Will Harry master Occlumency in Deathly Hallows?

[Harrys_Scar]

Originally Posted by potterbuff

At the end of the day, despite his "breeding", Draco isn't as great a wizard as he likes to think he is. Lucius has implied that he's been disappointed with Draco on a few occasions (none of which spring to mind at the moment - typical!). Harry is a much stroger wizard & as the old addage goes, anything you can do I can do better! Course Harry'll do it. He's the great Harry Potter!!!!

Well said
i totally agree

[MHPFAN]

Originally Posted by DeathlyHallower

I think Harry has to master non-verbal spells a little better, but not Occlumency. There are just some things everyone is bound to be bad at, and Occlumency is Harry's weak point because of his emotions (which are ironically also his strength). I don't think when he next encounters Snape, that Snape will bother attempting Legilimency on him (I think they'll likely be fighting), and Voldemort can't use it on Harry without risking a window into his own thoughts, which he has closed during HBP.

I agree. I think he might be using Occlumency, but I highly doubt he will become a professional at it.

[Lypheliver]

Harry's too reckless to master occlumency, he lets his emotions take over - he hasn't got the will power to succeed.

[Harrys_Scar]

Originally Posted by MHPFAN

I agree. I think he might be using Occlumency, but I highly doubt he will become a professional at it.

i don't believe he'll become brilliant at it either but he needs to become good enough at it to keep most ligiilmens out of his mind

[MHPFAN]

Originally Posted by Harrys_Scar

i don't believe he'll become brilliant at it either but he needs to become good enough at it to keep most ligiilmens out of his mind

Exactly, which is why I believe he will be using it, but not master it.

[Lypheliver]

The only legillimens I see in the next book are, Voldemort & Snape - urr, I don't think Harry stands a chance when they're using their full ability.

[Harrys_Scar]

exactly

[Lypheliver]

Originally Posted by Harrys_Scar

exactly

Heh', you agree with the fact that Harry isn't this telented little boy that we all wish he was?

[Nellas]

Originally Posted by Lypheliver

Heh', you agree with the fact that Harry isn't this telented little boy that we all wish he was?

So do I.
It's sad because he’s the hero, but I think some of us can agree that it will not be his magical skills (school stuff) that will be the end of LV (working on something involving this, so this post won’t be long, more will come later) but a mixture of a lot of things....

[Vampire_Girl]

I think Harry will be able to do Occlumency, but not as well as Snape or Draco.

[CelestLBeing]

Harry has given up on Occlumency, canon from JKR, in the following interview:

Anelli, Melissa and Emerson Spartz. "The Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling: Part Two," The Leaky Cauldron, 16 July 2005

JKR: Well, I'm glad you think so, because I enjoyed this one. Draco did a lot of growing up in this book as well. I had an interesting discussion, I thought, with my editor Emma, about Draco. She said to me, "So, Malfoy can do Occlumency," which obviously Harry never mastered and has now pretty much given up on doing, or attempting. And she was querying this and wondering whether he should be as good as it, but I think Draco would be very gifted in Occlumency, unlike Harry. Harry’s problem with it was always that his emotions were too near the surface and that he is in some ways too damaged. But he's also very in touch with his feelings about what's happened to him. He's not repressed, he's quite honest about facing them, and he couldn't suppress them, he couldn't suppress these memories. But I thought of Draco as someone who is very capable of compartmentalizing his life and his emotions, and always has done. So he's shut down his pity, enabling him to bully effectively. He's shut down compassion — how else would you become a Death Eater? So he suppresses virtually all of the good side of himself. But then he's playing with the big boys, as the phrase has it, and suddenly, having talked the talk he's asked to walk it for the first time and it is absolutely terrifying. And I think that that is an accurate depiction of how some people fall into that kind of way of life and they realize what they're in for. I felt sorry for Draco. Well, I’ve always known this was coming for Draco, obviously, however nasty he was.

[minoritymuggle]

It could be that Harry's moderate occlumency skills are what will allow LV to delve too deep and get "caught up" in some way with his polar opposite. As I seem to remember, when LV and HP are "mentally touching" each other, each suffers as a result.

Imagine, for example, LV delving deep into Harry's mind as Harry recollects all the kindness and love he's experienced as a by-product of LV's actions against HP, his family and his friends. Now imagine HP holding LV in his own mind [through sheer will once HP recognizes he's hurting LV with the memories] to force the experience onto LV.

I can see it killing LV and being quite painful as it does.

[Leslie33]

If Harry wants a snowball's chance in Florida, then he HAS to master Occlumency. He won't be able to "Just get by" or scrape by. He's going to have to master it and be as good as Snape is. This is where I think Snape will come in. Even if he's only in the background, I truly believe Snape's the ONLY Wizard who can really help Harry MASTER Occlumency. He's the only one who will keep the lesson going when Harry gets injured. While someone like Hermione will stop the lesson the minute Harry gets a scratch. So IMHO, it's not a question of "will". He HAS to in order to have a fighting chance.
Whether or not he can, I hope so. From the way I interpret things, he's going to have to put aside his emotions--including grief, anger and the thirst for vengeance in order to FOCUS and CONCENTRATE on things. He wasn't able to do it in OOTP, primarily because of all people, Professor Severus SNAPE was teaching him. Which brings me to another point.
Another reason why I think Dumbledore chose Snape to teach Harry Occlumency was because in order to learn it, he would also have to put aside his hatred for Snape to learn it. Also, I think he was trying, in some way that you have to work with people you don't necessarily like. Part of the reason I think Harry didn't learn it was because SNAPE was teaching him. Snape didn't make it all "fun and games" like Lupin did with DADA in his third year. All Harry saw was "Snape, the Greasy GIT" and couldn't see past it. Okay, Snape is really tough, as I said, kind of like a Gymnastics Coach. He had that "I know you broke your leg and you're in pain, but what do we say "SUCK IT UP". Snape knows Voldemort is going to be very cruel, very cold and not show any mercy.
Now Harry is going to have to buckle down and REALLY learn it. Whether he can master it, I don't know.

[magical4life]

I think he will definately be able to do so. He needs to learn so nobody can find out about is plans. Voldemort could very easily break into his mind. And plus, I don't think he will have as much trouble with it if he teaches himself rather than having Snape teach him. He can already black people from controlling him with the unforgivable curse so he should be able to learn the other pretty fast. Part of me thinks that he didn't learn from snape because he loathed him and/or snape was preventing him from learning it.

[RBR]

Originally Posted by magical4life

I think he will definately be able to do so. He needs to learn so nobody can find out about is plans. Voldemort could very easily break into his mind. And plus, I don't think he will have as much trouble with it if he teaches himself rather than having Snape teach him. He can already black people from controlling him with the unforgivable curse so he should be able to learn the other pretty fast. Part of me thinks that he didn't learn from snape because he loathed him and/or snape was preventing him from learning it.

I agree that the experience from the imperius will help. I also think He'll find it easier if he teaches his self or somone else teaches himm, Snape probably was trying to hard to get into Harry's mind

[Iqen]

I doubt Harry will master Occlumency fully, but I think he'll improve and get quite good at it.

[mystic_22]

I highly doubt Harry will every be able progress any further in occlumency..
The whole idea of Harry being the chosen one because of his power to love and to feel would be defied if Harry managed to surpress his feeling..
Harry an never keep his tmper.. He is too passionate about life to be able to master the art of keeping you're cool..
Harry as Professor Snape says wears his heart proudly on his sleeve. And that as Dumbledore tells us is his greatest strenght.
However it is obvious that Harry does need t prevent other people from reaching into his mind..
Maybe Hremione will be able to come up with something??

[rubeus06]

he HAS to

[thrawn]

I think Harry needs to learn occlumency at least to some degree. I feel this just for when hes duelling Voldemort. He doesn't need to be as good as Snape to do this, because Voldemort's attention in a duel won't be solely focussed on breaking into Harry's mind, so even a bit of occlumency on Harry's behalf could at least stop him from seeing what spell he is going to cast. I should think he needs to learn to be a legilimens though. I think Harry alone has the potential to break through Voldemorts and Snapes occlumency defences. Not because he would be incredibly good at it but because he is a source of great irritation and anger towards them. Look at Snape vs Harry in the HBP. Snape wasn't able to contain his emotions too well when Harry baited him about being a coward. Harry could use this against both Snape and Voldemort in the last book I believe to his benefit, but we will just have to wait and see.

[LMD101]

I believe Harry will need to try to improve in Occulmency, but I don't think he'll be successful. Two of the characters we've seen who have succeeded to some degree at Occulmency (Snape and Draco) are able to do what Harry cannot. Rowling has said that one main difference between Harry and Draco (and by extension him and Snape) is that Draco is able to compartmentalise his emotions and to an extent, shut them out. Harry finds it difficult, and is almost unable to do this. He reacts on feeling and impulse. It is his gift, but it is also a great disadvantage to practice Occulmency. However, when it comes to magic which involves the mind so directly, I do think that Harry's limited understanding of Occulmency and his great 'Love' will play a part in the defeat of Voldemort. I can imagine Harry using both to turn the tables on Voldemort. It's been suggested before, but I do see it as a distinct possibility, going by Harry's failure to date to really try at Occulmency, and the reasons why this might be.