seeking knowledge and keeping secrets-long

[Karen]

No: HPFGUIDX 80791

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "angelberri56" 
<pokeypokey at c...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jwcpgh" 
> <jwcpgh at y...> wrote:
> >
> > <snip>
> > This whole line of discussion really struck me.  Why is it that 
> > adults would want to hide information from children (especially 
> at a 
> > school, for Pete's sake!).  <snip>
> > 

> If JKR just told us 
> (Harry) straight out all we needed to know, well then it wouldn't 
> be the teriffic book it is. Mystery books usually give you pieces 
of 
> information along the way, leading you to solve the mystery just 
> at the end. They build us up, making us want to read more. 
<snip> 
>So, what happens in books, we may not see as logical or 
> sensible, but it is there for the purpose of pure enjoyment. 
> 
> -angelberri56 ,   who really hopes you followed what she was 
> saying and are not asleep on your keyboard right now... 
> 
> - If anyone feels differently, please, I'd love to hear your 
opinion! 
> Thanks!

Me:

You are 100% correct in saying that it is part of a literary device 
to further a 7-book plot! However, I think that secret keeping is 
something that is a symptom of the problems in the wizarding 
world... just as the students in Hogwarts are basically unaware of 
the existence of the house elves, that no one really pays attention 
to the fact that all of the other sentient magical creatures are 
treated as second class citizens, to the fact that the MoM controls 
the press to prevent information being given to the wizarding world, 
to the registering of 'animagus' (not being registered ending in 
being imprisoned in Azkaban!!). There are many, many more examples. 
Not only are there many things that students are *not* taught, there 
are many things that even adult wizards don't know. Add to this the 
fact that the wizarding world is keeping an ENORMOUS secret all the 
time from the muggle world, and we have an entire society based on 
secrets. Every teacher in the school has a secret of some sort. 

Of course, a world full of secrets provides lots of good plot 
devices, doesn't it? Still, from a parent's point of view, there are 
many things I don't want my child to know all about. For example, 
I'm currently unemployed and living off of my IRA. I kid that I am 
prematurely retired. Although I try to stress to her that we are on 
a limited budget, I don't want her worrying about what would happen 
if we go indefinitely without income. She's thirteen, and she's got 
enough to worry about without watching my checking account and 
savings dwindle dollar by dollar. Still, she knows that without 
income we have more limitations than normal. I don't want her 
worrying too much about her grandfather, either, who was just 
diagnosed with prostate cancer. He's getting treatment, and chances 
are will be fine, but we cannot be completely sure. She knows about 
his diagnosis, but I'm not going to let on how much it worries me 
and her grandmother. 

I think Dumbledore was trying to give Harry enough information to 
operate on without scaring him to death. If Harry had known 
everything, including the fact that either he or Voldemort must 
eventually die, he would have a hard time having any sort of normal 
life, even if he knew that he was being watched and protected. 
However, if he had known that being at his uncle and aunt's house 
was one of the ways he was protected from Voldemort, it *might* have 
helped him cope with his confinement better, but it would have meant 
he would have to know that he was in danger all those years, even 
before Voldemort actually returned to his own body. 

Another thought: if Harry had known about the prophecy and all of 
Dumbledore's fears that Voldemort was coming back, how would he have 
reacted to the knowledge? Would he have given up and tried to hide 
away? Would he have tried even harder to learn defensive spells and 
hexes and become a real magical bully? If he had known that 
Voldemort could be seeing things through his eyes, would he have 
tried harder at Occlumency or would he have panicked and run away? 
Do we know for sure that occlumency works when Voldemort was *not* 
doing a Legilimens spell?

Anyway, I think that this is one of the more ingenious things about 
the books, the fact that we can even cuss and discuss these things 
in so much depth. I think the entire series is based on secrets, 
secrets, and more secrets from begining to end.

Karen