keeping secrets

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 80843

Jwcpgh:" The adults are keeping secrets to protect themselves or to
avoid difficult subjects. Neither of those are good reasons, imo."

Grey Wolf:" While we could debate endlessly about the need to conceal
information from the enemy during the war, and how much that requires
you to keep information from your own people, it is Dumbledore's
decision, and one he admits incorrect."

Dumbledore only wrongly withheld information from Harry, to spare
Harry and to perhaps avoid a painful time for himself.  Dumbledore
knows it was an error, and so do we, but we forgive him because he did
it out of love for Harry.

As for the rest, it is a well-known paradox of war that the more you
withhold information from your own forces the harder their jobs are,
but it is vitally necessary to keep information from the enemy.  No
good answer has ever been found.

Molly's "need to know" is the essential concept. No matter how much
you're trusted, you can't be told information that you do not
absolutely need for your duties right now.  My late father, who had
Top Secret/codeword clearances for stuff I'll never know, could not
discuss anything with anyone else who wasn't specifically cleared for
the same "compartment."  With all the spies in the Ministry, never
mind Lucius at the MoM and dear son Draco at Hogwarts, if you didn't
do something similar you might as well post an owl to Voldemort.

Only trusted people can betray you.

Jim Ferer

"Three people can keep a secret, as long as two of them are dead." –
Benjamin Franklin