Dobby and some Snape/ Dumbledore's plans in HBP LONG

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 162312


> Alla: 
> Pippin, let me repeat my question - where during the closing feast  
> in GoF Dumbledore gave his students a choice whether they are ready 
> and willing to die for Draco Malfoy? Not die standing up to 
> Voldemort with their comrades, but die saving Draco Malfoy - the 
one 
> who tries to kill their Headmaster. Of course Dumbledore did not 
> know that would have come, but if he did not know, how could these 
> words be interpreted that way? Sorry, not buying this argument. 
> Unless I see it in big bold letters - guys, would you like to die 
to 
> save Malfoy's soul?  I am pretty sure that Dumbledore never said 
> something to that effect. 

zgirnius:
He really almost does say it anyway, almost in black and white, in 
the bit about extending a hand of friendship and trust (while looking 
at the Slytherins). He showed himself a friend to Draco by offering 
to protect him and his family from Voldemort, who threatened to kill 
them all, and he trusted that Draco was not a murderer at heart. It 
was his judgment, expressed in his discussion with Draco on the 
Tower, that Draco did not want to kill anyone. He believed the 
earlier attempts were sabotaged by Draco's own unwillingness. I am 
not willing to say he was wrong. On the contraty, to me the evidence 
suggests he nailed it.

He's conducting a secret war. He can't announce the details of every 
plan he's carrying out for public discussion. Could Churchill have 
asked the people in English cities threatened by German bombings 
whether whether they wanted to leave their homes in advance, based on 
information he had obtained through the breaking of the Enigma code? 
The very question would give away the secret he wanted to protect. It 
is illogical to expect that Churchill, or Dumbledore, should announce 
such a plan.

One is certainly free to criticize either Dumbledore or Chruchill for 
such a decision after the fact, but that is a different matter. 
Personally, I find that Dumbledore's plan, and his precautions, were 
reasonable. Further, they did not result in death or permanent harm 
to any students (which any other decision would have, by leading to 
Draco's death), so they were not a mistake, either. The benefits, if 
any, of the plan will be seen in Book 7. I'm willing to wait and see, 
since I can certainly see the possibility of some considerable 
benefits.