"Holds you in great esteem"

[Chris]

No: HPFGUIDX 131748

>maryblue67:
> 
> This is a comment I stopped to ponder on also in my last re-read of 
OotP. But to me, it is 
> better explained if put together with some of the things Dumbledore 
tells Harry in his big 
> conversation at the end. Forgive me if my quotes aren't exact, but 
Dumbledore not only 
> sheds a tear, but also says things like "I never dreamed I would 
have such a person in my 
> care" or "I cared for you too much". These statements would make 
sense if either they have 
> had a long friendship relationships, and therefore does not make 
sense when used 
> refering to the first year, when they have basically just met, or 
if Dumbledore has reasons 
> to be close emotionally to Harry. While I don't support grandfather 
or similar theories, I 
> think that Dumbledore and the Potters must have been very close. If 
Dumbledore had no 
> family, then the Potters might have been like family and their new 
baby like a grandson, in 
> terms of affection. This said, I think that throught the years the 
headmasters in the 
> paintings must have been witnesses to this affection, starting long 
back with the Potters 
> and continuing after Harry came to Hogwarts. In addition, 
Dumbledore must have 
> discussed all of Harry's achievements and victories in his office, 
either directly with the 
> headmasters or with them as witnesses. Thus, it would be quite easy 
to observe 
> Dumbledore's "thinking highly" of Harry. 
> 
> Therefore, I do not think that Fortescue's statement is based on a 
recent conversation with 
> neither Snape nor anyone else, but a much longer affair.
> 
   I agree with this assessment based on personal experience. I had a 
very close relationship with my grandfather, he being more like a 
father to me than my own father was. However, he did not like to 
divulge emotion, army sergeant, man's man, all of that. I was a 
pallbearer at his funeral. At the end, when we progressed out of the 
sanctuary and passed his casket, my grandfather's minister stopped 
me. I hadn't spoken to this man since I was a child. He grabbed me by 
the arm, and whispered in my ear: "He always thought highly of 
you...very highly. Don't ever forget him and how much he loved you."
   Needless to say, I was kind of taken aback. Obviously, my 
grandfather had spoken quite well of me and what he thought about me 
to this man, though my grandfather had never muttered a word as such 
to me. I think the same applies here. The emotions and feelings DD 
has concerning Harry are probably obvious to the portraits and the 
professors within DD's circle. He has probably talked about Harry on 
many occasions, especially of how proud he is that Harry has been 
able to overcome obstacles.
   I favor the idea that DD was closer to the Potters than has been 
revealed to us. And I think that it is that relationship, not the 
event that made Harry famous, that led to DD wanting Harry retrieved 
from Godric's Hollow that night. 

Chris