[HPforGrownups] Re: Of Souls and Death

[P J]

No: HPFGUIDX 148842



bboyminn:

>On the subject of 'Harry-the Horcrux', there is one small flaw in the
>thinking that I think must be cleared up before I can accept the
>theory. That is - Dumbledore doesn't seem to agree. <snip>If he
>hasn't put two and two together, then I find it hard to believe it is
>there.

>So, if someone could explain how the great all-knowing
>Dumbledore could have missed this bit, then I would like to hear the
>explanation.

PJ:

I'm not sure whether I believe Harry is a horcrux or not at this point but I 
do see a bit of wiggle room in Dumbledore's explanations for it to go either 
way.  If Harry is a horcrux you can bet Dumbledore hasn't missed the 
possibility at all...

In OOtP He tells Harry  "I cared about you too much."  "I cared more for 
your happiness than you knowing the truth, more for your peace of mind than 
my plan, more for your life than the lives that might be lost if the plan 
failed.  In other words, I acted exactly as Voldermort expects we fools who 
love to act." "Is there a defense?  I defy anyone who has watched you as I 
have--and I have watched you more closely than you can have imagined--not 
want to save you more pain than you had already suffered.  What did I care 
if numbers of nameless and faceless people and creatures were slaughtered in 
the vague future, if in the here and now you were alive, and well, and 
happy?" (OOtP pg 838/839 US)

He cares so much for Harry's peace of mind and happiness that he's given him 
half truths and avoided some cold, hard facts that Harry should have known 
all those years, right?   Well, then when he names Nagini as a *possible* 
horcrux and tells Harry that yes, living things can be horcruxes too even 
though it's not a good idea,  I see that as one of those times where  
Dumbledore *might* just have fudged a bit in order to keep Harry happy...

Realistically speaking, telling Harry he's one of 6 horcruxes would not do 
much for his peace of mind or happiness.  Knowing he's a horcrux could 
provoke Harry into suicide (If I jump off this bridge that's one horcrux 
gone, DD can find the rest) or into a major depression making him a sitting 
duck for LV.  The possibility would also exist that this information would 
make Harry much less interested in going after LV (figuring he also HAD to 
die in the process) and therefore much less valuable to the WW - not to 
mention totally mucking up Dumbledore's grand plans.....

However, telling Harry that a living thing *can* be a Horcrux and letting 
him wander off to think it over and come up with the possibility of a 
Horcrux in the scar on his own seems a very Dumbledoreish thing to me.

Is it cannon?  No.  Has the door been left open a teeny bit in these 
paragraphs?  Yes... maybe.  :-)  Will one of the 3 consider the possibliity 
in the last book?  I can almost bet on it.

PJ