Dumbledore's integrity

[barbara_mbowen]

No: HPFGUIDX 79293

Kirstini wrote: 
<An alternate reading of Dumbledore's actions throughout the 
books can make him seem astonishingly cold-blooded at 
times.>

I'm afraid you're right.  We all want to see Dumbledore as 
the wise, kindly old grandfather.  But he's better seen as a 
General, even a Churchill character, who is fighting a desperate 
war, a war he must win at all costs.  He has to manipulate 
everyone, especially Harry, who is his weapon.  If he is not seen 
this way, then he must be seen as a frighteningly incompetent 
old man who keeps almost losing Harry and who will almost 
certainly lose against Voldemort.  Whether he engineered Sirius' 
death, as Talisman suggested (great post #66983), I haven't 
decided, but he is definitely more field 
marshal than grandfather and nothing he does is trivial or 
merely done for sentiment.   In "The Lost Prophecy", DD is telling 
Harry what every war time leader must do:  make painful 
choices:  "I cared about you too much" he says, "more for your 
life than the lives that might be lost if the plan failed".   (p.
838)  
Right here, he is telling Harry that ultimately his, Harry's, life,
is expendable in this war.   I would not be surprised if DD is still 
withholding a tremendous amount from Harry .  He is honing his 
weapon, and that is cold-blooded, but absolutely necessary.  
However, it causes DD tremendous pain.  This is our 
reassurance that he is still human, and is doing these things 
because they must be done.  However much he may love Harry, 
he has been and will continue to use Harry as a weapon.  To 
me, this is the big revelation in Oop:  the extent to which DD has 
been manipulating Harry, not the prophecy. 

Marmelade Mom