[HPforGrownups] Re: The Statute of Secrecy

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 158955

> 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.

Magpie:
I think the point is that he improvises, and his improvisation isn't more 
concerned with what is right rather than what is easy.  He may be coping 
with a flawed world, but I don't see him as always apart from that world. 
The flaws of his world, imo, have shaped him the same way they shape all 
wizards.  Sometimes he seems to genuinely share the same ideas he 
criticizes.  And that's not unusual--many
people criticizing their own society do that.

Pippin:
>
> 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.

Magpie:
I don't know it either, actually.  In fact, I think the fact that all too 
many characters do think that Dumbledore is the epitome of goodness and 
everyone else would be better if they just did what he said is one of the
bad things about the universe as they know it.  Not because he's bad, or I 
think he's never right, but because that seems to be exactly the kind of
attitude JKR doesn't want in general (I don't like it myself), so why on 
earth does Dumbledore seems to encourage it?  The DEs are so childish the
way they center around Voldemort and his personality cult, and you'd think 
the good side would be more grown-up, not just substituting one personality
for another.

If Dumbledore is good he should be able to be more transparent, explaining 
things to people to show them what he's doing.  Instead, by JKR's own 
description, he's this lone figure too wise to speak to anyone so everybody 
else just trusts him personally (at least that's what we're told--so far 
he's never actually demonstrated it).  Whether this usually works out or not 
(obviously I think Dumbledore really did have a good reason for trusting 
Snape and that they others were correct to accept him as a spy, for
instance) it's a stunted way of choosing right and wrong.  Given his 
situation there's plenty of reason that Dumbledore does have to be careful
with the truth--I think it was Churchill who said the truth must have a 
bodyguard.  But there's a lot of room between making everyone just trust one
person's orders because it's that person and loose lips sinking ships.

I hope JKR is moving beyond that by killing Dumbledore off.  For instance, I 
hope it's important that in the Tower Harry finally sees the type of thing
that would usually be hidden--he sees for himself that Malfoy isn't actually 
a killer, for instance, and holds on to the memory of his wand going down. 
So he doesn't have to just trust that Dumbledore knows best, he's got his 
own evidence for what's going on. He can explain this to people so that they 
can trust the logic and agree to a fully-informed risk and not just do
something because they trust Harry's instinct because they're loyal to 
Harry.

Pippin:
> 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?

Magpie:
I can't speak for Ken, but I thought he was acknowledging that the Statute 
of Secrecy was a factor, but denying that this made Dumbledore's actions 
much different.  The problem with the scene may come simply from JKR 
thinking that the scene is far more entertaining done this way--just as it's
entertaining to watching Harry display cunning by getting Hagrid and 
Slughorn drunk.  It sometimes seems like it may just be a conflict of 
interests between the ideals DD supports and just liking to watch Muggles 
looking silly.

-m