TBAY: Radio TBAY and the inconsistent behaviour of Albus Dumbledore

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 45242

Let's join the TBAY crew in The Green Room of TBAY studios, for 
a little post show analysis.
Pippin inserts a tape of the latest broadcast in the player, and a 
rather tinny rendition of Pipsqueak's voice imitating that of an 
elderly man is heard:

> 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. 

Pippin shuts off the player and says:

"You know,  I'm reminded of a similar debate in The Lord of the 
Rings " (Eileen's eyes gleam brightly while everyone else dives 
behind the sofa and sticks their fingers in their ears) " in The 
Two Towers, Book Four, chapter 3. "

Pippin clears her throat, opens a very battered leatherbound 
deluxe edition of LOTR and reads as follows:

"It had always been a notion of [Sam's] that the kindness of dear 
Mr. Frodo was of such a high degree that it must imply a fair 
degree of blindness. Of course he also firmly held the 
incompatible belief that Mr. Frodo was the wisest person in the 
world (with the possible exception of old Mr. Bilbo and Albus 
Dum )- er, I mean Gandalf, sorry about that."


Pippin closes the book and continues:

"See, I think some people make the same mistake as Sam, 
confusing blindness and kindness. Dumbledore shows no 
inclination to comfort people who suffer on account of their own 
ill will, whether it's Slytherin House in Book One, Filch in Book 
Two,  Snape in Book Three, or Barty Crouch Jr. in Book Four.  

"Now, Snape is so enraged at Black's escape because he, like 
Filch, wanted to see some punishment. He said so in the Shack, 
"Vengeance is very sweet...How I hoped I would be the one to 
catch you.."  And Snape  believes that Sirius wanted to murder 
Harry and that Harry has been bewitched into helping Black 
escape. .."

"He *says* he believes," mutters Pipsqueak. But Pippin ignores 
her and goes on:

"So, what did Snape expect to find when he entered the Hospital 
Wing?   Harry should have been gone, or worse. His presence, 
lying unharmed in the bed, is proof that, whatever else is going 
on, Black was indeed not there to murder Harry. Dumbledore, of 
course, opens the door knowing exactly what Snape is going to 
find and is highly amused. Why shouldn't he be?

"And if Snape is acting in that scene, shouldn't Dumbledore be 
acting too? Looking puzzled, like Fudge, or concerned  instead of 
openly amused? You would expect Fudge to show some 
annoyance with Dumbledore for taking the situation  lightly, but 
there's no sign of that, is there? Rowling doesn't have to write, 
"Dumbledore was looking highly amused but the others didn't 
appear to notice" because it's clear from the context. And when 
Dumbledore does speak to Snape, he does so "quietly", just as 
he spoke "patiently" to Filch in Book Two. "

Pipsqueak jumps up at this and fast forwards the tape a little 
more:
> 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.

Pippin grins:
"Er, well, it's all down to what one thinks of the politician in 
question, isn't it?  Some people might find that situation rather 
funny, I think. Besides, politicians get shouted at a lot. They're 
used to it. " 

But Pipsqueak forwards the tape again:
> Yes, I know, but what troubles me is that he's been 
> recently knocked unconscious for nearly an hour,


Pippin nods sagely. "Oh, I see. Yes, that could be a serious 
injury, possibly a concussion or even a fractured skull. However, 
as we're dealing with a fictional character we must always first 
rule out anaesthesia dramatis." 

Pipsqueak frowns. "Anaesth-what? I never heard of it. "

Pippin grins again.  "Of course you haven't. It's a purely fictional 
condition, in which characters who are knocked out suffer no ill 
effects other than an artistically drawn thread of blood on the 
temple. Other indications are: missing out on an important 
revelation or being transported to some place they wouldn't 
willingly have gone. It's very common--in books, movies and TV 
shows, that is. 

"Of course, fictional characters do  get concussion sometimes, 
but in that case they have uneven pupils, obvious signs of pain 
such as groaning and clutching at the head, and confinement for 
observation. Snape doesn't  get any of that, you see. So, not 
seriously injured. Just a nasty bump on the head, nothing to 
worry about."

Pipsqueak pulls out a polkadot flag and chucks it at Pippin. 

"Meta-thinking!" she squeaks. "That's a penalty."

"Oh come," says Pippin. "This whole list is *about* 
meta-thinking. And Theory Bay is Meta-meta thinking. We're not 
only discussing the characters as characters, we're discussing 
*ourselves* as characters. 

Pipsqueak jumps to her feet indignantly, forgetting that she did 
so already. "But SpyGames and 'I expect you to die Mr Potter' are 
not theories which rely on meta-thinking, and therefore they 
shouldn't be criticized using meta-thinking. They're about real 
spies!"

"Real spies?" Pippin looks puzzled.  "What real spies? The only  
'real spies' anyone's referred to in this discussion are characters 
in the work of Ian Fleming, John LeCarre and Tom Clancy. Not a 
real spy in the lot.  Look at the titles of your posts, for goodness 
sake! What most of us know about real spies is filtered through 
novels and films, or  documents released years and years after 
the fact. People who are actually doing secret work aren't at 
liberty to say so, are they? The 'real spy' is a literary construct. "

Pipsqueak looks obstinate.  "I still say you can't refute an 
argument that's not based in aesthetic considerations by citing 
aesthetic considerations."

"Well, maybe not refute." Pippin concedes. "But reject, certainly. If 
you say you like  black because it's serviceable, there's no 
reason I can't say I prefer blue because it's prettier.

"If Albus Dumbledore knows  nearly all about nearly everything, 
as he seems to in Book One, it makes it very hard to accept that 
he was utterly taken in  by the Crouch Moody deception. If he saw 
through  the Marauders, and knew all about Peter, there's no 
groundwork for his having been fooled by  Crouch.  I find that 
aesthetically displeasing.

"But if Dumbledore's omniscience is a comforting illusion which 
is slowly dispelled, then what we see is a sort of religious 
parallel-- Harry first sees Dumbledore as an all powerful and 
benevolent but distant being. This being controls his destiny and  
can intervene to protect him in miraculous ways, but has 
inexplicably abandoned him to a world of suffering. But as Harry 
grows,  he begins to see Dumbledore as a mentor and friend, 
immeasurably wiser than himself but still fallible, far more 
benevolent but not infinitely so, someone whose power is limited 
but whose love is unconditional--as long as we don't expect 
blindness instead of kindness, that is."


Pippin