DD's intellectual attraction to GG (Wa: One reporter reacts to JKR's revelations

[Carol]

Elisabet wrote:
> <snip>
DD's big mistake was being seduced - intellectually and morally - by 
> Grindlewald <snip>

Carol responds:
Not to argue with you as it's a matter of interpretation, but I don't
think that Albus was morally and intellectually seduced by
Grindelwald. He was already attracted to the same ideas; he just
wasn't willing to take them quite so far (an army of Inferi, for
example). His mistake, IMO, was blinding himself to Gellert's darker
side (rather like the young Severus Snape blinding himself to the
darker side of Slytherin). If you see someone as a mirror of yourself,
as I think Albus saw Gellert, you don't want to see their flaws (or
your own). Of course, once Ariana was killed and Gellert fled the
scene (whether or not he actually cast the spell that killed her), it
was harder (maybe impossible) for Albus to hide the truth from himself
(which he should already have known or guessed if only because of
Gellert's expulsion from, of all places, Durmstrang). Of course,
actually liking or being attracted to GG would have made him all the
more reluctant to see faults in his new friend.

That he was attracted by GG's ideas I don't for a moment deny. I just
don't think that he was seduced by them. IMO. he just liked the idea
of finding an intellectual equal (especially one who was charming and
lively and amusing) who shared his dreams of dominating the Muggles,
with the difference that Albus at least gave lip service to the
concept of ruling responsibly, whereas Gellert already believed that
might makes right.

Just my view of the matter.

Carol, wondering what Albus's views would have been if the Muggle boys
had left Ariana alone