Catching Up - MAGIC DISHWASHER

[Grey Wolf]

No: HPFGUIDX 45367

> Pip wrote:
> > <snip> 
> > It simply (ok, complicatedly) argues that there is evidence that 
> > both Voldemort and Dumbledore are making long term strategic 
> > plans, (including the famous Flawed Potion) and that the several 
> references within the book to `spies' or `sources' mean that both 
> sides are using a network of spies (e.g. Snape), informers (e.g. 
> Pettigrew),  and undercover agents (e.g. Quirrelmort and 
> Moody/Crouch Jr.). 
> ><snip>

bugaloo37 answered:
> I can go along with the above statement-but there is one more thing 
> I would like clarified before I join the bandwagon.  When you 
> say "long term strategic plans"-it makes me wonder how exactly does 
> Harry fit into this? 

We don't know. We can't know, in fact, for the time being (unless 
someone comes along and uncovers some piece of canon we've been 
overlooking so far). Pip's theory of Spy Games, that evolved with 
many explanations into MAGIC DISHWASHER, doesn't try to out-guess 
JKR. We know that Harry is important because Dumbledore has been 
preparing him, and because Voldemort seems to find him a bother, but 
so far we haven't yet been told what the plans of each are except by 
what can be interpreted from the actions of each, and especially we 
cannot know were Harry fits into it -although, as I've said, he 
probably fits in *somewhere*, since he gets lots of attention from 
both sides.

> Is he a key element? If so, can he be considered a wild 
> card at this point?  How heavily are Dumbledore's plans relying on 
> the decisions Harry at least seems to be making for himself?

Dumbledore's main plan will probably include Harry making moral 
decisions of some sort, just as it includes that Sirius won't turn 
evil or that Snape won't changes sides once more, IMO (maybe some of 
those *have* been taken into account - we'll have to wait and see). 
Harry is as much of a wild card as any of the other members of 
Dumbledore's side (i.e. the Old Gang et co.): Dumbledore won't force 
them into doing something they don't think they should do.

As always, since we don't know what the plans will be (only what the 
plans, so far, have been), it is difficult to tell what Dumbledore 
hopes will happen and what he will make happen.

> Is Harry being manipulated?  If so, how is that being achieved-
> through carefully worded guidance or some other tactic?

No, Harry is not being manipulated, except through education: 
Dumbledore is teaching him morals, as well as all those useful 
spells, but all schools are suposed to do that: apart from the 
standard lessons, they are suposed to cultivate one's morality. I've 
said it before, and I'll probably have to repeat it in the future, 
but Dumbledore, until know, has always allowed his allies to make 
their own decisions, even if that could mean the end of his plans (if 
he didn't, he wouldn't be better than Voldemort).

> I guess my real 
> question is this:  is the fact the Dumbledore spends so much time 
> teaching Harry to think for himself part of his long-term plan?  I 
> am afraid I just don't see it how can teaching someone to think for 
> himself ever be a dependable tactic?
> 
> bugaloo37

It might not be dependable, but it is moral. The other option is to 
feed Harry the correct answers to questions that Dumbledore doesn't 
know, or to keep him under closed vigilance and force him into the 
apropiate actions. Both of those are not only impossible, but also 
unmoral. So far, Harry has always been given loads of liberty to do 
whatever he feels is correct (more liberty, in fact, than a student 
is normally given), and since he has shown to be dependable, 
Dumbledore can trust him to continue making the right decisions.

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf, who hopes his answers are clear enough: moral questions 
are always tricky!