Loyalty and goodness

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 121137


Connect this onto the thread that's going now; I'm on too slow of a 
connection to hunt out the normal linkage (full of shame, I know).

Coming to mind is an idea that seems to have been omitted so far, so 
far as I can tell:  yes, it is generally true that loyalty to 
Dumbledore is the right thing, and approved of by whatever 
authorities are running the metaphysical world.  This is often 
critiqued.

Think about it this way, though: what is DUMBLEDORE following?  I 
surmise, from JKR's comments, that he is doing his imperfect and 
human best to follow the Good.

Dumbledore is probably the oldest and most powerful figure on the 
side of the Good in the story.  To follow him and follow him *truly* 
is to follow him because he follows the Good.  He is not perfect and 
he makes mistakes, or he finds the path obscure and becomes somewhat 
lost; OotP proves that, IMO.

Harry and the rest of the Order are right to follow Dumbledore 
because Dumbledore owes his allegiance not to himself (side note: I 
don't understand the 'DD is selfish!' ideas I see occasionally--he's 
old, he's powerful already--really, does he have that much to 
personally gain?  I don't think he's ever presented as aiming for 
personal gain.), but to the higher principles.  With some bobbles in 
the road, for sure, to follow one is to follow the other.

The truest loyalty is not blind.  Now is Harry's time to learn that 
he must really see for himself...but I don't think his vision is 
going to take him away from the White Hats in fits of petulance and 
desire to get rid of it all, as postulated at times here and in a 
thousand fics.  Nope.  Time to dig deeper under it all.

-Nora notes that the motliness of the Order, in contrast to the 
uniformity (enforced with masks as well!) of the DEs, is likely 
their greatest strength