What mistakes Dumbledore made? Re: Loyalty & Trust

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 140266

> > houyhnhnm:
> <snip>
> > I take Dumbledore's confession of his "mistakes" as just another
> > expression of his whimsical, self-deprecating style, a facade 
> behind
> > which exists a supremely powerful and self-confident wizard.
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I take them as declaration of mistakes, especially since JKR said 
> that Dumbledore does make mistakes and big ones too.

Finwitch:

I thought Dumbledore stated quite clearly at least ONE mistake at the 
end of OOP: 'forgetting what it is to be young' - in practice: Having 
Snape teach Harry Occlumency. Early HBP it's repeated - Dumbledore 
himself calls that a *fiasco*. Considering that Harry's not learning 
Occlumency at all in HBP, I'd say the whole *idea* of having him try 
was an error. Because a 15-year-old boy is biologically unable to 
control his emotions enough to learn, and as the set teacher wasn't 
able to control *his* emotions, either...

But no matter what side Snape's on, I do not think that Dumbledore 
trusting Snape was Dumbledore's error. I don't know why, but I recalled 
an old tale of Lothlorien who could remain only as long as the Queen 
did not question his origins (as long as her trust was solid, that is) 
and then I understood just why Dumbledore acted the way he did, 
saying "I trust Severus Snape" and refusing to hear a word against him.

Plain and simple, the *only* thing keeping Snape on the good side, was 
Dumbledore's trust. Dumbledore was perfectly aware of this, 
particularly when one or other questions this trust. That's why 
Dumbledore kept saying "I trust Severus Snape" and refusing to listen 
any bad word of him. Because he did not wish to lose this soul who hung 
to goodness *only* on his trust. I think that choice was a sign of DD's 
goodness and wisdom-- not a misjudgement -- no matter where Snape's 
loyalties.

If Snape wasn't worth that trust, the blame rests wholly on Snape's 
shoulders, and not on Dumbledore's.

Finwitch