keeping secrets

[jwcpgh]

No: HPFGUIDX 80845

> jwcpgh wrote:
> > I believe that there are times when adults need to withhold or 
edit information from children, for the sake of the mental health of 
the children.  But I don't think that's what's happening in these 
books.  The adults are keeping secrets to protect themselves or to 
avoid difficult subjects.  Neither of those are good reasons, imo.


> Grey Wolf
> Ummm... see, in these books, most adults are keeping secrets for a 
very  valid and very important reason that has nothing to do with the 
fact that those secrets are being kept from children (rather, they 
are being kept from everyone). Dumbledore and the Order of the 
Phoenix are in the middle of a war with Voldemort, a war that 
involves plenty of spying and careful manouvering around two 
other "sides" - Voldemort and the MoM. 
> 
> The phrase "need to know" is used by Molly Weasley, but with 
reference to instructions set by Dumbledore himself. <snip> 

Laura again:

I think you're begging the question of what's a "valid and important 
reason."  At the time Harry first raised the question, at the end of 
PS/SS, the war hadn't yet resumed.  There was therefore no question 
about classified information.  DD didn't tell Harry because he 
couldn't bring himself to do so.  What if he had?  Then DD and Harry 
could have begun to work on a strategy to deal with the information. 
DD could have said, "Harry, we know that LV believes you are a danger 
to him.  Let's say LV is able to come back to power at some point.  
What skills and background will you need to defend yourself?  I will 
see that you learn these things." It takes LV 4 years to regain a 
body-surely in that time Harry could have been eased into knowing 
what he had to know.

It seems to me that the adults act like the prophecy is such a thing 
without ever discussing the options vis-a-vis Harry.  And how many 
people actually know what it says-do we have any evidence that anyone 
knows besides DD?  All they know is that there's a prophecy in the 
DoM that LV wants that has to do with himself and Harry.  So how are 
they supposed to make an informed decision? 

And clearly even the Order members are divided in what they think 
Harry needs to know.  Only DD and Molly (each for their own unhealthy 
reasons) feel Harry should be kept completely ignorant.  Arthur and 
Lupin think he should be given the basics; Sirius wants to tell him 
everything.  

I also really don't understand what the big deal was about keeping 
the contents of the prophecy a secret anyhow.  Why would it have been 
a problem for the Order if everyone in the WW knew what the prophecy 
said?  Forgive me if I'm being dense here.  The thing about secrets 
is that they're like prophecies in the DoM-they're very fragile and 
require special handling and care.  So once you have a secret you 
have to spend all kinds of energy protecting it.  Sometimes in the 
whole effort of doing so you lose sight of how significant the 
information is-or isn't- in the first place.