Leading Into Temptation (TBAY style)

[Grey Wolf]

No: HPFGUIDX 47458

Melody stopped and smiled twinkled-eye to Grey Wolf.  "Now, which is it
you follow then?  Bait or Non-bait?"

Grey Wolf's face contorted into a depredator's grin and said "You will 
discover, Mel, just as I did, that there is a difference between 
knowing the path and walking the path."

"And what is *that* supposed to mean, Grey?"

"That just because I'm willing to expand a possibility it does not mean 
that I automatically believe in it. In fact, most of my non-MD 
contributions to the list are expositions of the prevalecent takes on a 
circumstance - the theories around it, if you will. If you'll allow me 
the chalk for a moment..." Grey Wolf extended it paw, and Meldoy 
deposited the chalk in it. Grey Wolf held it very carefully, and went 
towards the blackboard.

"I'm going to start with a little history lesson, if you don't mind" 
said grey Wolf, while turning the blackboard to present a clean side, 
"You see, Mel, the original MD theory does not state anything about 
what goes on in the PS year. Pip was just examining the SS in that 
first post. One of my first contributions to the theory (what I call 
patches) was the fact that, for the potion to work, other methods of 
resurrection/recorporation that were better had to be discouraged. At 
that point, the bait theory hadn't been proposed yet, and thus we went 
for the non-bait: that the stone had been protected to discourage 
Voldemort from using that method" Grey Wolf circled the words 
'protected PS' and joined them with a line to 'Flawed potion plan'.

"Then, you came along and made an adition to the theory: that maybe the 
stone was a bait and that it was designed to pit Harry and Voldemort 
toghether to see if Voldemort could be destroyed that way". Grey Wolf 
drew a new circle, with 'bait' and a line connected to 'attacking with 
the love shield plan'. "Those are the two basic ramifications of the 
theory at this point and, as far as I can see, there is a 50/50 chance 
for either of them, and I'm going to sit on the fence in this 
particular issue. Because the fact is that, at this point, there is no 
way to tell.

"Exactly my point," said Melody "I wasn't arguing that they weren't 
part of MD, but that
> Non-bait stone means that Dumbledore
> fully intends to hide the stone from Voldemort and does not want him
> or anyone else to find it.  So the mirror is just a chance for Harry
> to see his parents or an educational experience, and the flute was a
> fluke of chance."

"Not exactly, Mel. The proof that the 'defenses' of the stone were 
rigged to allow easy passage for Harry and his friends are 
overwhelming. In my eyes, it is obvious that Dumbledore was indeed 
expecting them to go for it, and that is the basis of the 
MD-compatible, although independent theory of the 'educative defenses 
theory'. When I said that Dumbledore was testing Harry's moral compass, 
however, I wasn't refering to them. Your point was:

> "I think your point out there about the "test run" of PS and CoS is
> deceptive," Melody began.  "I mean - to say the obstacles were just a
> lot of hoopla just to determine whether Harry's moral compass is
> straight is a bit flippant.

The moral compass of Harry is checked when he decides to make a go for 
it, not by passing the obstacles. The fact of being able to overcome 
those obstacles is no proof of morality at all, really. Courage, 
intelligence, knowledge, logic, strategic reasoning, musical abilities, 
you name it. But not morality. No, the only moral is involved in the 
mirror itself -which is, indeed, the best idea Dumbledore has ever had: 
only someone who is devoid of 'evil intent,' of hunger for money and 
immortality could fetch the stone from the mirror. Thinking back, I 
doubt that Ron would've managed to fetch it (he would've seen himself 
rich thanks to it) and the same thing could be argued about Hermione 
(she might have seen herself experimenting with it, although I know it 
is more doubtful). But Harry really *doesn't want the stone for 
anything at all*. And this is all the proof Dumbledore needs to test 
Harry's moral compass. The rest is all education, in my eyes.

Melody interrupted Grey monologue to say:
> "Yes, but by saying Dumbledore wants Harry to go after the stone to
> see where his loyalties lie, you were speaking under the presumption > that:
>   (a) Voldie *would* get the stone
>   (b) Dumbledore knew this and wanted him too

"Not at all, Mel," answered Grey Wolf. "As I say, the mirror is indeed 
one of  Dumbledore's greatest ideas: no-one who is evil can get the 
stone. In fact, when you get right down to it, no-one that has the 
slightiest ambition regarding eternal life or money (or fame, or a few 
other 'evil' intents) would be able to fetch the stone. If Harry *had* 
been ESE, he wouldn't have been able to fetch the stone any more than 
Voldemort could have, and thus the stone would've been secure. And if 
Harry was good, then he would face Voldemort and stop him from getting 
the stone. And if Voldemort showed he could win despite Harry's 
portection, Dumbledore was nearby anyway, to stop Voldemort (and since 
Voldemort was extremally weakened and Dumbledore was playing in home, 
so to speak, there was no doubt whatsoever to the outcome). So, you 
see, there was no way for Voldemort to get the stone. It was simply too 
well protected." 

Finally, you also mentioned that:
> "And this also brings on the question as to what Dumbledore is doing
> with Harry Potter exactly. MD says Harry is only special because of
> his position as a life dept and 'love blood'. Testing the moral
> waters of Harry really does not stop Dumbledore from needing all 
> this. Frankly all he could of learned about Harry's compass was
> whether he had *a lot* of work to do or not."

I have to point that Harry is more than an instrument in MD, Mel, and 
you should know that. Harry is being trained, more than anyone else in 
the school, and we are left to wander what has Dumbledore planned. If 
he is just another student, he should receive the same education. No, 
Dumbledore has surely something else in mind.

But anyway, the important thing is that, as Eileen pointed out, that 
the SS plan rested upon Harry making a moral decision to save Peter's 
life, precipitating all this debate. My point at the time was -and 
still is- that Dumbledore has been observing Harry very closely ever 
since he came to school and, apart from guiding him and educating him 
in apropiate morality, he has also made sure that Harry's heart was in 
the correct place, and thus he knew Harry was to be trusted."

Grey Wolf drew a few more sketches. 'Harry's moral judgement' was tied 
to 'Peter's life is saved' and all enclosed in a vaguley pentagonal 
form tagged 'SS'. A big arrow strted from the group and ended at 'Life 
debt', which was tied itself to 'main flawed ingredient' header and to 
'other plans' supercircle, which included 'insider in Voldemort's 
circle?', 'repaid debt' and '...'.

"I hope that you can see from this big mess that Harry's moral 
judgement is at the base of many of Dumbledore's plans, all the ones 
that can or could be derived from Peter's life debt. It is Harry's 
moral choice to spare his life, out of a deep-seated necessity of 
keeping his father's friends away from murder, that ties Peter to Harry 
with a life debt. Any iniciated in metathinking or overshadowing will 
tell you that the life-debt is important, and so will I, since it is 
important for Dumbledore, and it was all possible thanks to Harry's 
morality. And it fits MD plans because Dumbledore knew Harry's moral 
compass long before then. In three years time, it is easy to tell 
someone's moral code, after all, especially if he or she regularly 
risks his or her life for the sake of others, and Harry has done just 
that every other month, almost.

Now, any questions? Since I've managed to get chalk all over my paws?"

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf