Dumbledore's past

[Rosmerta]

No: HPFGUIDX 21247

Since I inadvertently cut off discussion (see Penny's post) of Dave's 
wondering if there are parallels between Dumbledore's past and 
resistance fighters in WWII, maybe I should be the person to revive 
it: 

It seems pretty clear, given Dumbledore's relationship with authority 
(amused, not ambitious--he humors Fudge as long as he can but with 
the gentle condescension of one who turned down the man's job) and 
his stature in the community (if he *is* the most powerful wizard we 
see in the books, what's he doing running a boarding school--unless, 
of course, he's doing a lot of other stuff on the side, and the 
boarding school's mission is to raise like-minded and like-talented 
wizards) that he's a behind-the-scenes kind of operative. And 
certainly his "remember Cedric Diggory" speach, his "parting of the 
ways" stance with the MOM, and his olive branches to the giants and 
other undesirables indicate he's getting his underground connections 
in place. So all of those would indicate resistance-fighter 
personality: wants to win the war, doesn't much care for the glory, 
just the outcome (and the lowest body count possible, because he *is* 
still headmaster and these are his students). 

This ties into the "end of an era" discussion, but I do think all of 
the above would make him a candidate to be removed as headmaster by a 
Fudge-fueled smear campaign in book V, which would make him truly a 
resistance fighter working completely underground. Don't forget how 
quietly he went when Malfoy kicked him out in CoS! It's not his 
nature to grandstand and make the big political gestures. 

~Rosmerta