[HPforGrownups] Could Harry have saved Dumbledore?

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 135670

  I truly love Harry Potter and his saga! And I am enjoying reading 
all of the lively and intelligent debates going on here... but some 
times while reading the books and reading postings I want to grab 
Harry by his robe and shake him and tell him to "wake up!". Harry, 
at 16 almost 17 is still way too impulsive and unplanful to succeed 
in his quest to vanquish LV!! IMO his response to DD's request that 
Harry accompany him to search out the Horcrux in the cave is more 
like Harry at 11 or 12 or 13 than what I would expect of a 16yo... 
yes 16 can still be impulsive but usually when asked to accompany an 
adult, especially a mentor such as DD, they would ask some 
thoughtful questions before setting out... like

  "Where are we heading, Professor, and what might we encounter 
there or along the way?"

  "What should we take with us that might be helpful in this quest?"

  "Are there special things we might need?"

 If Harry had been a bit more planful he might have been able to 
save DD from whatever was in that bowl.... if he had taken a slurp 
of the Felix Felicis before giving the bottle to Hermione and 
Ron.... if he had put a bezoar into his pocket... if he had thought 
that maybe on a journey one might need food and supplies and ... 
water... 
  And what might have happened it he had utilized nonverbal spells 
when first attempting to "Accio Horcrux" and had not alerted the 
Inferi to their presense? 
  And what might have been the outcome if he had listened to DD 
about what would hold off the Inferi (fire) rather than wasting time 
with other spells... so that he had more time to attend to DD? 
  And what if he had remembered throwing off the Imperius Curse and 
used that to attempt to throw off the effect of the spell DD put on 
him on the tower? 



Sherry now:

No, I don't think any 16 year old kid would have thought to ask such
questions, when he was going somewhere with the greatest and most powerful
wizard in the world, the person Harry believed knew how to handle anything,
trusted implicitly.  It's almost parental.  I wouldn't ever have thought of
questioning if my dad had all we needed for something, even  if it was
something dangerous.  Even now, in my 40's, if my dad was alive, I wouldn't
think of questioning his preparedness.  Harry wouldn't have thought he
needed the luck potion, when he was with Dumbledore.  He did believe that
those left behind at the school would need it, and he was right.  Remember,
at the beginning of the book, when Harry and Dumbledore set off to find
Slughorn?  Dumbledore tells Harry that nothing will happen to him, because
Harry is with Dumbledore.  The kind of absolute faith Harry has in
Dumbledore would never think of questioning if there was anything else
needed for this trip, because he would be sure Dumbledore was completely
prepared.  

And let's not try to let Snape off the hook by laying the blame on Harry.
Harry's shouldered enough blame that he doesn't deserve, without taking the
blame for this!  Snape murdered Dumbledore.  It is his fault completely.
The blame lies squarely on the shoulders of Snape, right where it belongs.
I realize that those who think Snape is still on the good side disagree with
that.  It is of course only my opinion, but Harry doesn't need to take on
any more blame for things that are not his fault.

Sherry