MAGIC DISHWASHER (TBAY INTRO): Spying Game Philosophy - The Phoenix must die!
bluesqueak
pipdowns at etchells0.demon.co.uk
Wed Sep 17 16:16:53 UTC 2003
No: HPFGUIDX 81010
MAGIC DISHWASHER: Spying Game Philosophy. The Phoenix must die.
(with TBAY introduction – if you hate TBAY, skip down to the
asterisks)
The sun was setting over Theory Bay, and the Safe House was holding
a barbecue in honour of its shiny new canons. Between canon for
Dumbledore's undercover agents in the MoM, Dumbledore's announcement
that he had a plan, the on-screen discovery that Snape is a superb
actor, positive proof that Dumbledore has been deliberately
withholding information from Harry and the DE's using the giants to
try and kill Hagrid, the MD team felt it had something to celebrate.
Indeed, the rather bemused guests had earlier been treated to an
impromptu conga line as the Magic Dishwasher Defence Team had danced
around the house chanting `Albus has a plan, hey! Albus has a plan,
hey!'
But now the barbeque was in full swing. Grey Wolf had gently placed
Sneaky, the Safe House Elf, on a lounger so that she could sleep off
the celebratory ButterBeers. A suspicious looking character called
Kneasey was eating all the burgers he could lay his hands on, and a
small boy with dark hair and a dripping nose was managing to smear
the chocolate he was eating all over his face, hands and hair.
Pippin had refused the bun, but accepted a very rare burger, Captain
Cindy was complaining to Derannimer about the lack of Bangs in OOP
(`she's saving them up, you wait and see. Book Six will have the
bloodiest ambush *ever*') and Melody was explaining that she was so
old enough to drink Firewhisky, and would everyone stop offering her
butterbeer.
Pip!Squeak, meanwhile, was snoring on another lounger. Occasionally
a guest would tiptoe too close, and Melody would whisper `Shh! She's
really tired!'
Kneasey , Grey Wolf and Pippin meanwhile, were having an argument.
"Pippin, I do not understand why you still object to MD,' said
Grey. `Of all the pre Hurricane Jo theories, MD has probably had the
most new supporting canon. The Safe House is stronger. We may have
to build new rooms to put the canon into.'
Pippin made a slurping noise as she sucked her rare
hamburger. `That's the point, Grey. MD has so much canon support
that it's been pretty well superseded.`
`Superseded?' Wolf growled. Pippin sniffed. Vampires and werewolves
aren't usually scared of each other. Though they often don't get on.
`Superseded,' she said firmly. `Events have moved beyond you. It's
no longer important whether Dumbledore intended Pettigrew to escape
to Voldemort. The question of whether he stopped Sirius being
cleared is now dead. Voldemort has shown that he's not as stupid as
he looks. Whether the DE's supported him before his return or not,
they're certainly supporting him to the death now. You are
superseded. You need a new theory. One that takes Order of the
Phoenix into account.'
`Order of the Phoenix!' shouted Pip!Squeak suddenly, leading to not
a little confusion in those guests who had difficulty telling Pip!
Squeak from Pippin. Then Pip!Squeak turned over on the lounger and
snored some more.
`I don't think being suspicious of Dumbledore is likely to be
superseded,' rasped Kneasey. `Dumbledore is up to something.'
`Suspicious is one thing. Subversion is another,' said Pippin
`This, from the creator of Ever-so-Evil Lupin?' rumbled Grey Wolf.
`How is suspicion of Dumbledore subversion?' said Kneasey. `He
treats Harry like a chess piece. He has an agenda.'
Pip!Squeak seemed to be in the middle of some kind of nightmare. She
struggled on the lounger, and was heard to mutter `Agenda.
Dumbledore's agenda.'
Grey gazed at her sadly. `She's been working too hard, you know,' he
said. 'It's DOOMSDAY. (Defenders Of Ol' MD Serve Duties Against
Yahoomort )'.
Suddenly Pip!Squeak sat bolt upright and shouted out `It's a bloody
PHOENIX! It's a PHOENIX! Why didn't I see it!` She paused. `Who gave
Melody that Firewhisky!'
A stunned silence descended as Pip!Squeak started to explain
*********************************************************************
Warning: this post requires a cup of tea (or other refreshing
drink), biscuits/cookies according to nationality, and ideally,
copies of all five books. It's long. Oh boy, is it long.
*********************************************************************
In previous posts [see
http://www.hpfgu.org.uk/faq/hypotheticalley.html#md, post
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/39662 and post
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/40044 ], the
Magic Dishwasher Defence Team has presented the list with the idea
that things may not be as they seem. Characters may be acting
according to an agenda that Harry does not understand. Especially,
they may deliberately mislead Harry (and by implication, the reader).
Harry is being misled. He thinks that Voldemort is the real threat
to the WW. Voldemort will destroy the Wizarding World as we know it.
And he's wrong.
This post is slightly different in style to the two previous Spying
Game posts. They examined character agendas, and series backstory by
a detailed examination of individual scenes. In this I am examining
character philosophies rather than scenes.
However, the MD approach (which is close to Stanislavskian analysis
of characters) is in operation. See
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPFGU-OTChatter/message/12757 for a
detailed explanation; but briefly, for the duration of this post we
are no longer looking at the Potterverse from the outside, in.
Instead we are looking at the Potterverse from the inside viewpoint
of the characters. And they don't know they're in a book about Harry
Potter. ;-)
**Canon for what Voldemort wants**
`he was getting' himself power, all right. [snip] He was takin'
over. `Course, some stood up to him - an' he killed `em.' [Hagrid,
PS/SS Ch. 4 p.45 UK paperback].
`a name that I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak,
when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!' [Diary!
Riddle, CoS Ch. 17, p.231 UK paperback]
`he was taking over everywhere! Wh-what was there to be gained by
refusing him!' [Peter Pettigrew, PoA, Ch. 19 p.274 UK paperback]
`
the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death
[Voldemort, GoF, Ch. 33 p.562 UK paperback]
`I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of
creatures whom all fear
' [Voldemort, GoF, Ch.33, p.564 UK
paperback]
`[Dumbledore] has insisted [snip] that You-Know-Who [snip] is
recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power.'
[Daily Prophet, OOP, Ch. 38, p. 745 UK hardback]
`Voldemort had the right idea [snip], the purification of the
wizarding race, getting rid of muggle borns, and having pure-bloods
in charge.' [Sirius Black explaining that his parents and brother
supported Voldemort, OOP, Ch. 6, p. 104]
`There is nothing worse than death
' [Voldemort, OOP, Ch. 36, p.718 ]
So, Voldemort believes in immortality, in fear, in taking over, and
in purifying the wizarding race. He especially believes in power. A
one-man, one vote system where he's the man, and he has the vote.
Forever.
Note that the only destruction mentioned is the destruction that
results from opposing El Presidente. Oops, sorry, wrong wanna-be
fascist dictator. ;-) The Dark Lord. If you're a pure-blood, or
even `pure-enough' you might well think that you have a lot more to
lose than gain by refusing to obey Voldemort.
Is this starting to remind anyone of 1930's Germany? Where Hitler
was elected into power? And when, incidentally, Sir Oswald `Tom'
Mosley was also setting himself up as the leader of British Fascism.
Keep that thought in mind, and remember that Hitler did *not* want
to destroy Germany. That bit was a slight mistake. What Hitler
actually wanted was a Thousand-Year-Reich, which would have power
over the non-Aryan world. And he would have power over the Reich.
Now look at Voldemort's opponents outside the Order of the Phoenix.
Barty Crouch Sr. Pure blood family. Wants Minister of Magic post.
Sent Sirius to Azkaban without trial. Authorised use
of `unforgivables' against DE's. Practiced moral rectitude in public
by sending his criminal son to Azkaban, then used his position as
important Ministry member to successfully plot a prison break out.
Modified Bertha Jorkin's memory so drastically she suffered
permanent brain damage. Has `no use for a servant who forgets what
is due to her master' [GoF, Ch. 9, p.124]
Cornelius Fudge. Pure blood family. Dumbledore describes him as
placing too much importance on purity of blood. Approves (and
refuses to remove) Dementors at Azkaban, a prison regime that
results in widespread madness and high suicide rates. Prejudiced
against half giants. Willing to make up `decrees' as he goes along.
Willing to arrest and imprison Hagrid without trial. Willing to
convict Harry on no evidence, and to change the time and place of
the trial so his defence lawyer/supporter and possibly even the
defendant doesn't attend [OOP Ch.8 p.128]. Ignores evidence of the
return of Voldemort because it might threaten his power.
Is this a struggle between good and evil? Or is this a power
struggle between people who basically think the same way? Neither
Crouch nor Fudge have any problem with the `what I say goes' style
of government (a government of men, not of laws). Neither have any
problem with `pure bloods on top' [I'm inferring that Barty Jr. got
his `purebloods rule OK' notions from Daddy]. The main problems with
Voldemort are that a) he's a bit violent and b) *I* want to be in
charge, not You-Know-Bloody-Who.
This is not dissimilar to the way Sirius describes his parents. They
agree with Voldemort. They just got cold feet about what Voldemort
was prepared to do to get power [OOP. Ch.6 p. 104 ]. Sirius
describes the WW as having `quite a few people' who agreed with
Voldemort.
[Note to non-Brits. Brits have a slang of reversing large
quantities. `Quite a few' translates as `a substantial number'. If
you hear a Brit telling you `he does have one or two supporters, you
know', it translates as `you do realise 90% of the country is with
him?']
How common is racism in the WW? The most obvious racist at Hogwarts
is Draco, whose father is a friend of the Minister for Magic. Ron
shrinks away from a werewolf he's known for a year. Fred and George
tell Hermione quite seriously that House Elves are happy. Mr Diggory
doesn't even dignify Winky with a name. Muggle liaison is regarded
as such a low status job, applicants only need *one* OWL. The nice
Mr Weasley regards Muggles with incredible condescension, and even
Harry's beloved Sirius sees Kreacher as `a servant unworthy of much
interest or notice' [OOP Ch. 37 p. 735].
Note that while the House Elves at Hogwarts are well treated, *all
three* major house elf characters are treated badly when *outside*
Hogwarts.
Meanwhile, the centaurs are quite clearly deeply pissed off with
humans, the Goblins have revolted regularly, and the Giants are
having genocide practiced on them by being forced into areas smaller
than they can cope with.
The wizarding world is also deeply corrupt. It is a world where `who
you know' gets you off criminal charges. We're supposed to be
shocked by Willy Widdershins trading information for a reduction in
his sentence [OOP] – but the nice Mr Weasley rushes off to Mad-eye
Moody's house to reduce `Improper Use of Magic' to `Exploding
dustbins' as a `favour'.[GoF] And unwittingly lets Fake!Moody into
Hogwarts. Another of Arthur's `favours' includes `smoothing things
over' for Ludo's brother (which got his family the Top Box tickets).
[GoF] And he writes loopholes into the law to benefit himself. [CoS]
Arthur clearly doesn't have the faintest notion that these things
might be wrong. Sirius doesn't see Kreacher as a `real person' who
has feelings just as he does. That is how deep the racism and the
corruption has gone. Everyone in the WW is affected by it. Even
Hermione, herself muggle born, has one or two worrying comments
about how her parents can `understand' concepts like `prefect'. [OOP
Ch. 9 p. 151]
Voldemort fits right in, really, doesn't he? Voldemort isn't an
opponent of the WW ethos – he's its logical result.
And this is the society that Harry is supposed to risk his life to
preserve?
No. As Kneasey so rightly points out, Dumbledore has an agenda.
**Canon for what Dumbledore wants**
`They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o'course, but he'd never leave
Hogwarts' [Hagrid, PS/SS Ch. 5 p.51 ]
`I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks.' [in the
Mirror of Erised] [Dumbledore, PS/SS Ch. 12 p. 157 ]
the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and
life as you could want! The two things most humans would choose
above all - the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing
precisely those things which are worst for them.' [Dumbledore, PS/SS
Ch. 17 p. 215]
`Father's always said Dumbledore's the worst thing that happened to
this place. He loves muggle-borns.' [Draco, CoS Ch. 12 p.166]
`Take him away an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance!' [Hagrid
about Dumbledore, CoS, Ch. 14 p.195]
`no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am
Headmaster.' [Dumbledore, PoA Ch. 9 p.125]
`Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-
Who
' [Fudge, PoA Ch. 10 p.152]
`But then Dumbledore came to Hogwarts and he was sympathetic.' [to
Lupin the werewolf attending Hogwarts] [Lupin, PoA, Ch. 18, p.258]
`I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the
Minister for Magic' [Dumbledore, PoA Ch. 21, p. 287]
`Trusts people, he does. Give's `em second chances
tha's what sets
him apart from other Heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts,
s'long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out OK even
if their families weren'
well
all that respectable.' [Hagrid,
GoF Ch. 24 p.395]
`your talk of closer international wizarding links, of rebuilding
old ties, of forgetting old differences
' [Karkaroff, GoF Ch. 28,
p.487]
`I read the muggle newspapers, unlike most of my Ministry friends
[Dumbledore, GoF Ch. 30 p.522]
`that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus
Dumbledore' [Voldemort, GoF Ch. 33]
`let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach
your students, without reference to the Ministry' [Fudge, GoF, Ch.
36 P.615]
`The only one against whom I intend to work is Lord Voldemort. If
you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side.'
[Dumbledore to Fudge, GoF Ch. 36 P. 615]
`Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth stand
united, there is no hope for any of us.' [Dumbledore GoF Ch. 36 p.
618]
In GoF he offers Dobby 10 Galleons a week and weekends off ;-)
`He's never wanted the Minister's job, even though a lot of people
wanted him to take it when Millicent Bagnold retired.' [Arthur
Weasley about Dumbledore, OOP Ch. 5 p. 88]
`Dumbledore says he doesn't care what they do as long as they don't
take him off the Chocolate Frog cards' [Bill about Dumbledore losing
his position in the power structure, OOP Ch.5, p.9]
`The statue we destroyed tonight told a lie. We wizards have
mistreated and abused our fellows for too long, and we are now
reaping our reward.' [Dumbledore, OOP, Ch.37 p. 735]
Phrases used about him – a bit mad [Percy in PS/SS], obsolete old
dingbat, eccentric [Rita Skeeter in GoF], barmy old codger
[Dumbledore about himself, GoF]
So Dumbledore does not believe in seizing power. Nor does he want
money or endless life. He does, however, seem to see the Minister of
Magic as slightly irrelevant to him, personally. He is quite happy
to organise a secret society, dedicated to doing *something* that
the Ministry won't approve of. He strongly disapproves of the
Ministry Dementors. He will let Sirius Black escape. He fights
Ministry Aurors rather than submit to a legal arrest. He encourages
Harry to lie to the Ministry and himself tells a direct lie to
Fudge. [See OOP Chapter 27- Dumbledore's direct lie is on page 545 ]
Dumbledore believes in a person's choices and actions, rather than
in what they were born. He also thinks that people can change. He
supports equal opportunities for the muggle born, *and* for the half
human/half magical creature wizards like Hagrid (and Lupin).
Dumbledore believes that `we wizards have abused and mistreated our
fellows for too long, and we are now reaping our reward' [OOP Ch.
37, p.735]. He thinks that he cannot *make* people see the truth.
And he wants a pair of nice woolly socks. ;-)
It is actually Dumbledore who is the opponent of the WW ethos.
Dumbledore is the `mad' `eccentric'. Not Voldemort.
And suddenly the question of `why would Dumbledore lead his attack
on Voldemort from a *school*' makes perfect sense. If Dumbledore
wants to change the very ethos of the WW, he has to start with the
children. Children whose views have yet to be formed. Children who
can then grow up in a place where muggleborns are treated as equal;
where a werewolf or half-giant can be your friend.
Dumbledore is not Headmaster at Hogwarts because of Harry Potter. He
was Headmaster at Hogwarts before Harry's parents had even begun to
go out together. [See OOP Ch. 28]
If we look at the structure of the OOP, it appears that a large
proportion of Dumbledore's Order are his ex-students. Tonks. Lupin.
Sirius. The Potters. The Weasley sons, who have persuaded their
father. Possibly the Longbottoms and Sturgis Podmore (who is
described as `looking young' in the original photo). Hagrid. Snape.
Even Peter Pettigrew.
Are these people opposed to the WW `pureblood is best, all others
below' ethos?
James Potter, of an important WW family (`the last of the Potters' –
Sirius Black, GoF) married the muggle-born Lily Evans. He decisively
rejected the WW ethos.
Tonks is the daughter of a Black who married a muggle-born. She also
comes from a background that rejects the `pure-blood is best' ethos.
Bill Weasley talks about the Goblins at Gringotts with easy
familiarity. He treats them as colleagues and his bosses, rather
than as inferiors. Ragnok obviously feels comfortable enough with
Bill to make it very clear that he feels anti Wizard. [OOP Ch. 5 p.
81] and to tell Bill why.
Sirius Black ran away from his family because he couldn't stand them
and their `pure-blood mania'.
McGonagall expresses disdain at Willy Widdershins getting a reduced
sentence in return for information. This suggests she doesn't like
the corruption. [OOP Ch. 27 p.541]. She wears muggle clothes in the
school holidays [OOP Ch 6. p.109]. Is she possibly muggle born
herself?
Snape. Difficult to say, but some clues are: he is vicious towards
the pure-blood Neville, he does not single out the `brought up by
Muggles' Dean Thomas, and he gave the Muggle-born Hermione Granger
higher marks in the first year exam than the pure-blood Draco. [CoS]
Lupin is also rather tricky. He's a werewolf – who picked two pure-
blood friends. I can't actually bring to mind any positive
expression of rejecting the WW ethos, except where it applies to
him, personally. Even his comment about `the freedoms we've denied
them for centuries' is expressed as a comment on why the Goblins
might be tempted to join Voldemort. [OOP, Ch.5 P 81]. It's tactical,
rather than an expression of belief.
It's always dangerous to argue that a person who is a victim of
prejudice must automatically be non-prejudiced.
[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/78547 ]
There is prejudice among the members of the OOP. Sirius is trapped
by his early views on house-elves. He simply doesn't see Kreacher as
having any feelings worth bothering about. Kreacher's feelings
aren't important to him. He's a servant, not a real person.
Moody is the stereotypical copper – once a villain, always a villain.
Hagrid shows in GoF that he dislikes `foreign' wizards simply
because they are foreign.
But in the major area of treating muggle borns equally, and the
principle that other races are being treated unfairly by the WW –
most of the OOP seem to agree with Dumbledore. When they express an
opinion, that is [grin].
Looking at the type of people in the OOP, I'm reminded of Abigail's
excellent post on Snape the Iconoclast.
[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/78512 ]
While I disagree with her on the idea that it is *Voldemort* who is
looking for Iconoclasts, I'd like to quote one of her points.
"Within this atmosphere, being the progeny of an old, wealthy
wizarding family might be more of a hindrance then an asset.
These families had benefitted from the social order as it stood
- the foundations of their status were rooted in the very thing
that Voldemort proposed to destroy."
Looking at Voldemort's supporters we see that they include Lucius
Malfoy, of the wealthy pureblood family. Regulus Black, of the
wealthy pureblood family. Bellatrix Black, of the wealthy pureblood
family. MacNair, now working at the Ministry. Augustus Rookwood, of
the Department of Mysteries, who had a network of well placed
wizards (including Ludo Bagman, the distinctly dim and probably pure-
blooded sports star). Rookwood was important enough to provoke a
murmur amongst the Wizengamot (I assume it was they in the Pensieve
scene) and important enough for Bagman to believe he could get him a
Ministry job.
Malfoy, especially is described as so well connected and powerful
that he can delay laws he doesn't want passed and ask for
many `favours' [OOP, Ch. 9, p. 142]
So in fact, many of Voldemort's supporters appear to be in the WW
power structure.
What about Dumbledore's?
Lupin is a werewolf. He's out.
Snape and McGonagall are both teachers. They're out.
Arthur Weasley has been shunted into a low status position. MoM,
yes, but his own son has to choose whether to disown him or spy on
him to stand a chance of getting anywhere. [Notice that whether
Percy has chosen to side against his family or not, he has neatly
chosen a path that means he *cannot* be asked to spy on them].
Moody has been `retired'
Mundungus is a crook. Definitely out.
Mrs Figg is a squib. Extremely out.
Sirius was a member of a wealthy pureblood family, who disowned him.
Tonks is a very junior member of the Auror Team. And not a pureblood.
Bill Weasley has a desk job at Gringotts Bank.
Charlie Weasley studies dragons in Romania.
Kingsley is a more senior member of the Auror Team, but is still on
individual cases (Sirius) rather than in charge of anything.
Hagrid is a groundskeeper.
Molly is a housewife [UK]/homemaker[US].
In Voldemort's team we *know* that several members are either well
born, influential or both. Dumbledore's team seems to consist
largely of those outside the power structure, without much in the
way of influence.
It is Dumbledore's team who fit the classic `iconoclast' structure.
Voldemort's team fits the `coup d'etat' structure.
So, Dumbledore stands opposed to the prevailing `pure-blood' rules
Wizard, Wizard rules everything else' ethos of the WW. His Order of
the Phoenix is quite definitely fighting a war against Voldemort,
who supports that ethos, and wants to take it to its logical
conclusion [with the small variation that *Tom Riddle*, the half-
blood Heir of Slytherin, is going to be the exception to the rule.
Because he's going to rule].
Will Dumbledore be satisfied if his Order of the Phoenix defeats Tom
Riddle? No. He tells us that.
`We both know that there are other ways of destroying a man, Tom
Merely taking your life would not satisfy me, I admit – ` [OOP, Ch.
36, p.718]
Dumbledore defeated the Dark Wizard Grindlewald in 1945. And 15 to
20 years later, another Dark Lord had arisen to take his place.
Dumbledore must have sat down and seen a very bleak vision of the
world when Lord Voldemort rose for the first time.
`
it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what
seems a losing battle next time – and if [the endless succession of
Dark lords are] delayed again and again, why, [they] may never
return to power.'
[Original quote in PS/SS Ch. 17, p.216, comments in square brackets
are my additions]
An endless series of battles against Dark Lords. Because the
Wizarding world, with its tacit acceptance of bigotry, corruption,
Dark (or Black) magicians, its feelings of superiority over the
muggle race it came from, is set up to *produce* Dark magicians who
will seek power.
House Slytherin is a respected part of Hogwarts. 'Pure-blood' as a
password and using any means to achieve your ends is respectable. It
is a house that native-born wizards aspire to [Draco does]. Unless
you are a bunch of traditional Gryffindors like the Weasley's
[grin].
Harry's first information about Slytherin (outside meeting Draco)
comes from Hagrid, an Order of the Phoenix member, and Ron, from a
family that are all in Slytherin's traditional enemy Gryffindor
House. Other opinions? Well, even the muggle born Hermione doesn't
announce that she hopes not to get put in Slytherin. [PS/SS Ch. 6
p.79-80] Perhaps the books she's read don't suggest anything is
wrong with Slytherin House? Perhaps the people she's been asking
don't think anything is wrong with Slytherin?
Lucius Malfoy is an honoured guest of the Minister for Magic. Sirius
Black's grandfather was an Order of Merlin, First Class. Phineas
Nigellus, former Headmaster of Hogwarts, came from Slytherin House.
As I have said above. Voldemort is not an opponent to the WW. He is
its logical result. Voldemort wants what a large section of the WW
wants. He's just prepared to *really* do anything to get it.
So Dumbledore has seen that the only way to change that endless
succession of Dark Lords is to change the conditions that make them
possible. The Slytherin ambition is a fine quality. If it is
combined with a belief that you should *not* use *any* means.
Snape, with his blatant favouritism to Slytherin, might possibly
be `talent spotting' the Slyths who hate their House getting points
unfairly. [Then again, he could just be a complete git ;-) ] Looking
for the Slytherins who are ambitious, but want to win fair and
square. They are the ones that Dumbledore would want.
Hogwarts includes muggleborns, werewolves and half giants.
Dumbledore has been sufficiently successful that many of his ex-
students *support* Hagrid when Rita Skeeter `outs' him. [GoF]
House elves are treated kindly and with respect. `Free' house elves
are accepted and offered wages and time off. 'Unfree' House elves
are not forced into freedom. [GoF and OOP]
Muggleborns under Dumbledore are freely accepted into the school,
and treated no differently to any other student. Dormitories are
mixed race in every sense of the word. Pure blooded students
obviously don't feel that dating a muggle born will get slogans
scrawled on their textbooks [or any other nasty tricks]. [James
Potter felt free to date Lily Evans]
And all this might not be enough. Because if Voldemort wins,
Hogwarts will be purified. Muggle borns will no longer be accepted.
The `pure-enough' will probably be educated to believe in their
second class status. The Hogwarts students will be trained as future
rulers of the Wizarding Empire [just as the old style British
boarding school was set up to train rulers of the British Empire].
Voldemort must be beaten. But `merely taking your life' is not
enough. He must be defeated. Like Hitler, the whole of the UK WW
must understand that Voldemort must be defeated. That not only must
he be defeated, but that what he stands for must be defeated. Must
believe it so wholeheartedly that they will eventually be prepared
to let their entire society be changed beyond recognition if only it
will defeat Voldemort.
The Wizarding World must be prepared to destroy itself in order to
defeat Voldemort and all his kind for ever. Those who oppose what
Voldemort stands for must fight those who support his ideas.
and none will come after
[one of the broken prophecies in the
Dept of Mysteries].
No more Dark Lords. Never again.
The problem, as Dumbledore undoubtedly knows, is that this is
unlikely to be anything less than a bloody cataclysm. Removing
Voldemort by simply killing him is the easy solution. It will work
for Voldemort. But in twenty years time, there will likely be
another Dark Lord, willing to use 'any means to achieve their ends'
[PS/SS Ch. 7 p.88]
Forcing the Wizarding World to choose their side is the hard
solution. It is also the right one. People will die in the coming
war – but what will then never happen (if Dumbledore's side wins) is
that `numbers of nameless and faceless people and creatures will be
slaughtered in the vague future' [p.739, Ch.37 OOP ].
And this is completely in keeping with Dumbledore's ethos. He
believes in choices. He will not force people to see things his way,
or force change by becoming Minister for Magic.
He *can* force people to make their own choice. Will you fight what
Voldemort stands for? Or will you agree that he has the 'right idea'
and follow him?
And so the Order of the Phoenix is not setting out to defeat
Voldemort. Instead it will force the WW to choose whether to fight
him. It is also plotting against the Ministry, (and its pure-blood
ethos) as Dumbledore cheerfully admits in OOP Ch. 27 p. 545.
These are the dangers `of which you can have no idea' that Lupin
talks about [OOP Ch. 5 p.91]. A truly stupid comment to three
children who have *already* fought Voldemort – unless just fighting
*Voldemort* is not what the Order of the Phoenix is about. If the
Order is fighting the structure of its society, the comment makes
sense.
The whole of OOP the book is a story about the Order's attempt to
bring Voldemort out into the open. They tell Harry only what
he `needs to know' [OOP Ch.5 p.84]. They don't tell him the details
of the prophecy, because then Voldemort will then be able to get it
from Harry's mind. They try and protect him using Occlumency, and
Snape is `unnerved' and `agitated' when he realises that Harry is
being shown visions of the Department of Mysteries. [OOP, Ch.24
pp.474-475]
Only two people can lift that prophecy from the shelf at the Dept.
of Mysteries without going insane. Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort.
Stop Harry going to the prophecy, and Lord Voldemort must come
himself. Must reveal himself in the centre of the Ministry.
Bellatrix knows that this is why Voldemort should not appear at the
Ministry. `The Dark Lord, walk into the Ministry of Magic, when they
are so sweetly ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, reveal himself to
the Aurors
` [OOP Ch. 35 p.694]
And when he does? Dumbledore tells him – `It was foolish to come
here tonight, Tom. The Aurors are on their way – ` [OOP Ch. 36, p717]
The guard duty on the prophecy is not to stop it being stolen. It's
to raise the alarm when Lord Voldemort comes to steal it. So his
return becomes undeniable.
So the UK Wizarding World knows it is at war.
The symbol of the Order is a Phoenix. Why?
A phoenix is a symbol of rebirth. But what is often forgotten is
that before it is reborn, it dies in fire.
As Fawkes does in the fight against Voldemort.
As the old Wizarding World will, if Dumbledore has his way.
The eleven year old Harry would probably have thought this a bad
thing. The fourteen year old Hermione was beginning to see that her
new world needed changing. What will the seventeen year old Trio
think?
Is Dumbledore's phoenix fire better than Voldemort's pure ice?
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
>From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
[Robert Frost, Fire and Ice]
Pip!Squeak
[A minor note: the plot of CoS revolves around attacks on
muggleborns because of their blood. Dumbledore stands by and lets it
happen in the hope that the resulting battle can destroy the menace
of the basilisk for once and all. No wonder JKR said that CoS nearly
gives it all away]
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