[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Harry Potter and God

[Lee Storm (God Is The Healing Force)]

[Carol wrote]:
| Dumbledore chooses to die by the hand of a trusted associate, 
| a coup de
| grace and/or euthanasia rather than be murdered (and just 
| possibly pass the
| power of the Elder Wand to the DE who killed him). Whether he 
| could have
| chosen to die from the combination or the curse and the 
| potion, allowing
| weakness to overcome him, I don't know. He seems not to have 
| wanted that to
| happen ("Severus, please!), perhaps either way, ring or 
| potion, he'd have
| been killed by Voldemort and perhaps that would make 
| Voldemort the master of
| the Elder Wand, or a valid contender in the wand's view, even 
| though Draco
| has Disarmed DD. (Either that or he's desperately making sure 
| that Snape
| survives to follow through with his--DD's--plans, which can't 
| happen if
| Snape falls dead from the broken UV. 
| 

[MD]:
| The Elder Wand passed to the person who disarmed him, Draco, 
| not his killer.
| By choosing to die that night he saved Draco from either 
| being a murderer or
| from getting killed and he cemented Snape's position with 
| Voldy making his
| death an act of sacrifice for the good of others.

[Lee]:
I can agree with that.  As to what it does for my faith?  well, can we say
"Martyr?"  Dumbledore knew that if Snape didn't protect Draco he (Snape)
would die, as Carol pointed out.  Dumbledore has the long view, so to speak.
He knows things Snape does not and knows what's needed to fulfill the
prophecy.  He's pieced the puzzle together.  Perhaps one could say that his
need to use the resurrection stone was predestined because it gave Snape a
way to protect Draco an still have the final act fulfilled--the death of
Dumbledore.  Obviously, Dumbledore was hoping that Snape would gain the
wand, but it didn't turn out that way.

And, perhaps, that's a good thing; we don't know if such power would have
tipped the balance if Snape gained the elder wand; we can only believe that
things happened the way they were *meant* to happen.

IMO, this means that, knowing how the prophecy must end, Dumbledore
willingly became a martyr to the cause.

So, from a Christian perspective, we are all tools of God to be used by Him;
in that light, Dumbledore knew that he and Snape and Draco were tools to be
used in whatever way was necessary to fulfill the prophecy.  Dumbledore was
a willing participant.  Snape was more resistant until the end when he
realized his importance and then gave all that he had to Harry...not just
what Dumbledore wanted him to know, but *Everything*!

How many times does God want something of us and we respond with kicking and
screaming rather than praying and giving over?  More times than we want to
admit, I'm afraid.  It's a human response to not liking having someone else
know more and be in more control...true? :)

Peace,

Lee :-)