Was Re: OOP: The mirror of Erised - Now what Dumbledore's About

[Jesta Hijinx]

No: HPFGUIDX 59833

David wrote:

And Dumbledore, somewhat
>cryptic as always, said "I see myself holding a pair of thick,
>woollen socks." which I have associated with his support of Dobby,
>the emancipated House Elf, and indeed freedom for other magical
>creatures.
>
Heh!  :-)  While such symbolism is entirely possible, I've always taken it 
as the fact that Dumbledore has or has had in his long life all of his 
heart's desires; he's somewhat like a guru or venerable lama in other venues 
in that he's come to terms with the world, is serene in what he has and who 
he is, and what he *really* wants most in the world are socks - remember the 
remark elsewhere about how he always gets some other kind of gifts but what 
he really craves are warm, woolly socks?  (Don't have my books handy, but I 
recall the remark.)

Dumbledore is an interesting character to me because he does project a lot 
of what I consider to be the true hallmarks of someone very wise and truly 
powerful - at ease with himself, able to enjoy and to convey a child-like 
wonder at things in the world and to be made happy by the passing simple 
things, like Christmas crackers.  While nothing like Dumbledore, I have 
always tried to keep an aspect of that child-like "gee, wow!" at a new bit 
of knowledge in my own character - to the amazement and sometimes 
disapproval of others, who see adulthood and maturity as all about worrying 
all the time, obsessing over picky things, and rushing about with a scowl on 
your face.

Whatever I may think of Dumbledore's ultimate textual fate - and it does 
differ from the mainstream in HP fandom - I think he's a *great* character 
because of this trait alone - and I think that either the director or 
Richard Harris made a serious mistake in eliminating so much of that in the 
films and having him more Merlin than Dumbledore so early on in the series.  
It would have taken just a few seconds at the start of SS for the "few words 
at the start of the term - flibbertigibbet!..." and so on.  And that line 
does *so much* to establish the character of Dumbledore.

Felinia

_________________________________________________________________
MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE*  
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus