TBAY: Radio TBAY and the inconsistent behaviour of Albus Dumbledore

[bluesqueak]

No: HPFGUIDX 45198

SCENE: A radio station. At the desk sits the Pipsqueak, with 
headphones and a raido mike in front of her. Yes, it's the 
Pipsqueak's turn to do the late night character phone-in at Radio 
TBAY


PIPSQUEAK: Hello to all you lovely listies and characters and 
tonight's exciting discussion topic is: `Is my characterisation 
inconsistent?' And we've got our first caller ready for you on line 
one: Hello caller, and your name is?

DUMBLEDORE: It's Albus here, Pipsqueak.

PIPSQUEAK: Well, Albus, I was really expecting Crouch Jr. I wouldn't 
have thought you'd be calling us about problems with inconsistency. 
You're pretty consistently wise, merciful, kindly
.

DUMBLEDORE: Yes, it's the kindliness that I'm having the consistency 
problem with. You see, in Philosopher's Stone, Harry gets rather 
upset in Chapter 17, and I very considerately do a little bird 
watching while he dries his eyes


PIPSQUEAK: Page 217 in the UK paperback, isn't it?

DUMBLEDORE: That's right. Then in the Chamber of Secrets I'm not 
remotely amused by Filch's cat being petrified. He shrieks loudly 
that he wants `to see some punishment', and I reply `patiently'.

PIPSQUEAK: The scene covers pp. 107 to 110, Ch. 9 in the UK 
paperback, doesn't it? I think I know which scene you're leading up 
to, Albus
.

DUMBLEDORE: Yes, it's that wretched Chapter 22 of PoA, with Severus 
losing his temper in front of the Minister for Magic. I'm afraid 
that I really don't find my looking `as though he was quite enjoying 
himself' in character. It's not very kindly. 

PIPSQUEAK: Yes, your eyes are twinkling as well; pages 305 to 307 of 
the UK hardback.

DUMBLEDORE: Oh, my eyes always twinkle, whatever I'm doing. I think 
it's these wretched spectacles
 But I really don't think I should be 
enjoying myself in that scene. One of my teachers has just 
completely lost his temper in front of Fudge; which would really be 
rather like a muggle shouting at President Bush, and I seem to be 
finding it rather funny.

PIPSQUEAK: Well I think we have several callers to give you advice 
on that topic, Albus, so we'll go over to line two 
 And caller, 
your name is?

KARIE: Karie, and Albus, I think you shouldn't worry at all about 
laughing at Snape. It IS funny. He's a thirty odd year old man 
acting like a three year old.

DUMBLEDORE: Yes, I know, but what troubles me is that he's been 
recently knocked unconscious for nearly an hour, and has just seen 
the escape of someone he is convinced tried to murder him at 
sixteen. He is going to be upset, there is no getting round it. And 
I look amused.

PIPSQUEAK: I think Pippin has an interesting point to make about the 
amused look, Albus, she's just come on to line three:

PIPPIN: Yes, Albus, if all three of you were facing Harry, then 
Snape wouldn't have been able to see the expression on your face. I 
think you were primarily trying to reassure Harry and Hermione that 
they weren't going to be in any trouble


DUMBLEDORE: Yes, but you see, Pippin, nowhere in the text am I given 
the direction `he shot a twinkling light blue glance towards Harry 
and Hermione' (I really must do something about these spectacles), 
which is my usual signal that I'm directing my words or thoughts in 
their direction


PIPSQUEAK: Be fair, Albus, you do sometimes get to stare down 
your `very crooked nose' at them. 

DUMBLEDORE: Hmm. Why have I never asked Poppy Pomfrey to do 
something about that nose? I often `beam' at the children as well. 
Oh, well, at least it makes a change from twinkling.

PIPSQUEAK: I see we've got another caller on line four: and your 
name is, caller?

SNAPE: Professor Snape, Pipsqueak. 

PIPSQUEAK: Welcome, Professor. I'm sure there are lots of seeming 
inconsistencies in your characterisation that we'd love to discuss, 
but we are currently discussing Albus's problems with his amused 
look in Chapter 22 of PoA.

SNAPE: That's why I'm calling, Pipsqueak. I'd like to discuss that 
scene as well.

PIPSQUEAK: Well, Professor, I can't say that I've ever seen your 
behaviour in that scene as inconsistent. Open to several possible 
interpretations, yes, but not inconsistent. In fact I think Marina 
has something to say to you about that
. Marina, are you on line 
five?

MARINA: Yes, I am, and I'd just like to say that when considering 
Snape's behaviour in Chapter 22


SNAPE: I believe that for some reason it's referred to as the `Those 
Darn Kids' scene, though I have no idea why.

MARINA: You have to make allowances for the emotional 
roller-coaster he's been put through. Fifteen years' worth of 
anger, finally presented with an outlet and a target, as well as 
with a chance at vindication -- and then it all gets snatched away. 
When you consider, Professor, that you're not a man known for your 
mild, even-tempered disposition, I think you handled it remarkably 
well.

SNAPE: Thank you, Marina. I'm afraid that you can't see the `thin-
lipped smile' with which I usually receive compliments, but I can 
assure you that it's there.


PIPSQUEAK: You make Snape's situation sound quite tragic, Marina. 
Which of course makes it all the more puzzling that Albus here isn't 
trying to hide his `quite enjoying himself'.

SNAPE: Yes, I have problems with that as well. I can see that it is 
a very funny scene to readers, but as I think the Headmaster has 
already pointed out, from the point of view of the characters 
*within* the scene, a man who has recently suffered a concussion 
losing his temper to an embarrassing degree in front of the most 
senior member of the Government our world has, is simply not very 
funny. It most certainly is not funny from my point of view, and the 
minimal amount of consideration I would expect from the Headmaster 
is that he would at least try not to look as if I was giving him the 
most entertaining show he'd had in years.

DUMBLEDORE: You see how inconsistent my behaviour is?

SNAPE: And there is another problem as well; I am generally 
portrayed as not being as nice, as likeable as Dumbledore
.

PIPSQUEAK: It's the disembowelling toads. That never goes down well.

SNAPE:  
 yes, well. BUT, in CoS Ch. 9


PIPSQUEAK: We've referred to this scene before, haven't we? Pp. 107 –
 110

SNAPE: Indeed. In Ch. 9, I am described as `trying very hard not to 
smile', when the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall are examining 
the cat. This is also a funny scene. But, *I* try NOT to smile. 
Filch is sobbing in a chair, and I am trying hard not to show him 
how funny I find it all. 

PIPSQUEAK: You're actually more considerate than Dumbledore


SNAPE: Yes. Which is not going to do my image much good at all, is 
it? I terrify dark wizards. I torture small children. I try to feed 
sympathetic characters to Dementors
 and I'm more considerate than 
Dumbledore.  What exactly is THAT going to do to my character 
consistency?

PIPSQUEAK:  I think Richard on line six has something to say about 
that


GULPLUM: Yes, I have a problem with your MAGIC DISHWASHER theory


PIPSQUEAK: Yes, Richard, but we're not really discussing 
characterisation inconsistency from the DISHWASHER point of view 
here.

GULPLUM: Can I just make a brief point before I go back to 
characterisation? It is an already-ranting Snape who is leading 
Fudge and Dumbledore to the hospital wing, presumably ideally to 
prove Harry & Hermione's absence, or at least confront them over 
what happened. The only reason Snape would need to put on the show 
(presumably for Fudge's benefit) is because he led him there, and 
the reason he led them there was to put on the show. This is a 
causal loop and doesn't make sense of the theory you're trying to 
prove.

PIPSQUEAK: No, Richard, DISHWASHER would say that Snape actually led 
Fudge to the hospital wing to prove that Harry and Hermione were 
visibly in their beds, with a witness to say they'd stayed there all 
the time and couldn't possibly have used a Time Turner to rescue 
Buckbeak and Sirius. Fudge is the Minister for Magic, Hermione's 
Time Turner had to be licensed by the Ministry. Fudge has all the 
clues to *how* the escape was carried out: but he's unlikely to even 
consider the possibility that Hermione and Harry had anything to do 
with it after Snape's little rant, and after seeing Harry and 
Hermione were in their beds all the time.

But back to characterisation


GULPLUM: Yes, I think, Albus that you've just managed a very 
difficult piece of misdirection – you explain to Snape exactly how 
it was done, but he dismisses it. And that's funny. And you know 
that everything is under control and while you trust Snape, you 
don't see eye-to-eye with him about Harry and you like the idea of 
Snape disproving his own prejudices with his own eyes.

SNAPE: Except that in fact, I'm 100% correct about Potter. He did 
help Black to escape. So you're saying that Dumbledore trusts me, 
but doesn't trust me about Potter, and also doesn't trust me enough 
to tell me to shut up and keep quiet before I start my rant.

DUMBLEDORE: And, in fact, when I tell Severus `That will do', he 
does shut up immediately. 

PIPSQUEAK: Page 306. So you're worried Albus, that if you'd told 
Professor Snape to quiet down earlier, he wouldn't have made such a 
fool of himself. Well, you do tell him to `be reasonable', don't you?

DUMBLEDORE: Which isn't the same as telling him to stop, is it? No, 
thank you to all your listies, it's been extremely pleasant to find 
that I have so many supporters in my characterisation problems, but 
I'm probably going to have to wait as long as the rest of you to 
find out whether it has some deeper explanation or is just 
inconsistent characterisation.

PIPSQUEAK: Yes, indeed, I'm afraid we have run out of time here. Our 
next character call-in for Radio TBAY will be discussing the 
question `How can I make my character more exciting' and it's going 
to be Captain Cindy in the chair for that one!  Thank you to Albus, 
Professor Snape, Karie, Pippin, Marina and Richard for joining in 
our discussion and it's a good night and happy theorising to you all.


Pip

For an explanation of the acronyms and theories in this post, visit
Hypothetic Alley at 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/files/Admin20Files/hypoth
eticalley.htm 

and Inish Alley at 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/database?
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