The Statute of Secrecy

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 158951

 Ken:
> 
> The issue isn't the use of magic, the issue is that Dumbledore
> in this scene is doing the same things that any conniving 
> Muggle schemer would do. He uses a forged document 

Pippin:
AFAIK, it's not forgery if there's no intent to defraud. Mrs. Cole is
not cheated of anything. That the same methods could have
used  to cheat Mrs. Cole is irrelevant. 

It's Mrs. Cole's decision to drink while on duty, also. We don't
even know that it's against the rules of the orphanage. Probably
not, things were looser in those days. 

Ken:
> 
> Remember that I brought this up because I think it is a scene
> where Dumbldore truly does show that he is human after all.
> I don't mean to discredit him. I believe that he does not have 
> to be perfect to be the epitome of goodness. A perfect 
> Dumbledore would be boring, unbelievable, and would have
> solved all the WW's problems by now

Pippin:
But JKR called him the epitome of goodness because she
was making the point that she doesn't consider goodness 
boring. He is not boring, IMO, not because of his flaws
but because he is forced to cope with the flawed world. Of
course if there were closer cooperation between Muggles
and Wizards then there would be an official procedure
for dealing with cases like Tom's. But there's not, so
Dumbledore improvises. 

I guess there's a feeling that if Dumbledore were wholly
good he would be able to solve everyone's problems, but
even if he can see a better solution, that doesn't mean he
has the power to implement it.  While we readers know that 
Dumbledore is supposed to be the epitome of goodness
and everyone else would be better off if they just did what
he said, the characters don't know it. Even Dumbledore
does not know it. He does not have the moral force
in his own world that JKR has given him in ours.  

They are not going to repeal the statute of secrecy or
implement the rules you suggest just because Dumbledore
thinks it might be a good idea. He could  magic them into
it, maybe.  But that is what you object to in his treatment of 
Mrs. Cole, is it not?

Pippin