Dumbledore the incompetent councilor

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 124527


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "eggplant9998" 
<eggplant9998 at y...> wrote:
> 
> "horridporrid03" <horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:
> 
> > When, exactly, did Dumbledore
> > express smugness? [
] You'll have
> > to quote canon for me here Eggplant 

<large snip>

Eggplant:
> I don't think any of the above would be in a handbook on the best 
way
> to handle a boy who has just lost someone he loved very much. 
Reading
> that part of the book again really makes me want to punch Dumbledore
> right in his stupid smug calm face; but Dumbledore was right about 
one
> thing:
> 
> "you are not nearly as angry with me as you ought to be."

Geoff:
I would agree with you that some of the quotes you gave were perhaps 
not the best way to react in the circumstances but often, in this 
sort of situation, the people trying to help are thinking on their 
feet and a possible better response to the one they offered will 
occur to them two hours later...

That apart, one of my dictionaries defines smug as "irritatingly 
pleased with oneself, self-satisfied".

Whatever Dumbledore may be doing, right or wrong, I don't think that 
definition fits the manner in which he was attempting to deal with 
Harry's immediate need.