Star and Stones

[OutsideIn]

Listens

If Star Borns are so important why is listens in the field life at risk. Listens even used his own value in leverage for his life with Ethnic...
Starborns seem to be dwindling...

Confirmed Starborns?
Harry
Elaine (unless months separation is enough)
Listens
Drakul
....?
And how many does the council have since they've been trying to eliminate Harry?
And what does Listens know about it, he seems to know something...

[OutsideIn]

There was a complex confluence of events, of energies, of circumstances that would have given a child born under them the potential to wield power over Outsiders.
— LASH TO HARRY DRESDEN

"Child of the Stars" HWWB

Lea said HWWB was trying to "mold" Harry

Every 666 years "mark of the beast"/man

[vincentric]

You don't get to be the best without some practical experience. You can train to a very high level, but you still want some actual on the job training.  Listen is in the field just like Harry, because they need to be used to these types of situations or they won't be ready at the ultimate moment.

[Mira]

You don't get to be the best without some practical experience. You can train to a very high level, but you still want some actual on the job training.  Listen is in the field just like Harry, because they need to be used to these types of situations or they won't be ready at the ultimate moment.

  Harry has more or less been tested since he was sixteen.

[vincentric]

  Harry has more or less been tested since he was sixteen.

And according to Mab, who was around for the last Stars and Stones, he's just now rounding into shape. Listen has been the point man for the Formor in Chicago, so he has a similar role. Near death experiences caused by their given assignments are pretty common for both of them. Perhaps the "forged in fire" training is the only way to get the Starborn ready for the big event.

[beauharlan]

  Harry has more or less been tested since he was sixteen.

He must have gone through many difficult trials

[Mira]

He must have gone through many difficult trials

  Yeah, we have no clue as to what or whom shaped Listen or Drakul to make them what they are today.  Again, I think it goes back to the guy that Margaret chose to be the father of her starborn child, Malcolm.  That's why again and again, it is mentioned that Harry inherited his father's good heart.  That sets Harry apart for the other two known starborns, and could be the main reason why the early attempts by Justin etc failed to mold him.  If I remember correctly it wasn't until she met and fell in love with Malcolm did Margaret decide to conceive a starborn child.

[g33k]

... Star Borns ...
Elaine (unless months separation is enough)
...

Elaine confirmed per WoJ to have potential to be a starborn.

Months (even days) of separation is, I think, too much:  our "prospective starborns" list is only a few long, after all... but with over 10 million births per month worldwide, we'd be swimming in starborns if the window/potential is open for multiple months.

[Mira]

Elaine confirmed per WoJ to have potential to be a starborn.

Months (even days) of separation is, I think, too much:  our "prospective starborns" list is only a few long, after all... but with over 10 million births per month worldwide, we'd be swimming in starborns if the window/potential is open for multiple months.

Potential isn't the same as is, not to say she couldn't be, but it may be a tease like both Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom both  potentially fit the prophecy to be the one to take down Voldemort.

[g33k]

Potential isn't the same as is, not to say she couldn't be, but it may be a tease like both Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom both  potentially fit the prophecy to be the one to take down Voldemort.

Except that being a Starborn isn't a unique & singular thing, a "chosen one" (emphasis on one) of prophesy:  we already know there are others wandering round the Dresdenverse.

For reference, the WoJ specifically says:

Q:  Is Elaine another candidate to wield power over Outsiders (the way Harry supposedly is)?
A:  Yes.  There’s a reason Justin picked the two of them.

You're correct, this doesn't pin down Elaine as absolutely a Starborn; but it is very-strongly implied here (unless Jim's channeling his "inner Mab" to weasel some misleading implications into the fandom... an undeniable possibility!)

[Mira]

[Except that being a Starborn isn't a unique & singular thing, a "chosen one" (emphasis on one) of prophesy:  we already know there are others wandering round the Dresdenverse.

However it is rare..  Also in my opinion Harry will have qualities that will set him apart from other star born.

You're correct, this doesn't pin down Elaine as absolutely a Starborn; but it is very-strongly implied here (unless Jim's channeling his "inner Mab" to weasel some misleading implications into the fandom... an undeniable possibility!)

Weaseling indeed..  Why Justin picked the two of them can mean both could be star born.. Or since both have some of the right aliments of the stars, with two tickets he increased his chances of winning the star born lottery..   

[g33k]

... can mean both could be star born.. Or since both have some of the right aliments of the stars, with two tickets he increased his chances of winning the star born lottery.. 

As I so often do, I'll chant the magic words, "I don't think we have enough information to be sure."

My best surmise is that Justin had no way to be certain, by himself...  But maybe Mab does?  Maybe Justin bought "two wizard-children, Starborn" from the fae.

Or maybe the Outsiders themselves know?  Harry believes Justin summoned HWWBehind, and if that's correct, Justin could have been following Outsider info-sources.

Or, as you say, maybe he was just playing Starborn Lotto.  Birth certificates would list date&time of birth.

[Mira]

Or maybe the Outsiders themselves know?  Harry believes Justin summoned HWWBehind, and if that's correct, Justin could have been following Outsider info-sources.

My memory of Harry's flashback provided by Lea in Ghost Story is fuzzy, but if I remember it correctly Justin didn't summon HWWBehind.  So in that case he may have been going for the star born lottery..

[LordDresden2]

As I so often do, I'll chant the magic words, "I don't think we have enough information to be sure."

My best surmise is that Justin had no way to be certain, by himself...  But maybe Mab does?  Maybe Justin bought "two wizard-children, Starborn" from the fae.

Or maybe the Outsiders themselves know?  Harry believes Justin summoned HWWBehind, and if that's correct, Justin could have been following Outsider info-sources.

Or, as you say, maybe he was just playing Starborn Lotto.  Birth certificates would list date&time of birth.

I think that's actually a key question.  We know from word of JB that the various powers who might be looking for Harry, such as Ebenezar, as well as less well-intentioned folk, lost track after Margaret died, but we've never been told how or why.  It might party be Lea, she might have been working to hide and protect Malcolm and Harry in secret, but I suspect there's more to it than that.

So the question of how they came to Justin's attention may be a really important one.

[Mira]

So the question of how they came to Justin's attention may be a really important one.

Very much so, a possible explanation is Justin still had connection with the Wardens, so would get intelligence of awaking talent in some kids.. However that doesn't work because we know from Proven Guilty that most talented kids fall through the cracks.  So who knows?  A very important question indeed.