Evidence for Fear

[Melody <Malady579@hotmail.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51465

A few days ago, Grey Wolf said that Dumbledore "feared" Voldemort.  I
disagreed because I questioned how strong that fear was.  From our
debate, Grey Wolf said it is more a fear out of the knowledge of the
power and skill Voldemort has.  I tentatively agreed at the time, but
now I think I found proof that he was in fact right.

Since I was flipping and thinking about CoS a lot yesterday in my
posts on the site, I realized something.

Tom Riddle (aka Voldemort) bested Dumbledore 50 years ago when he was
a student.  It was probably the first time he did in fact.  The first
time Voldemort beat Dumbledore.  The time when Dumbledore realized he
had a formidable opponent and a possible danger that is in all ways as
smart and as cunning as he is.

What did Riddle do?  He got Hagrid expelled even though there was
evidence and a case that it wasn't Hagrid's fault.  Dumbledore's hands
are tied by evident that he could do nothing to stop it.  Dumbledore,
Mr. Wise Good and Powerful, is powerless at the time to use his
knowledge and deducting skills to claim Hagrid is innocent.

That speaks volumes to me.  Riddle found a way, at the tender age of
16, to out smart Dumbledore.  (Yes, he hood winked the MoM also, but
frankly is it ever hard to hood wink an elected official?)  Dumbledore
also *knows* Riddle did this.  Yet even with this knowledge,
Dumbledore could do nothing to help Hagrid except get him the grounds
job.  Riddle won.  Dumbledore lost.

Dumbledore is not shy to send compliments Riddle's way in CoS.  He
even said Riddle was "probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has
ever seen." (CoS, Ch18)  Dumbledore himself went to Hogwarts meaning
he is also including himself in that population.  So Dumbledore is
recognizing Riddle as more brilliant than him.  He is, at least,
saying Riddle is right there next to himself.

So it seems to me, Dumbledore is well aware that Riddle can outsmart
him and is smart enough to know how to cover his tracks so that not
even *Dumbledore* can fix the bad Riddle caused.  Dumbledore also
knows that Voldemort is *more* cunning now than he was at the age of
16.  Maybe that is a bit of an assumption, but I don't think it is
that far to reason that people can become more crafty and astute as
time goes on especially when they are striving to be.

So we are left with a Dumbledore that *knows* what Riddle/Voldie is
capable of.  He knows what he is up against.  He knows Voldie can out
smart him or rather, back him into a corner with his hands tied.  I
think it is a very good strategy on Voldie behalf.  He manipulated
enough to isolate Dumbledore with his views, so that even when
Dumbledore knows all the "truth" of the situation, he is left
powerless and helpless to stop what happens.

*That* is a smart person.

*That* is what Dumbledore fears.


Melody