Dumbledore's gleam(long)

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 30780

Ladjables:"My point (and I do have one) is that someone as brilliant 
as Dumbledore, if he were evil, would never let the mask slip.  He is 
as unfathomable as they come."

You're probably right, but I can' believe Dumbledore is evil. If he 
is, then Rowling has done a terrible disservice to her readers. It 
would teach her younger readers that

*No one is to be trusted, and everybody will betray you sooner or 
later.

*Good is unreal and an illusion, evil is real.

*This world is no damn good.

*Don't believe in anything.

So far JKR has been consistently on the side of good fighting evil. 
How could she do a 180? It might be the ending for our cynical age, 
but I would want no part of it, and I don't think JKR is doing it.

Ladjables:"Dumbledore had reasons for letting Harry see that gleam of 
triumph that disappears so quickly.  It's great that we can ponder its 
meaning but if Harry saw it too, I don't think Dumbledore is evil.  
It's not JKR's style to let the hero in on the secret."

I don't agree Dumbledore *let* Harry see 'the gleam'. I've already 
said my reasons I reject the notion Dumbledore is evil. 

JKR didn't let Harry in on any secret, either. Instead, she gave him, 
and us, another mystery.

Now here's a moral dilemna: Suppose you were Dumbledore and just 
noticed that Voldemort had made his greatest and fatal mistake, the 
one that would lead to his ultimate downfall, by taking Harry's blood 
into himself. The kicker is that Voldemort's downfall (at least 
through his blood-bond with Harry) will lead unavoidably to Harry's 
death.  Do you sacrifice one very special young wizard to save 
hundreds or thousands in the wizard world?