Inside Dumbledore's Head (was Re: Prophets without Honour)

[B Arrowsmith]

No: HPFGUIDX 79455

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jwcpgh" <jwcpgh at y...> wrote:
 > --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, B Arrowsmith
 > <arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
 > > > But DD carries on in his own sweet way, "Oh, and now I'll tell you
 > > what it's all about." The prophecy.
 > > No it isn't. The prophecy is a minor distraction. Even if it is
 > > complete, it lets Harry know that V is after him, something I'm sure
 > > he'd guessed already. He's not  concerned with beating Voldy,
 > > he's much more interested in surviving, and he's having enough
 > > trouble doing that already, thank you very much. It tells  him that
 > > there'll be a showdown, High Noon in Hogsmeade. You mean the
 > > previous four times don't count? No, DD is using the prophecy to
 > > justify his own agenda. Wish I knew what it is.
 > >
 > Laura:
 > clipped
 >
 > I was also struck by your observation that DD doesn't do much in the
 > way of powerful magic in the 5 books we have so far.  He controls his
 > domain with his words and his force of personality-you're quite right
 > about that.  But that could be for 2 reasons.  One, DD has already
 > proven many times over that he has enormous magical powers-you don't
 > get to be on a Chocolate Frog card for your witty repartee.  >
 > You seem to be propounding a pretty cold view of DD.  Your
 > implication is that to further his agenda, whatever it is, he's
 > willing to risk Harry's life and the lives of other people he acts
 > like he cares about (okay, you know who I mean-I won't go on).  Do
 > you then think that he was lying at the end of OoP when he toldto
 > Harry why he hadn't explained years earlier about the prophecy?  I'm
 > none too happy with him at the moment either (where is the SAD DENIAL
 > docking next?) but I hope he isn't as bad as that.  Sirius's death
 > would be nothing for Harry next to a betrayal by DD of that magnitude.

I'll have to restrain myself, or I'll be off on wings of overblown 
rhetoric
on the perceived failings and flailings of Dumbledore A.P.W.B.D., Prof
of this Parish. There are a  lot of questions in this post, a sign that 
I suspect,
but that proof is thin. Welcome to my  paranoia!

I've been a bit leery of DD for years. I started reading the books back 
in '99,
but I only joined the site a few weeks before OoP, so I'm not steeped 
in the
wisdom of the sages, as some are. When I started posting, there seemed
to be a preponderance of views that equated DD with Gandalf. Old, wise,
powerful, unbending integrity, etc. I was surprised. I couldn't match 
this up
  with, for example, his (in)action towards Lucius Malfoy at the end of 
CoS.
DD's own suspension, kidnapping, petrifications, mayhem, everything
except murder.  With Malfoy as the prime mover, palming the diary onto
Ginny. And all he gets from DD is a veiled threat as to future 
behaviour.
Does not compute. Not for a character supposedly vehemently, implacably
anti-evil.

My  thoughts at the time were that it was all a game of Wizards Chess, 
with
the children as pieces. So I bided my time, re-read the books (again!) 
and
still came to the same conclusion. DD is up to something.

So I posted FLOOZY No.1, The Dumbledore Papers. (65696). Even though
it was couched in a humorous, tongue in cheek vein, it got some out-
spoken reaction (on site and by e-mail). How dare you! DD is wonderful!
DD is perfect!  Oh, dear. Didn't stop  me posting the same opinions, 
though.
Fortunately, the site caters for all types and there is a bunch of case-
hardened cynics among us who also express doubts. Pip, Kirstini, plus a
few others, kept the flag of suspicion flying. Now, I think the tide is 
turning.
More fans are expressing surprise, puzzlement and scepticism at D's 
actions.

You mention the chocolate frog card. Interesting item.
"...particularly  famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald 
in 1945.."
Apart from the card, are there any other mentions of this cause for 
celebrity?
Defeated Grindelwald how? Duel? Battle? Snap? Talk him to death? And it
specifies defeat, not destruction. What happened to Grindelwald? Where 
is
he? What or perhaps *who* is he?

"...and his work on alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel."
His *partner* Nicolas Flamel. Partners share the results of their work. 
What
does DD want with a  Philosphers Stone? He's getting older, frailer,  
more
tired as the books progress. Just what has been keeping him going?
Essence of PS, perhaps? Maybe supplies are running low.

He tells  Voldemort that there are worse things than death. What? An 
inter-
miable life, perhaps. Dragging on year after year.  Only 150 years old.
Maybe so, in this incarnation. There might be a clue in the fact that 
his
familiar is a phoenix, constantly being reborn. In classical legend, 
there is
only one phoenix and it is reborn every 100 years, yet DD hints that 
he's
seen Fawkes reborn often.

Has JKR dropped us into one episode of an on-going, ages long battle
of good vs evil?

You query my cold view of DD, that I think he will do anything to 
further
his agenda. In a war, you need someone like this to make the hard
decisions. Warm-hearted compassion doesn't cut it when you're up
against a murderous antagonist. That attitude engenders casualties. The
famous phrase is "Magnanimity in victory", not in conflict.. Fair 
judgement
and possibly forgiveness when it's all over, not during the fighting.

I don't doubt but that he wants to defeat Voldemort, but I feel there's 
more
to it. To go back to the chess analogy, Harry is a pawn, maybe a knight,
no more. DD is the player. He will sacrifice a knight, if he has to.

One of the joys of the books and the site is the chance to express any
opinion, guess, hope or suspicion. Most of us will be wrong at the
conclusion. But I keep harking back to that JKR statement - the one to
the effect that there's something more; something no-one has got to the
heart of. That means it's open season for just about anything you fancy.
I fancy Dumbledore is the one to watch.

Kneasy