The Art of Love according to Albus Dumbledore (was:Harry left at the Dursleys)

[carolynwhite2]

No: HPFGUIDX 118261


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lupinlore" <bob.oliver at c...> 
wrote:
> 
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "carolynwhite2" 
> <carolynwhite2 at a...> wrote:
> > 
> > I submit that Dumbledore failed with Tom, big time ('it's our 
> > choices'). It's that pain he is re-living, and which makes him 
take such a cool, clinical attitude to Harry. 

> Lupinlore:
> There is an attractiveness to this argument, and perhaps something 
to it, but I don't buy it in this context.  Having failed with Tom 
the first time, Ddore would be incredibly foolish to embark on a 
similar deliberate experiment (i.e. child abuse) with Harry.
> 
> Now, I will admit that I just don't buy the whole alchemical 
> explanation.  I think it is reading WAAAAAAAAY too much into the 
> text.  But that is my opinion and other people are, of course, 
> entitled to theirs.  But I think this is a point where it is the 
> weakest, because here it (if I understand it correctly) requires 
> Dumbledore to do something that is not only reprehensible, but 
> foolish.  
> 

Carolyn:
Ah, you mistake me. Despite Iris's many delightful explanations, alas 
I don't (as yet) buy the alchemy idea either. I think that even if 
the theme holds good right to the end of the series, it will only 
ever be a fascinating, and endlessly-arguable meta-interpretation of 
events, rather than the core driving force behind the plot. And 
nothing wrong with that. The more layers of complexity at the end, 
the better. Anything but a simplistic, heroic moral solution, please.

But nor do I have much time for the child abuse idea, either, I am 
afraid. Unless, that is, you are implying that Dumbledore was also 
instrumental in getting Tom into his orphanage, and, in general, 
subscribes to Wackford Squeers-type educational principles? 

He's a tough old bird, and I wouldn't entirely put anything past him, 
but actually, he states his intentions quite clearly on this topic:

'you arrived at Hogwarts, neither as happy nor as well-nourished as I 
would have liked, perhaps, yet alive and healthy. You were not a 
pampered little prince, but as normal a boy as I could have hoped 
under the circumstances. Thus far my plan was working well.'

There isn't much of an apology here for his decision about the 
Dursleys, and his angst (such as it is) is reserved for subsequent 
decisions he made about Harry's life. 

IMO, when DD heard Trelawny's first prophecy, he took it as 
information for him to act on, a way of ultimately dealing with Tom 
Riddle, who he had so unintentionally unleashed into the WW.

The interesting thing, obviously, is whether Harry's going to go 
along with the plan. 

Carolyn