, means not a member of the Gryffindor house, but a member of his bloodline. This would parallel Voldemort's connection to Slytherin quite nicely since he is the heir of Slytherin.
Yeah, sorry Joe....I should have been a bit clearer on that. Well, perhaps Harry is a descendant of Gryffindor, but that was never really assumed in my theory that the HBP is Godric Gryffindor. The thing is that I banged on about it for so long in the summer that I figured most people were gonna get bored reading about it all the time, so I've gotten into the habit now of just skimming over it....
But, in a nutshell, I believe I have very good reasons for believing GG to be the HBP, but alongside that came an assumption that HP must be his heir then in the same way that Tom was Slytherin's heir. In fact, I never said any such thing. I actually don't believe that HP is GG's heir at all....everyone is assuming that the HBP has to be alive right now, but I don't think that's necessarily the case. The HBP might represent an ideal, a figurehead, a unification force that will pull the houses together perhaps represented by the values that GG himself held dear.
No, what I was actually suggesting in my previous post is the possibility that perhaps Harry is related, through blood (ie his Mom's side), to Salazar Slytherin and that could at least partially explain the continual colour references. I also found two references in OotP today that further pushed the snake inference....firstly there was Lucius' remark just after the hearing when he called Harry 'snakelike'...and secondly, in 'Professor Umbridge,' Peeves makes a joke about Harry speaking in 'tongues', which reminded me about the parseltongue thing. And let's face it, Dumbledore has tried to explain about that, but at the end of the day, he's not really sure about the nature of Harry and Voldemort's connection either.
And Harry did make that choice with the Sorting Hat...
It's just that thing with the snakes being divided and then coming together....'In Essence' I think are the key words there...appearing to be the same, but 'essentially' apart....perhaps due to choices? Do you know what I mean?
But, in a nutshell, I believe I have very good reasons for believing GG to be the HBP, but alongside that came an assumption that HP must be his heir then in the same way that Tom was Slytherin's heir. In fact, I never said any such thing. I actually don't believe that HP is GG's heir at all....everyone is assuming that the HBP has to be alive right now, but I don't think that's necessarily the case. The HBP might represent an ideal, a figurehead, a unification force that will pull the houses together perhaps represented by the values that GG himself held dear.
No, what I was actually suggesting in my previous post is the possibility that perhaps Harry is related, through blood (ie his Mom's side), to Salazar Slytherin and that could at least partially explain the continual colour references. I also found two references in OotP today that further pushed the snake inference....firstly there was Lucius' remark just after the hearing when he called Harry 'snakelike'...and secondly, in 'Professor Umbridge,' Peeves makes a joke about Harry speaking in 'tongues', which reminded me about the parseltongue thing. And let's face it, Dumbledore has tried to explain about that, but at the end of the day, he's not really sure about the nature of Harry and Voldemort's connection either.
And Harry did make that choice with the Sorting Hat...
It's just that thing with the snakes being divided and then coming together....'In Essence' I think are the key words there...appearing to be the same, but 'essentially' apart....perhaps due to choices? Do you know what I mean?
Time to resurrect this thread... I know nobody has been posting here for a while, but this scene is still frustrating me....
When I originally read this scene in "Order of the Phoenix," I thought that the splitting of the snake represented Harry and Voldemort's divergent ideology. When Voldemort attacked Harry in 1981, he clearly transferred physical powers to Harry, for example, the ability to speak Parseltongue. Voldemort's attack affected Harry in non-physical ways as well, however. It was because of his connection with Voldemort that the Sorting Hat wanted to place Harry in Slytherin, and it is also because of the connection that Harry and Voldemort have brother wands. Voldemort can do Legilimency on Harry even when they are miles apart because of the connection. Harry's scar is a physical manifestion of both the physical and the psychological ways in which Voldemort's attack affected his life.
These similarities between Harry and Voldemort that resulted from the failed Avada Kedavra curse are almost enough to make the two of them appear the same, which is why one serpent came out of Dumbledore's instrument. However, related to Dana's idea with regard to choices, Voldemort's and Harry's lives went in very different directions, which is why the single serpent split into two separate snakes. Even though they had a common past and have common powers because of the connection through the failed curse, Harry chose to be a Gryffindor while Voldemort chose to be a Slytherin, Voldemort took out his frustration with the Muggle world by killing innocent victims while Harry found friends like Hermione who face a situation similar to his. It is important to notice that it took a few seconds for the snake to split, representing the years that Harry did not know about Voldemort and the wizarding world. Before he knew that Voldemort existed, it would be impossible for Harry to choose not to be like him, so there were probably greater similarities between the two before Harry joined the wizarding world. Once Harry found out about wizards and his past, he became more conscious of his decisions and their consequences.
So basically what I'm trying to say is that the single serpent represents Harry and Voldemort's common past (as a result of the transfer of powers from the failed Avada Kedavra curse) and the splitting of the serpent represents the choices that got them on very different paths. Make any sense?
When I originally read this scene in "Order of the Phoenix," I thought that the splitting of the snake represented Harry and Voldemort's divergent ideology. When Voldemort attacked Harry in 1981, he clearly transferred physical powers to Harry, for example, the ability to speak Parseltongue. Voldemort's attack affected Harry in non-physical ways as well, however. It was because of his connection with Voldemort that the Sorting Hat wanted to place Harry in Slytherin, and it is also because of the connection that Harry and Voldemort have brother wands. Voldemort can do Legilimency on Harry even when they are miles apart because of the connection. Harry's scar is a physical manifestion of both the physical and the psychological ways in which Voldemort's attack affected his life.
These similarities between Harry and Voldemort that resulted from the failed Avada Kedavra curse are almost enough to make the two of them appear the same, which is why one serpent came out of Dumbledore's instrument. However, related to Dana's idea with regard to choices, Voldemort's and Harry's lives went in very different directions, which is why the single serpent split into two separate snakes. Even though they had a common past and have common powers because of the connection through the failed curse, Harry chose to be a Gryffindor while Voldemort chose to be a Slytherin, Voldemort took out his frustration with the Muggle world by killing innocent victims while Harry found friends like Hermione who face a situation similar to his. It is important to notice that it took a few seconds for the snake to split, representing the years that Harry did not know about Voldemort and the wizarding world. Before he knew that Voldemort existed, it would be impossible for Harry to choose not to be like him, so there were probably greater similarities between the two before Harry joined the wizarding world. Once Harry found out about wizards and his past, he became more conscious of his decisions and their consequences.
So basically what I'm trying to say is that the single serpent represents Harry and Voldemort's common past (as a result of the transfer of powers from the failed Avada Kedavra curse) and the splitting of the serpent represents the choices that got them on very different paths. Make any sense?
Anthony, I am not trying to get you mad. Your hypothesis makes a great deal of sense and I would possibly believe it had the quote been anywhere else in one of the books. We are talking about right after Harry had a vision. If this instrument showed everything that you said, why would Dumbledore use it? I think that my other hypothesis could work but now I'm starting to think that the instrument detects when Voldemort is using the connection with Harry. When there is only one snake, Voldemort is present in Harry's mind. If the snake divides, Voldemort has broken off of the connection and Harry is free to do as he pleases without outer influence or risking secrets being given to the enemy. Would that work?
Mmm....yeah, you know, I think that does kind of work. I think elements of what we're all saying sound right and they do fit. I think it's pretty clear that Voldermort and Harry share a deeper kind of connection than what has already been stated in the books and this 'essence divided' business could indicate that the connection is more physical and spiritual than just a connection that came from the curse. It's their individual choices that makes them different and no doubt it will ultimately come down to a choice between them as to which one lives or dies in the seventh book. It connects to the Prophecy too - neither can live while the other survives - it implies some kind of symbiotic relationship, doesn't it?
The divided business certainly fits with the Changeling hypothesis too.....(I know, I know....I'm such a pushover, aren't I? )
The divided business certainly fits with the Changeling hypothesis too.....(I know, I know....I'm such a pushover, aren't I?
)
| QUOTE (Bandoth @ Dec 26 2004, 03:23 PM) |
| Anthony, I am not trying to get you mad. Your hypothesis makes a great deal of sense and I would possibly believe it had the quote been anywhere else in one of the books. We are talking about right after Harry had a vision. If this instrument showed everything that you said, why would Dumbledore use it? I think that my other hypothesis could work but now I'm starting to think that the instrument detects when Voldemort is using the connection with Harry. When there is only one snake, Voldemort is present in Harry's mind. If the snake divides, Voldemort has broken off of the connection and Harry is free to do as he pleases without outer influence or risking secrets being given to the enemy. Would that work? |
Why would you be getting me mad, Bandoth? I really enjoy reading your ideas... this Changeling Hypothesis is an interesting perspective.
I understand it better now that I have read your summary in that thread in the First Four Books forum... what I really need to do is print a hard copy of the Hypothesis, spend a few hours digesting it, and read your other thread where you interpret it!I can see how this scene fits in with the Changeling Hypothesis now... the snake represents the changes in the connection between Harry and Voldemort. This idea could work in two ways:
1. The splitting of the snake represents the events of the single night. Harry sees the attack on Mr. Weasley through Voldemort's thoughts. When the vision ends, the connection between Harry and Voldemort is no longer being used - this is represented by the splitting of the snake.
2. The splitting of the snake is a form of prophecy about a change that will occur in the connection over time. At this moment, Harry and Voldemort are "connected," meaning that Harry and Voldemort's relationship is in such a state that it is possible for them to see into and use one another's thoughts. The present state of their relationship is represented by the single snake. In the future, the connection between Harry and Voldemort will change, possibly after Voldemort is vanquished, and they will become more separate individuals with full mental freedom, represented by the splitting of the snake.
After this scene, Harry thinks that Dumbledore is using the information from the silver instrument to confirm his story, supporting my first idea, that the splitting of the snake represents the events of the single night. However, Harry truly does not understand exactly what is going on, so it is quite possible that Dumbledore is looking at something much larger than the attack on Mr. Weasley, supporting my second idea, that the splitting of the snake represents the change in the relationship between Harry and Voldemort over time. And of course, there is always the possibility that Dumbledore himself does not understand what he is seeing....
I think I am starting to understand the Changeling Hypothesis... let me know what you think of these ideas.
This is a little different from what you said, Anthony, but sort of similar:
Could the splitting of the snake represent the eventual divergence of Harry's soul and Riddle's soul within Harry's body? This idea sort of goes along with the Changeling Hypothesis - assuming that it is correct (which I am starting to think is highly possible). If Harry's soul and Riddle's soul are both contained inside Harry, they might eventually "grow up" to be different. Obviously, in Riddle's original life, he became very different than Harry seems to be. Could it be possible that although Harry's sould combined with Riddle's, they are bound by a relatively weak link, so to speak, and that it is possible for the two souls to come apart? If that is possible, it might be represented by the dividing of the snake, with the whole snake representing Harry (no idea why he would be a snake...) and the two parts representing the two halves of Harry - the Harry part and the Riddle part - separating? I will admit, I have no idea what would happen if this occured - but it would probably be some pretty bad internal conflict for Harry!
Could the splitting of the snake represent the eventual divergence of Harry's soul and Riddle's soul within Harry's body? This idea sort of goes along with the Changeling Hypothesis - assuming that it is correct (which I am starting to think is highly possible). If Harry's soul and Riddle's soul are both contained inside Harry, they might eventually "grow up" to be different. Obviously, in Riddle's original life, he became very different than Harry seems to be. Could it be possible that although Harry's sould combined with Riddle's, they are bound by a relatively weak link, so to speak, and that it is possible for the two souls to come apart? If that is possible, it might be represented by the dividing of the snake, with the whole snake representing Harry (no idea why he would be a snake...) and the two parts representing the two halves of Harry - the Harry part and the Riddle part - separating? I will admit, I have no idea what would happen if this occured - but it would probably be some pretty bad internal conflict for Harry!
If the snake represented the eventual divergence of Harry's soul and Riddle's soul within Harry's body, the single snake would not separate into two snakes. The whole reason why the "connected" Harry and Voldemart (regardless of which of the two situations outlined in my previous post were correct) would be represented by a snake in particular is because of Voldemort's influence on Harry's soul. If Voldemort's soul and Harry's soul divided completely within Harry, that would mean to say that Harry's soul was completely free of the influence of Voldemort's soul. Therefore, the single snake (Harry's & Voldemort's souls "connected" within Harry) would split into a snake (Voldemort's soul) and a lion/stag/some animal that represents Harry (Harry's soul). If Harry and Voldemort's souls ever completely separated within Harry, Harry's soul would no longer be represented by a snake, but something different that conveys his true personality. Therefore, I do not currently believe that Dumbledore's instrument could represent the splitting of Harry's and Voldemort's souls within Harry. If you have any other evidence to support your idea, though, I'll be prepared to believe it... if I can believe this Changeling Hypothesis, I think I can believe anything!
When I said that it might represent the Changeling Hypothesis, I meant that the single snake represented Voldemort before the Halloween of 1981, when he was at full power and causing chaos in the wizarding world. The splitting would then represent the AK rebounding off of Harry and splitting Voldemort's soul. The snakes curling around each other may represent the souls trying to reunite, thereby causing Harry pain in his scar when Voldemort is near/in his head. I remember that somewhere in CoS, it mentions that Harry seems to remember the name Tom Marvolo Riddle as a friend he had half forgotten before he had ever heard the name. Friend. Half forgotten. How could Harry know of Voldemort's muggle name and remember it as if it was a friend he couldn't remember anymore? Harry was alone in his infancy/childhood. The AK connection just transferred powers and possibly traits between the two recipients, not memories. The only possible thing I can come up with is that Harry recieved more than just a connection on that night long ago.
That makes so much sense, Bandoth! It just all came together for me. Voldemort was one single entity (snake) before he attacked Harry, and then the two parts of his soul split apart, and one went into Harry. The two parts of the soul are part of the same person, so they are only divided "in essence." And they want to become one again, so the part of Harry that is Tom Riddle tries to get out of him (through the scar, the way it got in - if anyone wants to see how we arrived at this idea, visit the thread The Scar) whenever Voldemort is near him, and he feels intense pain. This makes so much sense. I'm really starting to believe the Changeling Hypothesis - it seems like anything can be explained in terms of this theory.
Wow, this is a great theory you guys are formulating. The split-soul-Voldemort thingy explains a lot of little things that have been bugging me, like why Harry's GoF visions of Voldemort are veiwed from outside Voldemort's body, but in OotP his visions are from Voldemort's POV.
It does make an awful lot of sense, Bandoth...I have to agree. Take a look at this quote from OotP, Chp36, 'The Only One He Ever Feared'...
| QUOTE |
| For the first time, Dumbledore sounded frightened. Harry could not see why: the hall was quite empty but for themselves, the sobbing Bellatrix still trapped under the witch statue, and the baby phoenix Fawkes croaking feebly on the floor - Then Harry's scar burst open and he knew he was dead : it was pain beyond imagining, pain past endurance - He was gone from the hall, he was locked in the coils of a creature with red eyes, so tightly bound that Harry did not know wherer his body ended and the creature's began: they were fused together, bound by pain, and there was no escape - And when the creature spoke, it used Harry's mouth, so that in his agony he felt his jaw move... |
It would seem from that Voldmort did use Harry's scar to enter him - his scar 'burst open'.... More than that though, he and the snake were apparently 'bound' together...they were one and the same....and although Harry retained his own conscious soul, he was also possessed by Voldemort....I would have thought that's what the thing DD used was trying to represent.
Perhaps DD was worried about this possession business all along....you'll have to refresh my memory on whether that 'essence divided' quote was before or after the DoM because I can't find that bit in my book.....I think it's important. It might imply that DD has known all along what is going to happen...whether Harry and Voldmort's souls are joined and thus whether they both need to die in order for Voldemort to be completely destroyed.
This takes place during the Mr. Weasley vision scene. Mcgonnagal (I have no time to look up how to spell her name!) takes Harry to Dumbledore's office and Dumbledore brakes out this mechanical monstrosity. Note that Dumbledore nods "in grim satisfaction." He is satisfied, but not happy about what the machine is telling us. I really am starting to believe that it represents Voldemort. He needed Voldemort's presence, whether in the mind, or physically to use that machine it seems. The reason that Harry can make no sense out of the "in essence divided" question because it may have nothing to do with his vision. It may mean that part of Voldemort is missing so that if Voldemort himself was destroyed, part of him would remain in the world still. Again, we come back to the Changeling Hypothesis. It's sounding really nice right now. I really think that the twisting of the snakes means that Voldemort is trying to be whole again.
Yeah, that does make sense....particularly in light of the fact that DD used that machine before the events at the DoM....no wonder he looked so frightened when Voldemort disappeared....he must have realised what LV was about to do. So he can leave his body in order to possess someone else....what happens to his body, then? If his soul is speaking from within Harry, I mean....his body was gone....so his soul and body must be separate....that's kind of interesting, don't you think? Particularly when you consider the whole Changeling thing...and the whole 'two halves of the same person' bit......
I was just thinking as I read the thread, could this have to something to do with Voldemort taking Harry´s blood bor his rebirth? I mean, maybe that´s the reason of Dumbledore´s "look of triumph", that their essence got somehow mixed up with the ritual.
Maybe, and this is just my theory(meaning everybody´s free to criticise it, I´m no detective or a great invetigating mind either, and this sort of just came to my head now), as Voldemort has Harry´s blood inside him but Harry does not have Voldmort´s blood(even if he put a "bit of himself"in Harry the night he killed his parents) it can mean Voldemnort´s final downfall or something.
And that´s why it says the thing about "in essence divided", because there´s a bit of Voldemort in Harry and a bit of Harry in Voldemort.
Does any of this make any sense???????
Maybe, and this is just my theory(meaning everybody´s free to criticise it, I´m no detective or a great invetigating mind either, and this sort of just came to my head now), as Voldemort has Harry´s blood inside him but Harry does not have Voldmort´s blood(even if he put a "bit of himself"in Harry the night he killed his parents) it can mean Voldemnort´s final downfall or something.
And that´s why it says the thing about "in essence divided", because there´s a bit of Voldemort in Harry and a bit of Harry in Voldemort.
Does any of this make any sense???????
Good idea, Hallia... that's something that I hadn't even considered. As Bandoth said, maybe the splitting snakes has nothing to do with the vision. Maybe it has nothing to do with Voldemort's "split soul." Dumbledore definitely had that "glimmer of triumph" in his eyes at the end of "Goblet of Fire" for some reason that has yet to be revealed. The relationship between Harry and Voldemort must have changed in some way in that scene. It's possible that some of the things that we're attributing to the "split soul" and the scar from "Order of the Phoenix" in reality should be attributed to the fact that Harry and Voldemort now have the same blood. Hmm... don't know if I added much to the conversation there... but yeah, I agree with you. We're concentrating so much on the connection between Harry and Voldemort because of the scar, it's quite possible that we've been neglecting the blood relationship in our theories...
We're concentrating so much on the connection between Harry and Voldemort because of the scar, it's quite possible that we've been neglecting the blood relationship in our theories...
When Voldemort possesses Harry in the Atrium at the Ministry of Magic he leaves Harry when he starts thinking about Sirius, and filling his heart with emotion. And DD tells Harry later that there´s a room in the DoM that´s kept locked at all times that contains soimething more wonderful and more terrible than death, that Harry possesses, that hios emotions saved him. He also tells him that Voldemort can´t stand those emotions. Could taht be in the end what will save Harry from Voldemort?? 
I was reading OotP again and saw this chapter and began thinking about the undulating and dividing snakes, wodnering how they confirmed Harry's story and what they meant. I have read the previous posts, but wanted to see what people think about it now... 3 months later...
when i read this i did not have a clue on what it meant i just forgot about it but i bet whatever it is will make a comeback.
I was rereading OotP again, and I thought that maybe the "in essence divided" quote didn't refer to Harry's and LV's connection, but to the state in which LV was at that moment. I mean, LV at the moment when the snake attacked Mr. Weasley was in his body, but he was also possessing the snake, so maybe the "in essence divided" means that LV's essence was at that moment partially in his body and partially inside the snake.
You know, I've just closed a new thread that was opened on this subject and I thought...mmm....we should really know what Dumbledore was on about then by now and then it suddenly hit me - he must have been talking about Voldemort's soul, a precursor of the Horcrux storyline.
It might not be, I guess, but it kind of makes sense now, doesn't it? His soul being 'in essence, divided'?
Something to ponder on anyway....
It might not be, I guess, but it kind of makes sense now, doesn't it? His soul being 'in essence, divided'?
Something to ponder on anyway....
These are all very theories, but I think there is something very crucial in the wording that everyone seems to be overlooking. It appears people are approaching the passage as if it said "but <b>an</b> essence divided?" However, this is not what it says. What it says is "But <b>IN</b> essence divided", and there is a big difference between the two.
"An essence divided" would mean that an essence (the most intrinsic or indispensable property of something, an extract of something, or a spiritual entity) was literally divided in half by some sort of force or outside influence. And this seems to be the general consensous on what DD was saying, therefore all the theories consist of those ideas. However, this is not was DD was saying at all.
"IN essence divided" means something different. "In essence" is an idiom meaning 'by nature' or 'essentially'. So whatever is divided is not physically. So it actually could read "but essentially divided?" Which would mean at the heart or core of it, it's divided.
Futhermore, DD is suprised that whatever the snake is representing happens to be divided; he doesn't understand why it is divided. So he either doesn't understand why it's divided, or didn't think that it was in its nature to be divided in such a way.
So what I think so far is that whatever the snake represents is:
A. Divided in it's nature.
B. Not literally (or physically) divided.
c. And the division itself is puzzeling to Dumbledore.
KK, so now that all that's out of the way, I think it's obvious that DD is either talking about Voldy, Harry, or their relationship.
I can't at the moment theorize on what I think it might be that DD is referring to because I know of nothing of the top of might head that fits both A, B, and C. But I'll think it over and I'm sure I'll be back here soon with a good theory
but overall i think it probably has something to do with Voldemort being divided. Harry, we know, is divided, and the relationship between the two is divided. A snake is representative of Voldemort, and DD would definitely be suprised to find out that he was somehow divided over something.
I know that doesn't make much sense now if any at all haha, but ill fine tune that a bit later
"An essence divided" would mean that an essence (the most intrinsic or indispensable property of something, an extract of something, or a spiritual entity) was literally divided in half by some sort of force or outside influence. And this seems to be the general consensous on what DD was saying, therefore all the theories consist of those ideas. However, this is not was DD was saying at all.
"IN essence divided" means something different. "In essence" is an idiom meaning 'by nature' or 'essentially'. So whatever is divided is not physically. So it actually could read "but essentially divided?" Which would mean at the heart or core of it, it's divided.
Futhermore, DD is suprised that whatever the snake is representing happens to be divided; he doesn't understand why it is divided. So he either doesn't understand why it's divided, or didn't think that it was in its nature to be divided in such a way.
So what I think so far is that whatever the snake represents is:
A. Divided in it's nature.
B. Not literally (or physically) divided.
c. And the division itself is puzzeling to Dumbledore.
KK, so now that all that's out of the way, I think it's obvious that DD is either talking about Voldy, Harry, or their relationship.
I can't at the moment theorize on what I think it might be that DD is referring to because I know of nothing of the top of might head that fits both A, B, and C. But I'll think it over and I'm sure I'll be back here soon with a good theory
but overall i think it probably has something to do with Voldemort being divided. Harry, we know, is divided, and the relationship between the two is divided. A snake is representative of Voldemort, and DD would definitely be suprised to find out that he was somehow divided over something.
I know that doesn't make much sense now if any at all haha, but ill fine tune that a bit later
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.