Dumbledore on the Dursleys in OotP (was:Re: Old, old problem.)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 151240

Alla: 
> Oh, but I probably was not making myself clear. I totally agree
> that time had come to explain about the Prophecy, etc, I have no
> problem with that part of the speech on the intellectual level, 
> that needed to be said, but the part about Sirius just was NOT 
> needed to be said, in my book, except JKR wanting to let us know
> how she intended to present Sirius treatment of Kreacher. I mean,
> really , without Dumbledore speech did anybody not understand that
> Sirius did not treat Kreacher well? JKR showed it to us, Ia m not
> quite sure why in addition to showing it she felt a need to make 
> Dumbledore say it and cut Harry's wounds.

Jen: I do understand your objections there.  Re-reading it now it 
seems like Dumbledore was almost mad at Sirius for what happened. 
That if Sirius had really tried to have a better relationship with 
Kreacher, if he had just followed Snape's orders and stayed behind, 
if only, if only....He doesn't *say* that, but he doesn't talk 
glowingly about a man who just died. And yes, that is speculation! 
Maybe someone else has a better explanation. 

> Alla: 
> On that I probably beg to differ. I would MUCH prefer this speech
> to be edited, although I doubt that this is going to happen, but I 
> can make a wish, can't I? I mean, you are arguing that it was a
>  transition to HBP, right? But after reading HBP could you predict
> after that speech that tone in HBP will switch so drastically 
> again?
> 
> I mean, I just don't see it as a good transition, unless you will 
> convince me :)

Jen: I'm not *that* persuasive :), thanks for the kind words though. 
Just to fine-tune my thoughts, the speech seemed like the ending of 
a cycle of chaos, relationship struggles, miscommunications, 
mistakes, etc, which were presumably made in part because Voldemort 
was back to full strength and that's what he does just by being 
alive. I think that's what OOTP was about, right, at least in part? 
LV's strength is causing the other side to make critical errors, 
spreading discord and enmity?  I sort of thought the point of that 
speech was Dumbledore didn't want to be telling Harry anything at 
all,  but his own errors and mistakes in dealing with his order 
members & Harry and the disastrous MOM incident forced his hand. 
Okay, so the speech marked the end of the old, including DD's and 
Harry's previous relationship.

The actual transition to brighter days in HBP was the very last 
paragraph of the book, the one about Harry heading into the sunlit 
street with the Dursleys in his wake. It just gave me the sense that 
Harry is coming into his own in part because he knows the whole 
story now and in part because he trusts his friends have his back. 
That's just my perception. I mean, all that probably should have 
happened WAY before that moment, but finally there it is. 

Jen R., finding herself wondering about the series as a whole and 
how the books will work together when book 7 is finally out.