The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

The value of Harry's debt is punching above its weight in Summer Knight

(1/7) > >>

Hankthemoose:
I'm rereading Summer Knight, and two things really stuck out to me.

-Lea was under the influence of the athame when she sold Harry's debt to Mab.

-Mab considered Harry's debt to Lea—at the time of Summer Knight!—to be of equal value to Morgana's Athame, which Lea says has similar value as a Sword, not because of what it is, but because of who's it is.

At this time, Harry is not anything particularly special, beyond the fact that he has a debt. It sounds like, though, lots of wizards occasionally indebt themselves to the Sidhe, though few probably do so to someone on Lea's level. Why would Mab allow Lea to keep the Athame in exchange for Harry's debt?

kbrizzle:
I was under the impression that Lea was forced to sell her debt to Mab since possession of both the athame + Harry’s debt made her too powerful individually (upset the balance of power in the Winter hierarchy).

There are 2 ways to look at the value of Harry’s debt.

* As a Starborn & future top 5 wizard, Harry has a lot more power than he is aware of in SK. Having him bonded to Winter (since his proclivities seem to be towards Summer) early is a great idea & may actually be equal in value to a Sword or the athame.
* The other way of looking at it is that Harry’s debt is valuable, but not as much as a Sword or athame. If Lea+Athame+Debt = too powerful, perhaps by taking away the Debt, Mab has rebalanced things back in the Winter Court
This part is my WAG about what likely happened between SK-Changes:
Unfortunately the power grab after GP made Lea #3 in Winter, not powerful enough to take on Mab who is #2 (#1 would be MW), but more powerful than Maeve who is the current #3. Mab obviously wants Lea back down to #4 position to keep the hierarchy of the Court in order, so she orders Lea to give up her debt to Harry in compensation as well as all her knowledge about him (including the fact that he is a Starborn). This is why Lea tells Harry to never let Mab bring him to the Stone Table in both SK & Changes - Mab is now aware that Harry is a Starborn & may decide to sacrifice him there if such a need should arise.
Of course after Maeve gets Nfected & Lea cured, Mab decides to make her #3 anyway. Lea will likely stay at #3 until Molly is fully trained - in ~5-10 years.

Eguzky:
I did not think Leah sold her debt at all; Mab was doing Leah's duties while she was being cured of her Nemfection, since Leah was Mab's vassal, and so Mab had to be a good ruler and take up her Vassal's duties and obligations as a balance for rendering said Vassal unable to do them herself?

It's been a bit, so I could be misremembering.

nadia.skylark:

--- Quote ---I did not think Leah sold her debt at all; Mab was doing Leah's duties while she was being cured of her Nemfection, since Leah was Mab's vassal, and so Mab had to be a good ruler and take up her Vassal's duties and obligations as a balance for rendering said Vassal unable to do them herself?

It's been a bit, so I could be misremembering.
--- End quote ---

You're misremembering, yeah. Lea sold Harry's debt to her to Mab somewhere between Grave Peril and Summer Knight. This is a separate thing from Lea's duties as Harry's godmother, which Mab was fulfilling while she had Lea imprisoned.

Eguzky:
Ah yes, I remember now. Mab shows Harry she has his debt by making him stab his own hand.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page