Dumbledore-Puppetmaster

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 135825

KJ:

I think that we tend to under-estimate Dumbledore in trying to
explain his death and activities. He is as single-minded in his
endeavors as Voldemort is in his.

houyhnhnm:

Agreed.  Dumbledore is a harsh master in many ways.

I have an image in my mind of Dumbledore sitting at a great cosmic
loom.  Every person who crosses his path is another thread which he
uses to complete his tapestry.  Individual patterns within the
tapestry may not work out as he intended; the colors sometimes clash,
but he goes on weaving because his focus is on the completion of the
whole.

I can also see him as a juggler--of probabilities--with hundreds of
balls in the air at the same time. Or a gambler with multiple games
all going on at the same time. He places Harry with the Dursleys.  He
has to weigh the necessity of keeping Harry safe from Voldemort
against the psychological damage the Dursleys may inflict on Harry. 
It works out because Harry's ability to love is *not* damaged by his
cruel upbringing.

He weighs the need for Harry to learn from Snape against the role he
has given Snape (or allowed him to continue in).  He weighs the need
to keep Sirius safe, against the danger of Sirius' nature making him
do something rash.  In these two cases it doesn't work out.  I don't
see either of these outcomes as showing that Dumbledore makes
"mistakes".  Rather he makes choices.  And "it is our choices ... that
show us what we truly are ...."

Dumbledore *sacrificing* his life is completely in character for me.

Dumbledore *pleading* for his life is completely unbelievable.