[HPforGrownups] Re: Dumbledore's master plan

[Kathryn Jones]

No: HPFGUIDX 138348


> Larry now:
> Dumbledore states clearly that to kill, to take a life
> unjustifiably, forever splits the soul; damaging or
> destroying it irrepairably and irretrievably. I cannot
> understand how we can have gotten to know Dumbledore
> as we have and believe for a second that he would
> sacrifice a human soul for any reason. Let alone for
> so craven a thing as the placement of a spy.
   Larry

Kathy writes:
    I believe that it is more to him than just placing a spy. I think it 
is his last gamble to set things up for the final conflict. Dumbledore's 
only goal is finishing Voldemort. For that, he is willing to risk 
everything.
KJ

> Dumbledore has also said that Voldemort trusts no one,
> there is no inner circle. Voldemort is the only chess
> master here, it is his utterly ruthless willingness to
> sacrifice any one or anything to get what he wants
> that marks him as the Dark Lord. For Dumbledore to
> sacrifice a soul, any soul, would be to have him use
> the means of the enemy, putting him on the road to
> becoming the enemy.
   Larry

Kathy writes:

      While you are probably correct in your estimation, there are a few 
items I would like to discuss. Do we really "know" Dumbledore?
      Dumbledore speaks of a plan involving Harry and feels intense 
sorrow about risking Harry's life and alternatively risking the lives of 
hundreds or thousands of others.He has forced himself to stop protecting 
Harry from his "destiny", and is pushing the master plan forward.

      Dumbledore has sent Lupin, who is not a strong person 
psychologically or apparently physically, from the description of him, 
to live with a pack of werewolves, where he must change along with them, 
  without benefit of the Wolfsbane, possibly risking the lives of 
innocent people.

      Dumbledore sent Snape back to Voldemort, expecting that he might 
have a hard time convincing Voldemort that he had been loyal all those 
years. Dumbledore, at least, had the decency to look worried when he did it.
      Dumbledore had no problem in allowing Hagrid to be sent to Azkaban 
for a short sabbatical.

      Dumbledore is 150 years old. He has been looking at the long-term 
picture for a third of his life. He has already made great changes to 
his own life in his fight against Voldemort. He has already sacrificed 
much. I believe that Dumbledore *would* ask Snape to make the sacrifice 
of risking his soul, although I believe that JKR described a 
cold-blooded, deliberate killing was necessary to damage the soul. 
Obviously the risk has been minimized. Dumbledore would also be willing 
to ask the supreme sacrifice of both Snape and Harry. He has simply 
avoided the guilt by making his sacrifice to the cause first. Wily old 
bird! Dumbledore doesn't trust anyone either. He was always the only one 
holding all the cards. He only shows the ones he wants the others to 
see. I see this as his biggest mistake. From OotP on Dumbledore has been 
changing from "peacetime" Dumbledore to "at war" Dumbledore and I find 
him not so nice and kind as before.
KJ