DD : an appreciation. (Was Re: Snape, A Murderer?)

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 95458

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman" <susiequsie23 at s...> 
wrote:

> Here is where I might have one small quibble, Kneasy.  You say DD 
> will use "whatever means are at his disposal".  Are you sure of 
> that?  DD had the opportunity to attempt an AK on Voldy in the MoM, 
> but he did not do it.  We don't know what curse he did cast, but it 
> made Voldy scoff or laugh at DD, did it not?  Was DD unwilling to 
> cross some moral or legal line that night?  Or would you say that he 
> didn't attempt to AK Voldy because he believes that only *Harry* can 
> pull of an AK on Voldy [the prophecy & all that]?  Or some other 
> reason?
> 

Once I  get started on the subject of the ineffable Dumbledore the
analysis circuits start to overheat  dangerously. Generally speaking,
I agree with alla (95429), DD believes in the Prophecy. He believes
that Harry has something special that can skewer Voldy.

A question worth pondering - Given Voldy's physical form and the
fact that he "has gone further than anybody along the path that leads
to immortality" and that he admits that the  bouncing AK should have
killed him but didn't, can he actually be killed by DD taking potshots?
I have my doubts. IMO it needs something extra.

But back to "use whatever means are at his disposal'.

Yes. I think DD is a cold, calculating old bastard with ice-water in his
veins. In his own way he's as nasty as Snape; the difference being that
he does what he does for beneficial purposes. He is willing to sacrifice
anyone (to be fair, even himself) for those purposes. To DD the ends do
justify the means. 
  
The bluff, jocular exterior with occasional crocodile tears for added effect
is just that; the public face. He has his little plan, a plan that  went into 
effect before  Harry was born. Lily and James had to die to provide  the
necessary protection  for Harry. Harry  is then dumped into a miserable
existence that DD did nothing to alleviate for ten years. Then he offers 
him an escape route to a magical world that DD knows is not as benign
as Harry believes. He waits five years before telling Harry what the score
is and winds up by telling Harry that he has no choice in the matter. 
Kill or be killed. So kind, so caring, so considerate.

DD is sitting in the pub listening to the putative Prophecy. Someone else
listens in and is ejected. We don't know who that someone else was but I
bet that DD does and that he also knew the tale would go back to Voldy. 
He actually tells Harry that Voldy killed his parents because he thought 
that was the way to fulfill the Prophecy, or at least that part that was 
reported to him.

It  doesn't need a genius to figure out that DD  immediately starts to 
calculate who the Prophesy might apply to; it doesn't need many more
brains to figure out that they are in danger from a  Voldy pre-emptive
strike. But if their protection is ensured, what would that mean? James
and Lily live, Harry is not protected, Harry is not marked, Harry does
not receive some of Voldy's power in the subsequent mental transfer.
No Weapon!Harry to eventually bring down Voldemort. But the Prophecy
intimates that Weapon!Harry is the best bet for achieving  that aim,
indeed it might be the only way. Sorry Jim! Sorry Lil; but you've got
to go. DD the Legilimens surely knew that Peter was serving Voldy,
surely knew that a quartet of comparatively inexperienced wizards
and witches wouldn't be able to fend off Voldy for long, especially
when one of them was a double. Betrayal was a stone cold certainty.
Even if Peter didn't become Secret Keeper he knew who was. If he
didn't betray James and Lily he would betray  Sirius and Sirius, like
any other wizard would be unable to hold out against Voldy's power.
Do  you think DD  didn't know that?

I've asked the question before - this Old Magic thing - where would
Lily learn such a spell? DD is the best bet. You can just see him, eyes
a-twinkle  "...and just in case, you'd better learn this one." Note that 
it was  he who thought to use Old Magic to protect Harry at Privet
Drive; what a coincidence. Great minds think alike or one great mind
planning ahead?

Many posters, well, some posters, suspect that DD knew that Sirius 
was innocent and have wondered why he never did anything to get
him out of the slammer. Why even after Sirius had escaped no attempt
was made to establish his innocence. When I'm feeling particularly
vicious I think this is because Sirius would have interferred with DD's
little plan. He would have insisted on taking Harry into his care. DD's
manipulations would have met with opposition. Can't have that.
Time for another sacrifice. First Azkaban, then something more
permanent. Drop  a hint in a responsive ear - "It might be better if
such a rash, irresponsible person didn't have so much influence over
Harry."  Hey, Presto! Another stumbling block gone. 

I expect that there will be those who don't see things the same way
that I do. But I'd remind them that DD is not a simple old duffer, he's
had this plan of his  for a long, long time. And he thinks it's a winner.
Will he allow anything to disrupt it? 

Kneasy