Choices - or not.

[Barry Arrowsmith]

No: HPFGUIDX 89624

For all  that Dumbledore whitters on about how choices define us, 
you'll notice that he never offers any to Harry.

Using carefully selected half-truths and emotional blackmail he 
manoeuvres Harry into his next pre-selected spot  on the game board. 
Only once has Harry defied DD's specific instructions and that ended 
with Sirius taking his final curtain. Assuming, that is, that DD didn't 
foresee the result of the antipathy between Harry and Snape. But DD 
still ended up ahead: Sirius (a serious distraction to Harry)  has gone 
and Harry is in a suitably emotional state, ready for the next bit of 
subtle manipulation. Even better, Harry can see what happens when he 
ignores Dumbledore - call it aversion therapy.

It all  started at the beginning of book 1, appropriately enough. Dump 
Harry on a family that hate  his guts, come back in eleven years and 
guess how grateful he is to escape!
Give him a replacement for the Dursleys (Snape, who knows exactly what 
he is doing and why) and his actions and attitudes can be nicely 
predicted. Especially when you feed him stories of his parents vs. the 
bogeyman as examples to be admired.

How long can this go on?
Not much longer, IMO. Dumbledore has groomed Harry to become 
Voldys!Bane; he is *the* weapon that might succeed in winning the war 
for the forces of good. And weapons don't normally get a choice in how 
or when they are used. But in giving his weapon a keen edge, DD has to 
give Harry the powers and knowledge necessary for the fight ahead. And 
Harry is showing signs of beginning to baulk; he is not a happy bunny, 
he wants out. He wants choices.

Persuasion may no longer be so effective, but Dumbledore still has a 
few levers -  Harry's friends. Loyalty is a big thing to Harry and it 
can  be made to work in DD's  favour. More emotional blackmail, but 
this time applied indirectly; the Weasleys, Hermione, Neville.
DD's fifth column.  Ever heard them question Dumbledore's reasons or 
motives? Neither have I.

Even so, I think we can expect Harry to turn stroppy; he'll twist and  
turn trying to avoid the  path that DD has placed him on and eventually 
he'll make another choice of his own. It will  probably be offered by 
an unexpected source that Harry thinks means well, and of course it 
will be a disaster, probably resulting in more deaths (my money is on 
DD himself, though a culling of the Weasleys is quite possible).

I'm cheerfully anticipating a fraught and gloomy book 6.

Kneasy