Gandalf is a fraud?!

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by alatar

What I like about LotR is that 'magic' is understated. As the Elves would say, it's not really magic as in the Potter sense, but just a subtler understanding of the world.

Exactly. Unlike D&D (wherein just any Tom, Dick and Harry Potter can sling spells), magic-use in Middle-earth is an inherent power, more akin to an innate physical ability (like the heightened acuities of the Elves). What the original poster (or rather, the poster the OP quoted) fails to understand is that using power against power was not part of Gandalf's mission; in fact, he and the other Istari ('wizard' being a handy Westron term that in no way really defines their character) were required to forego the elements of their true manifestation (which would be wholly spirit form), and became incarnate, that is, accept the bodily frailties of man. Their Maiaric powers were hooded and in some cases reduced.

The rest of the quoted poster's melange of misreadings betrays a lack of knowledge on the subject, and does not account for Gandalf's mention in numerous instances outside the Lord of the Rings (the Silmarillion, HoMe, Tolkien's letters, etc.) where his Maiaric presence is voluminously noted.