Dumbledore

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 1261

Hi all --

Heidi -- I've been meaning to comment that I *loved* your son's contest
entry -- very clever.  I hope he wins, and I assume his age will require
that they allow one or both parents to attend the dinner with him.  Said
parent(s) can then engage in asking all our most pressing questions.
Did anyone else from this group enter the contest (Alicia/Sue, Scott,
Jeremy)???

Vivienne - thanks for your thoughts on the Lammas Night WWII issue.
Unfortunately, both the "Magical Battle for Britain" and the fictional
account by Kurtz ("Lammas Night") are both out of print.  I will
continue to search on ebay, alibris.com, etc.  But, in the meantime, I
decided to request inter-library loans.  Interesting issue.

DUMBLEDORE

I agree with Jim that it would be a betrayal of sorts if JKR made
Dumbledore evil at some point in the series.  It would undercut a number
of messages that she seems to be making (or attempting to convey)
through the books.

On the other hand, I don't know that I view any of the characters as
completely black or white.  I think this is basically Neil's point.  If
we approach it as continuum with pure white at the furtherest left point
of the line & pure black at the furtherest right point, where do the
characters fall?  Voldemort may well be pure black, but it's also likely
that there's just a spot or 2 of white somewhere in his character that
would place him just to the left of pure black on the continuum.
Possible.  It's also possible that he belongs in pure black -- hard to
know at this point.

The good guys -- are they really pure white?  Or, are they fallible
human beings, despite being magical?  I think the latter makes more
sense.  That's not to say that they're to the right of the mid-point or
even at the mid-point.  They are all probably much more white than
black.  But, isn't it likely that there is *some* gray area there?
Having failings or a weak spot or 2 in your character doesn't make you
*evil.*  I think that even though one of the over-arching themes of the
books seems to be the classic "good v evil" conflict, the characters
probably aren't quite so rigidly defined.

Don't most of us believe that Harry's moral compass will be tested at
some point in the books?  So far he makes the *right* decisions.  But, I
would be surprised if our hero doesn't experience any inner conflict or
turmoil at some point in this epic.  Dumbledore may well have resolved
his own conflicts in favor of the "good side" but it's just as likely
that he'll continue to confront new personal, moral challenges
throughout his life.

<<<We don't revere them to the extent Harry does and we're more aware of
their humanity.  However, this does not make Dumbledore a secret
undercover servant of Voldemort.  To distrust someone merely because he
does not live up to godlike standards is the mark of an immature
mind.>>>

I liked everything you said up until that last sentence Jinx.  I don't
think anyone who has expressed doubts about the pure goodness of
Dumbledore has done so because he falls short of "godlike standards."
It's because he is fallible (as you pointed out) that we adult readers
have reason to believe that he may not be *pure* white.  But, I don't
think any of us are holding him to "godlike standards."  And, when
you're dealing with JKR's fiction (where's she known to pull all sorts
of surprising plot twists on her readers) -- I don't know that distrust
isn't a bit deserved (rather than the "mark of an immature mind").

Like Neil -- I doubt any of us can accurately predict what JKR has in
store for Albus Dumbledore in the remaining 3 books.  It's fun to guess
but it's just that -- a guess.  Speculation.

Penny