" Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer!" DD the strategist!

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 95076

(Replying to my own post because I wanted to clean up and add to my 
original post.)

I put this post up because it occured to me that Dumbledore often 
seems to know more than he should at times. Is he privy to 
information others are not? Is he a Seer, or a time traveler? Or is 
he a strategist? 

Many people have commented that Snape is tough on the children 
because he is preparing them for what is to come. But from everything 
I've read I think that it's DD who is preparing the children. 

In GOF, page 230, US version: 

"But--but you said it's illegal, Professor," said Hermione 
uncertainly as Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, 
leaving a large space in the middle of the room. "You said--to use it 
(the Imperius Curse) against another human was--"
"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," said Moody, his 
magical eye swiveling onto Hermione and fixing her with an eerie, 
unblinking stare." If you'd rather learn the hard way--when someone's 
putting it on you so they can control you completely--fine by me."
(By the way, Harry is the only person in the class that attempts to 
fight the curse, and is able to throw off the curse entirely on the 
fourth try.)  

This is a pretty good trick to know if someone was trying to control
your mind -- or perhaps read it?!

DD also allows the students to do/and or he manipulates the children 
to do many dangerous things. I almost feel as though he is some kind 
of military leader who is training his troops for war! 

Why would DD let a sadistic person like Snape teach? 
There are many fans who believe that Snape is on the good side, but 
what if he isn't? Or, what if Snape is at present on the good side, 
but DD knows (somehow) that he will go back to Voldemort. 

If DD thinks like a strategist he may have Snape at the school for a 
very different reason than just teaching potions. 

There is a book a book called "The Art of War," a Chinese military 
book that is over 2500 years old. (This is the Oldest Military 
Treatise in the World. Julius Caesar and Napolean Bonaparte read this 
book; American generals studied it during WWII, and many other 
military strategists throughout history.) 

Well anyway, this book has a very famous quote which says: "Keep your 
friends close, but keep your enemies closer" (not sure of exact 
quote). 

If DD is a strategist, then perhaps he has Snape at the school for a 
different reason altogether. Perhaps it's so that he can keep an eye 
on Snape. 

DD may also want Snape at the school so that the children can learn 
about him, and or people like him. Maybe DD is teaching the kids how 
to understand the enemy -- because the more the kids are around Snape 
the more they are going to learn his weaknesses (just like we are 
learning Voldy's weaknesses). Perhaps DD is teaching the kids how to 
fight the DE's -- how to use the DEs weaknesses against them. 

I wonder if Ron, who is also a strategist (example the chess game in 
COS), will figure out something about Snape?

It could very well turn out that Snape is on the good side; but I 
think that his personality and prejudices are similar to Voldy and 
the DEs. Having Snape around would be a good way for the children to 
get an idea about the type of personality that joins Voldy. 

Many people have ascertained that Snape and DD are working together. 
But were they working together during POA? It seems to me that Snape 
was completely out of the loop during POA. 
 
I'm starting to think that Occulmency lessons were not so much to 
teach Harry how to close his mind, but how to read Snape's mind. I 
wonder if DD meant Harry to see what was in the penseive as well. 
(I think Snape's anger with Harry during the penseive scene is not 
due to his humiliation over what Harry saw, but fear over what 
information might have been acquired from the penseive.)   

vmonte