On Ron!DD (Re: Who, exactly, is Dumbledore)

[makemeatree]

No: HPFGUIDX 89349

Sophierom said:

"[JKR] makes Dumbledore the ultimate parent figure. When 
children are young, they look to their parents, guardians, or other 
forms of leadership/authority with awe... In relative terms, the 
parent figure seems all powerful and all knowing.
(snippity)
He looks to Dumbledore with awe and wonder in the first few books... 
But as events (and life in general) get more complicated, Dumbledore 
can no longer fix everything for Harry.
(snippity)
As readers who experience things from Harry's POV, I think we tend 
to feel this disillusionment as well.  For some of us, that 
manifests itself in the ESE!Dumbledore theories. Since he knows so 
much but doesn't help Harry, he must be evil! For others, the time 
travel theories are attractive ... they help to explain why 
Dumbledore seems to know so much but is ultimately powerless when it 
comes to Harry's most painful experiences."

I just don't believe Ron!DD. I don't believe it because I don't think 
DD really is all that ahead of the game. I think that Sophierom's 
analysis is the best- DD is a parental figure, and a darn fine one, 
at that. 

I don't think he really knows everything, but is just really good at 
appearing as if he does. I would imagine that, if I lived to be 150 
years old, I would be very good at not letting people on about what 
I'm thinking. Not only that, but DD is the General of an Army. The 
reason why he's the General is because he's got it together- or at 
least, appears like he does. Who wants to fight under some guy who 
always looks really perplexed and scared? DD knows it's part of his 
job to be as collected as possible. 

Besides all that, DD admitted in OotP that he hasn't always handled 
the situation with Harry as he should have (I can't quote it as I 
don't have the book, I apologize). This is incredibly reminiscent of 
a parent talking to a teen, admitting he doesn't have the answers, 
but he's trying. 

As I was following this discussion, I remembered something from the 
PS/SS movie (I know, not canon, but as an example): During the 
sorting hat scene, when Harry's name is called, DD gets very, very 
interested, leaning forward in his seat to look, but then settles 
back down. This stands, for me, as the visualization of his character 
in regards to this discussion. He's surprised, curious, but still 
smart enough, wise enough to sit back a bit and not let anyone know. 

On an extra bonus note, I enjoy the theories on red hair in the 
series, and the possibility that Lily/DD/Weasleys are all related, 
but I don't think that hair colour is enough to establish anything 
more than relation. 

thanks,

joi.