Sirius - who is right?

[Wanda Sherratt]

No: HPFGUIDX 73886

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Melanie Black 
<princessmelabela at y...> wrote:
 Okay, I have to agree with this.  Dumbledore is and idiot.  Or at 
least he was in this book.  I just want to know why the heck did he 
change so quickly on Sirius?  He was really good before about 
letting Sirius play an active role in Harry's life (he was even 
going to let the him stay with him in the hospital wing)...why the 
change?  I realize that Harry did spend a great deal of time with 
sirius but certainly he could have helped to instrument this a bit 
more.  
>  
> 
I think that this is what we're supposed to think about Dumbledore 
now, because we're seeing everything from Harry's POV, and this is 
what he's feeling.  But as Harry is always wrong about pretty much 
everything, especially when it comes to judging people, I am quite 
sure that he is wrong about Dumbledore, too.  Harry is the most 
easily deceived person in the books; he never sees a threat before 
it hits him, he's taken in by appearances and trusts where he should 
suspect and suspects where he should trust.  Phineas Nigellus is 
exactly right when he tells him off:  "Have you never paused, while 
feeling hard-done-by, to note that following Dumbledore's orders has 
never yet led you into harm?"  And it's still true at the end of 
OotP: if Harry had followed orders, he would have learned 
Occlumency.  If he hadn't kept shooting his mouth off to Umbridge, 
as he was told over and over again not to, he wouldn't have spent 
the school year trying to get out of a tightening noose.  He always 
has a good excuse for what he does, but the fact is, the orders were 
correct and if followed, would have worked; when Harry (and Sirius, 
for that matter) insist upon doing things their way, everything 
falls apart.  I think the suspicion of Dumbledore is going to 
increase in Book 6, emphasizing Harry's feeling of isolation - he's 
already somewhat separated from his friends.  He's going to feel 
he's on his own, Dumbledore can't be trusted, and he's going to try 
to fight the battle single-handed.  Of course, he'll fail, and 
things will get worse.  I don't know if it's Book 6 or Book 7 where 
he'll hit rock bottom, and realize that he's wrong and Dumbledore is 
right.  I just hope it won't be the death of Ron or Hermione that 
makes him realize it.

Wanda