PRESSURE COOKERs often develop cracks

[Melody]

No: HPFGUIDX 45410

How wonderful it would all be if we could take JKR for her word.  How
liberating and simple.  We can take a simple invisibility cloak gift
as just an heirloom finally given.  We don't need to wonder how
Dumbledore received it in the first place.  Thoughts of the
conversations and serious fears between giver and receiver are not
necessary, because they do not matter.  Are not important to the
story.  All we need to worry about is that it is in the hands of our
hero, Harry.

The same is true with Hagrid's obviously candid mention of borrowing
the motorcycle from Sirius.  We don't even have to worry about the
simple inquiry followed by Dumbledore.  "No problems, where there?"
Just a basic inquiry...perfectly normal considering the circumstances.
 Not meaning anything or hinting of knowing too much beyond the basic
state of baby Harry, Godric's Hollow, and whether Voldemort caused
more trouble.

Not to mention the ever-famous rat of the Weasley's.  We were never
meant to expect more from such a simple pet rat.  We are to read him
as just a little boy's pet passed down from his brothers, thus being
yet another hand-me-down.  Our basic read need not show us any concern
of anything to the contrary.  We read Scabbers as a rat and just a
rat.  Oh, but oops...he's so much more.

I guess my big problem with a basic, childlike read of this series is
that JKR loves, craves, *thrives* on the thrill of throwing her
readers off track.  Tossing aside her status as God of Potterland, her
style as a writer is to subtly introduce and then distract our minds
from the truth so that when we reach the end of the story, we are
asking ourselves why we did not see the truth from the beginning.  The
hints were all there.

What I think Pip!Squeak and Grey Wolf are trying to do is beat JKR to
the punch.  They want to pre-predict what punches are coming.  For the
ability to say "I told you so" yes, but more to feel that they are as
witty and crafty as our true hero JKR herself.

My only other objection to face value reading is that at face value
this is from the perspective of a lost little boy.  He is searching
for truth and relies on his intuition.  He wants to believe that
Scabbers is just a rat until it is proven otherwise.  He wants to
believe that Snape is a cruel, heartless, lonely teacher who is only
out to make the people Harry cares about miserable.  It is hard to
push that concept aside yes, but it is fallible.

There is always more politics going on behind the scenes of classrooms
than students ever know.  To take a basic view of Harry Potter is to
deny that teachers do talk in the faulty lounge.  It denies the Wizard
World a past until JKR decides to paint it.  We all know that is not
true, and we all definitely do believe that more has, is, and will go
on than what Harry sees.

Now to bring this to the ground that both theories were constructed...

The Shrieking Shack

A lovely series of chapters.  My personal favorite from the beginning.
 Even with a basic reading, the twist and turns of our perceived
mindset from the past two books is just chilling.

Now the question is whether JKR is constructing another twist, which
survived the whole series, of the true character of Snape.  Completely
plausible in my opinion and my favorite part of MAGIC DISHWASHER.  We
all have been deceived, as has Harry, about Snape's true intentions
for his hatred of Harry.  I find it plausible not because I desire
Snape to be a closet supporter of Harry, but because it is completely
in his character to have that twist.  JKR has left it a possibility in
her writing and an intriguing one at that.

Look, basically, it is obvious that Dumbledore has plans to defeat
Voldemort.  We haven't been told them, but Dumbledore knows the
benefits of a good defense, and the best defense is a good offense.
If would be foolish for Dumbledore to just sit and relax waiting for
Voldemort to resurface and then work against him...again.  That is
what PRESSURE COOKER seems to imply to me.  Dumbledore is just
waiting.  Busying his time.  Hey, let's plan a TriWiz tournament.  Get
to see Madame Maxime and Karkaroff and prove I am the superior wizard
again.  Sure, Dumbledore may not want Voldemort to come back ever
again, but that does not remove the reality that Voldemort is
completely capable of doing just that.  It would be foolish for
Dumbledore not to have a game plan.

Maybe I understand your position of the books too simply.  I just know
that when I first read these books in the childlike way of
what-you-see-is-what-you-get, I have been greatly and happily
surprised that there is so much more by the end.

Melody
Who prefers to slow roast her meat over an open flame