Author Topic: Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?  (Read 1857 times)

Offline groinkick

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Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?
« on: July 16, 2021, 05:06:36 AM »
In the books Harry has had some gaps in his memory, and other things that suggest he may have had his mind messed with.  Eb as the Blackstaff does have the authority to mess with Harry's mind if he deems it necessary.  This could be a pretty big deal from a story perspective if Harry finds out that his grandfather has messed with his mind, so it would make some sense. 

If I had to guess it would be memories removed, blocked or altered.  He'd have done it to protect Harry, or because he thought he was doing the right thing (sounds a lot like Harry).  If so I think Eb would restore them when he's about to die.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2021, 05:08:10 AM by groinkick »
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Offline Mira

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Re: Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2021, 11:10:18 AM »


He had a good chance when he soul gazed young sixteen year old Harry who wouldn't understand at that point what was being done to him.  And he may have had orders to do so.

Offline Yuillegan

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Re: Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2021, 03:45:19 PM »
It wouldn't surprise me. He also has plenty of possible motives.

It's also a pretty useful story mechanic. I can see Jim doing it for tension and other reasons. That being said I am not sure we have seen evidence of it - surely Molly would have picked up on it?

Offline Mira

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Re: Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2021, 04:37:13 PM »
It wouldn't surprise me. He also has plenty of possible motives.

It's also a pretty useful story mechanic. I can see Jim doing it for tension and other reasons. That being said I am not sure we have seen evidence of it - surely Molly would have picked up on it?

Maybe not, when she did her own tampering of Harry's mind she wasn't all that experienced at it.  Also wasn't she looking for specific things at the request of her father?  Also hadn't Mab done a bit as well, and as we know if she doesn't want anyone to know, they won't.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2021, 06:36:20 PM by Mira »

Offline Basil

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Re: Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2021, 09:56:50 PM »
Has McCoy renovated Dresden's mind?  It's possible and he has the means and opportunity to do so in the past. 

I'd say, however, that he hasn't.  He seems to have grown a good deal as a mentor between Margaret and Harry.  He seems to have been very teachy and hard on Margaret, which inevitably caused part of her rebellion.  He seems to have been more "lead by example" and hands off with Harry in their time together.

Offline KurtinStGeorge

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Re: Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2021, 11:29:20 PM »
If Eb didn't "mess with Harry's mind" in the past, the next question is will Ebenezer be motivated enough to mess with Harry's brain in the future?  I could see that happening.  Ebenezer doesn't want to get into another fight with Harry and accidentally kill him, so I could see Eb deciding to use the Blackstaff for "Harry's own good."

I'm pretty sure that Eb could do it without anyone noticing it, but there would still be clues.  It would probably depend on Harry's friends or allies picking up on unusual changes in Harry's behavior or memory, just like Michael did before.  One problem Harry might have if he was alerted to the mind tampering is he might not know who to blame.  So it might be difficult for Harry to ask Molly to see if she could pick up the magical residue of the perpetrator if she's a possible suspect. 
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Offline Basil

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Re: Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2021, 01:24:16 AM »
He might be tempted, but all of the White Council has leveled up their mental defense training and Harry practiced against Molly.  Molly was very talented at that sort of warfare and frankly each of them was the "worst case" scenario for each other.  I suspect that it would take more skill that McCoy possesses to break into Harry's mind now.

Offline Snark Knight

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Re: Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?
« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2021, 03:16:32 AM »
I'm pretty sure someone messed around with his memories of confronting Justin and the Walker as a teenager. It seems suspicious that he remembered the events a lot more clearly, and maybe differently, while temporarily deadish.


I'm pretty sure that Eb could do it without anyone noticing it, but there would still be clues.  It would probably depend on Harry's friends or allies picking up on unusual changes in Harry's behavior or memory, just like Michael did before.

It strikes me that the sudden absence of two of the most likely characters most likely to notice something off - Karrin and Thomas - would be a particularly bad time for something like that to happen to the protagonist. So it's probably tempting for Jim to write, especially into a plot where Michael isn't very involved.

Offline Mira

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Re: Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2021, 05:13:45 AM »


As I said, if he did mess with Harry's memories Eb would have done it when he soul gazed him as a sixteen year old kid.  I think Harry would realize it now if someone messed with his head, but then again he didn't when either Molly or Mab did.

Offline Ed0517

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Re: Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?
« Reply #9 on: July 17, 2021, 08:30:43 AM »
If he had, it might have been removed... remember, Mab messed with Harry's head ... and Michael laid hands on and asked him to be healed... and Mab's blocks were gone.  Michael did not specify what to remove... possibly all blocks were taken out.

Offline Kindler

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Re: Has Eb ever messed with Harry's mind?
« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2021, 06:08:47 PM »
Possibly. Eb was in town at the beginning of Proven Guilty. Some tampering might explain some of the weirdness in that book.