Dumbledore's Bridge (was: Dumbledore's Philosophy (was MAGIC DISHWASHER...)

[jwcpgh]

No: HPFGUIDX 81865

Kneasy:
<snipping some trash talk, not that it wasn't amusing> 
> I don't take any of DD's statements at face  value. This one falls 
into
> the same category as all the rest.
> 
> Consider,
> The implications of this statement are either:
> 1. Lily loved Harry more  than any other mother loved her child, 
*ever*
> so providing unique protection,  or
> 
> 2. Every  child is so protected by mother love.
> Which is patently rubbish.
> 
> Which one do you choose? 
> (Advice: Not the first,  or at least not  publicly because the 
posters 
> who are mothers are liable to rip your head off.)
> 
> Also, since that little chat, DD has admitted that  he did not think
> Harry  was ready for the truth at that age and so lied or at least
> very strongly and deliberately misled him. Are  you now certain
> that the whole truth has now  been revealed? I'm not.
> 
Laura:

Getting in on the action a little late, but...

I'll agree with you that DD is not to be taken at his word.  What I 
don't understand is why he would tell that particular lie to Harry at 
that point in PS/SS.  Harry knew very little of the WW still at the 
end of his first year at Hogwarts, so DD could have told him anything 
he wanted and Harry would have accepted it.  And why not, since 
Harry's survival was an event unique in wizard history.  

There has to be another explanation than either of the ones you 
propose.  I'd reject the first one because Harry couldn't have been 
the only child who was attacked during LV's first go-round.  It's 
most unlikely that Lily was the only parent to try to protect her 
child with her life.  And as for the second one, all we need say 
is "Mrs Black".  

The thing is, it's not as though this story about Lily (and I think 
Geoff has the reading right-it was her love itself that provided the 
protection according to DD)-has ever worked in Harry's favor again; 
that is, he's never needed to call on that particular power since, 
and now LV seems to have nullified it altogether. So if DD lied, I 
don't know what he hoped to gain by it.  Just a sweet little story 
for a pretty upset kid?  Harry didn't need that story to know his 
parents loved him-the longer he lives in the WW the more he learns 
it, and the photo album Hagrid gives Harry is the first bit of 
evidence.  

We can agree DD lies when he feels it's necessary-but he doesn't lie 
just for the fun of it (as far as we can tell).  So what's the story 
here?