Depth? Things to take on their face value (Was: Sirius' loyalty)

[kiricat4001]

No: HPFGUIDX 139827

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Reese" <stevejjen at e...> 
wrote:
> Jen: My theme at the moment is 'the simplest may be the best 
> explanation' so I agree with this, Nora <g>. This idea was 
certainly 
> at the forefront of HBP, when Harry/Dumbledore wrapped up the 
loose 
> ends from OOTP: No, Occlumency wasn't needed after all and Harry 
was 
> no good at closing his mind anyway. Inhabiting Harry's body and 
> feeling his love was enough to send Voldemort running. Harry 
> is 'over' his anger and funk of OOTP because Sirius wouldn't want 
> him wallowing, and life's too short. Harry is Dumbledore's man 
> through-and-through because Dumbledore is going to die...erm...I 
> mean because Harry had a miraculous change of heart from 
> OOTP.....well....that one needs no explanation, right? ;)
> 
> Other simple ideas: Draco really did make a detour through the DE 
> camp and had a true change of heart. Lupin & Tonks are for real--
> more love in the world. 

Marianne:
I think the jury is still out re: Draco's vacation in DE-Land. He 
may well have been on the brink and decided, after DD's death, that 
this is not where he wants to be.  All fine and dandy, but I'd 
really like to see some sort of remorse from him about how he almost 
killed Katie Bell and Ron with his earlier attempts at offing DD. 

And don't get me started on Lupin/Tonks. I'm sorry, but the 
foreshadowing for this did not include the anvil type hints that 
existed for R/Hr.  This didn't just come out of left field; it came 
from several states away.  And, yes, I agree, JKR may consider this 
for real, but she could have done a better job presenting it.

Jen:
> Then we have the biggie, the one which is harder to accept: 
> Dumbledore trusts Snape and since Dumbledore is so clever he 
> sometimes makes comparatively 'huger' mistakes than the rest. 
Hmmmm. 
> Still can't accept that one quite yet. Not because it would make 
> Dumbledore a fool, since choosing to love and trust over feeling 
> hate and suspicion are 'generally preferable' as DD (JKR) would 
say. 
> But it would negate Dumbledore's life work, in a sense. He trusted 
> someone he shouldn't have, allowed him into Hogwarts & the Order, 
> and it led to death and destruction of many of the things he holds 
> dear. And the chain is just beginning, the ramifications of 
> Dumbledore's huge mistake would mount in Book 7 if Snape truly is 
> working at Voldemort's side. If this one is true, the real 
> redemption will be Harry righting Dumbledore's wrong. 

Marianne:
And the problem with this would be???  So, DD would prove himself 
wrong and Harry will find a way to right this.  I don't see a 
problem in the overall arc of the story.  Snape turns out to be an 
evil bastard, or a man who is not evil, but ultimately falls to his 
darker instincts/passions, and Harry, (the hero, right?) turns 
Snape's mistakes, transgressions, sins, whatever, into a force for 
good.

I don't see this as a negation of DD's life work.  He's someone who 
has valued people as individuals and recognized that society's 
tendency to lump people into stereotypical groups is wrong.  He's 
recognized that people may strive their utmost to achieve the best 
that they can, and thay they may still fall short. He shows that to 
forgive can be a lifeline to people trying to turn their lives 
around. 

None of this should be denigrated just because some of DD's projects 
show themselves not up to the task. If some of the people he gave 
second chances to proved themselves unworthy, the fault is with 
them, not Dumbledore.

Marianne