Hitler Alive! ...Student Dead!

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 115482


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "finwitch" <finwitch at y...> wrote:
> 
> 
> Steve: > > HITLER ALIVE!!! STUDENT DEAD!!!
> > > 
> > > I think the wizard world is frustrated by Dumbledore's repeating 
> > > of /headlines/ without the details to back them up. ...
> > > 
> > > Steve/bboyminn (was bboy_mn)


> Finwitch:
> 
> Dumbledore was giving a speech for a funeral. It's time to speak of
> Cedric, and while he gives 'healdines' of how he died, he also 
> admits they have the right to know the truth. Giving details simply 
> does not belong to this *situation*! ...
> 

bboyminn(steve) adds:

I never specifically mentioned the end of year feast speech, and
actually wasn't even thinking of that, although given the context of
the 'Harry vs Seamus' discussion, that was a reasonable thing to assume. 

Dumbledore also gave a speech to the International Confederation of
Wizards, although whether to the full assembly or just the British
branch we don't know. Given that he was thrown out of the Wizangamot
too, he may have spoken to them as well, although that could have
simply been political pressure for Fudge.

So, while Dumbledore is speaking publically about the events, I
suspect he is not going into great detail, and I think this is
primarily for strategic reason. In the end though, it seems to have
been a poor strategy. 

I do however agree that the end of year feast was not the time or
place to go into the intimate detail of Cedric's death. The point is
not to rub salt in the pain the students are feeling over that death
or to promote Dumbledore's agenda, but to honor Cedric. 

I'm sure Dumbledore restrained himself for Harry's sake too. I doubt
that he felt Harry was ready to relive the tramatic ordeal so soon
after it happened. 

I do think Dumbledore gave a more detailed story to the Int.Con.Wiz
and the Wizengamot, but I think it was still just the highlights. I
suspect this lack of fine details made the story seem very
superficial, and lent some credibility to the idea that both Harry and
Dumbledore were just 'attention seeking'. The story was further
weakened by the Ministry and the Daily Prophet conspiring to belittle
everything Dumbledore and Harry said. That left people very uncertain,
and instinctively leaning toward doubting that Voldemort was back.
Voldemort returning was something of such a horrible magnitude that
most people would be desperate for it to not be true. 

Harry's final account of the events to Rita as published in the
Quibbler was probably overwhelmingly detailed, and that refined detail
probably lent great credibility to the story. 



> ...edited...

>  
> Magda:
> > Also, ... why not start telling the world that Big Bad Lord 
> > Voldemort is really all-grown-up Hogwarts overachiever Tom Riddle 
> > - a halfblood himself?  ... What's Dumbledore holding back for?


> Finwitch:
> 
> Sure, go to the papers... sounds easy. Dumbledore has no control 
> over what's going to be printed! He may have told some 
> representatives of the press, but the editors-in-chief chose not to 
> publish it. 
> 
> Finwitch

bboyminn:

Hermione was rather brilliant in getting the information published.
Fudge would never give a second thought to a publication like The
Quibbler. He certainly leaned hard on the /mainstream/ pressed and
forced them to skew their articles against Harry & Dumbledore, but he
obviously never considered that Hermione would find a 'backdoor' way
of getting the information out.

Dumbledore is sitting on a pool of information some of which is
harmfully, some of which is strategically advantagous, and some of
which is neutral. I think Dumbledore doesn't give out information
unless it serves him in some way. That means that a whole lot of
neutral information doesn't get out there because it serves no
advantagous purpose. If it doesn't serve him, then he sees no point in
putting it out.

Some people in the wizard world do know about the Tom Riddle/Voldemort
connection, for example, Mr. Ollivander seems to know. However, I
don't think Dumbledore sees any great strategic advantage in this
being common knowledge among the wizard would in general, and indeed,
in Dumbledore's mind, there may be some strategic disadvantage the we
are unaware of. More likely, it's merely the author doling out
information at a controlled pace.

Other things I'm sure Dumbledore is withholding; Voldemort's use of
Harry's blood, the Brother Wand connection, Harry's scar connection,
Sirius's death, and the details of the Prophecy among other things.

On the Prophecy, I think there are probably quite a few critical
people who know that the Prophecy exist and have the general /gist/ of
it. I think the Ministry is generally aware that Harry isn't just 'the
boy who lived' but that he is the boy who must keep living because he
has a future destiny that is vital to the wizarding world, but that
doesn't necessarily mean those people know precisely what the Prophecy
says. I think that is part of the reason Harry is so closely protected
and so closely monitored at Privet Drive. I think that is the reason
we see thing being done for Harry that would never be done for another
student; examples, seats in the top VIP box at the World Cup, three
very expensive taxis to take him to the Train, chauffeured Ministry
cars to take him to the Train station combined with a room at the
Leaky Cauldron for a couple of weeks, Plus additional rooms for the
Weasleys, etc....

My point again is that Dumbledore is very tight with information and
only gives out that which specifically serves him, and even then, only
as detailed as necessary to accomplish what he wants.

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn (was bboy_mn)