Albus Dumbledore: the myth and the man

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 96173

Lilian:
Thanks to Kneasy and others I reread CoS, totally suspicious -
bordering on downrigh paranoid ;-) - of DD. What convinced me? The
scene of petrified Mrs. Norris.
DD tells Filch that they can revive Mrs. Norris using a special
potions of Mandrakes AND that Professor Sprout just acquired quite a
number of Mandrakes this year. Off went my pocket-sneakascope!
What a happy coincidence! Nope, didn't buy that (anymore).

DD knew already that Lucius Malfoy (Kneasy started a thread
concerning this) would try something at Hogwarts and that it would
have something to do with the Chamber of Secrets. He knew also, as
he was around during the first time it all happened, that kids were
likely to be petrified so he took care that this time they would
have some means to revive them. Probably asked Mundungus to help
Prof. Sprout to some Mandrakes.


Neri:
If DD knew in advance about Malfoy's plot and the basilisk (and for 
some reason decided not to stop it himself), he would have prepared 
coffins, not mandrakes. The basilisk's stare usually kills the 
victim. The attacked students were only petrified due to sheer luck: 
they all looked at the basilisk through something rather than 
directly. I see no way how DD could have ensured that this will 
happen. If you think DD allowed the attacks to happen, this means he 
was ready to sacrifice mudbloods. I know Kneasy doesn't have any 
problem with that but you might have. In any case, predicting that 
the attacked students will need mandrakes rather than coffins is a 
perfect example of what I meant when I wrote that omniscient!DD would 
need super-human foreknowledge.

Another possibility is of course time-traveling DD, but then the 
credit doesn't go to DD. He may know everything that is going to 
happen, but not because he is wise, and he can do little to nothing 
(depending on which time-travel theory you prefer) to change events.

Neri