Minerva NOT DD's Confidant?

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 144099

 

Lupinlore wrote:
> But Minerva ISN'T DD's confidant.   Neither is Snape.  JKR has flat 
> said that DD HAS no  confidant.  


Leslie wrote:
No, not on everything.  I should have confined that  explicitly to 
educational matters, as she is deputy headmistress, but as we  were 
discussing Snape as teacher and McG's reaction to it, I merely let  
that be implied.  I would think that the two of them discuss, at  
length, the various teachers and teacherly approaches.   




Julie:
Focusing on JKR's words for a minute, I think she is telling us 
that DD has no confidante in the manner of a very close best friend,
or a wife. The kind of confidante you share *everything* with--your 
hopes, dreams, fears, doubts, etc. And I agree that DD has no one
like this in his life, on whom he can unload various emotional issues
and concerns, no matter how personal. That's because he has no
real equal, no person who isn't in some sort of official subservient
position to him, whether as a teacher, a student, or an underling  in
the Order (since Dumbledore is essentially the head man here too).
 
But. But it doesn't mean he never CONFIDES anything to another
person. I feel pretty sure he shares his various concerns about 
Hogwarts and teaching matters with Minerva, as Leslie says 
above. They probably have at length discussions and debates on
what should be done about those matters. DD no doubt imparts
information to her that he doesn't share with other teachers, or with
other people in his life.
 
And when it comes to the war against Voldemort, protecting the
school, and coming up with ways to bring about the eventual 
defeat of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, the books--especially
HBP--imply that Snape is the prime person with whom DD confides
in and shares information. This makes sense, as Snape has an
inside track, with an understanding of Voldemort and the DEs  that
no one else is likely to possess. And it is equally clear DD  trusts
Snape (as he tells us repeatedly), and considers him  a critically
important ally and friend, certainly up to the final Tower  incident
(and beyond, if you believe in DDM!Snape).
 
Since preparing for and waging war, protecting the students, and, 
yes, preparing young Harry Potter for his eventual and unavoidable 
confrontation with Voldemort, is the main focus of both  Dumbledore
and Snape, and is essentially the status quo throughout all of
the HP books--I think Snape is the closest thing Dumbledore has
to a true confidante. *Not* a confidante in the truest sense, mind 
you, but the closest thing amongst Dumbledore's friends and allies.
 
Julie 
 
 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]