Umbridge - Life Debt to Dumbledore

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 116442


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Juli <jlnbtr at y...> wrote:
> 
> Finwitch wrote:
> 
> >You know, being that Dumbledore saved her life from the Centaurs... 
> > she now owes Dumbledore a life-debt. I'm a bit curious as to how 
> > that might come into play, or if it will, or if it does, will Harry 
> > know about it before the end-of-year - discussion?

 
> Juli:
> 
> I've never actually thought about it... But the MoM is
> having some serious problems, probably Umbridge will
> soon be fired (for sadist detentions, etc.), so what
> could she possibly do for DD? I don't think DD saved
> her from the centaurs just to ger a life-debt, he's
> just a nice guy and would never intentionally kill
> anyone (thinking about the LV vs DD fight in MoM). Or
> maybe he thinks she'll play some future roll.


bboyminn:

The flow of the story has lead us to believe that the Centaur were
going to kill Umbridge, and even implies that they are going to kill
Harry and Hermione before Grawp showed up. But would they really have
done it? That would be a pretty blood-thirsty thing to do, and the
wizard world would not likely let it go unchallenged. 

The Centaurs are supposed to be smart, and as arrogant as they may be,
they are not stupid enough to think that killing a Ministry official
and two innocent teens would not bring serious reprecussions from the
wizard world. 

Ask yourself why they carried Umbridge off if they intended to kill
her? Why didn't they just kill her on the spot and be done with it,
and why, if they planned to kill her, was she still alive the next day
when Dumbledore went after her? 

The Centaurs are trying to make it absolutely clear that they do not
want wizards in their forest, but they have not declared absolute
all-out war against the wizard world. So, what I think we are seeing
is an extreme attempt at intimidation. I will not go so far as to say
that they were not in danger, or that bodily harm at the hands of the
Centaurs could not befall them. But the thought that the Centaurs, who
make a point of staying out of other people's business, would commit
the cold-blooded murder of defenseless children is a bit of a stretch.

Therefore, while Dumbledore did save Umbridge, I don't think he truly
saved her life. It was possible under the circumstances that she could
 have died, but I think, if anything, it would have been her own
arrogance and stupidity that killed her. More likely, a week or so
later, Umbridge would have come stumbling out of the woods much worse
for the wear, but alive. 

Right after the book came out, we had a long discussion which went on
for many days and many posts, about the likelihood that Umbridge was
raped by the Centaurs. That may sound pretty extreme for this series
of book, but it is none the less a part of the Centaur myth and legend.

So, Umbridge owns Dumbledore a debt, but not a 'life debt'.

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn (was bboy_mn)