Sirius - who is right?

[ariadnemajic]

No: HPFGUIDX 73933

 
> Annemehr:
> Marina  and kai, I think you've both put your fingers on the 
> problem.  Dumbledore has been completely blind to the hearts of 
> Sirius, Harry and Snape, and he only seems to admit it in Snape's 
> case (that Snape couldn't overcome his hatred of James to properly 
> teach Harry Occlumency).  Harry had to tell Dumbledore that "People 
> don't like being locked up!" and I'm not quite sure if that really 
> sunk in.  I still wonder if Dumbledore doesn't see his treatment of 
> Harry to be merely a *tactical* error, in that he failed to give 
> Harry enough *information* as opposed to *support.*

I've been reading this thread re: "who's right," Dumbledore or Harry 
and I think they are both right from the perspectives each is coming 
from. Harry feels most connected to Sirius in OOTP because both are 
in similar situtions, feeling life is passing by while seemingly 
everyone around them tells them where to go and what to do. So Harry 
can relate to Sirius's feelings of being locked up and his 
frustration with seeing others, especially Snape, out there 
doing "important" tasks for the order. 

Dumbledore, on the other hand,looking from a bigger perspective since 
he has more information and "time in service" than either Harry or 
Sirius, believes he is helping Harry and Sirius by "protecting" them, 
and presumably many others in the process.

I do think in the chapter, "The Lost Prophecy," when Dumbledore 
says, "But old men are guilty if they forget what it is to be 
young...and I seem to have forgotten lately...." he's thinking of 
mistakes with Harry and Sirius both(and maybe others?!?).  After all, 
Sirius would still be a young man to Dumbledore.

This is a great group! Every post is thought-provoking.