Would Dumbledore lie? (Was: The Catalyst to Riddles Motivation)

[bowlwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 56759

 
Richelle wrote:
 
>I could actually believe that Dumbledore would lie if he thought it 
>best that Harry didn't know something about his past.  IF (and it's 
>a very big if) there is some connection between Riddle and Harry (as 
>in relations) I think Dumbledore would have gone above and beyond 
>the call of duty to keep it from Harry.  Harry was beginning to 
>doubt his place in Gryffindor due to what the sorting hat said, and 
>who knows what he'd have thought after Riddle's "we even look 
>alike" speech if Dumbledore hadn't put a stop to those thoughts.  

While I could personally agree with this on some level, we haven't 
seen any indication that Dumbledore would lie to Harry.  In fact, 
he's done quite the opposite:

In GoF (US hardback, page 695):

"If I thought I could help you," Dumbledore said gently, "by putting 
you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment 
when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would 
do it.  But I know better.  Numbing the pain for a while will make it 
worse when you finally feel it
"

And later on when telling the students about Cedric's death (GoF, US 
hardback, page 722):

"It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to 
lies
"

I know he says "generally" in that last statement, but I don't think 
this hampers my reasoning here.  And yes, Dumbledore has done some 
sneaky and possibly illegal things in the books (which I feel have 
only been in the interest of good), but has he told an outright lie?  
I don't think he has.  

I also don't think he would use bolstering Harry's self-esteem as a 
place to begin.  In GoF, he tells Harry that numbing the pain will 
only make it worse later on.  Why would Dumbledore directly subject 
him to that potential pain in CoS by lying to him but then turn right 
around in GoF and tell him this?  

Richelle also wrote:

>Suffice it to say, while it is in theory possible, I think it's 
>extremely far fetched that Harry could be any relation to 
>Voldemort.  And the closest my mind can conceive is Voldemort/Riddle 
>being a great uncle to Harry.  (Though I've actually imagined it 
>through the Potter side, not Evans.)  At any rate, if  there were 
>such a possibility Dumbledore would take extreme caution that >Harry 
>not find out about it--until he is ready.

It could be feasible for Harry to be related to Voldemort through the 
Potter side, but it would seem pretty contrived to me.  It could 
still work, though, even with Dumbledore telling the truth about 
Riddle being the last descendant.

Since I don't believe that DD is lying and I don't believe that Lily 
has someone magical in her ancestry, there are only 2 ways this could 
happen.  For Voldemort to be related to Harry on the Potter side, it 
would either have to be through his Riddle side (someone was a squib 
and went out into the Muggle world) or else through a relative on his 
mother's side that wasn't descended from Slytherin (and we have no 
idea if VM's mom was the heir through her paternal or maternal 
side).  

bowlwoman