[HPforGrownups] Re: Christian Forgiveness and Snape (was Would Harry forgiving )

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 164421

 Pippin:
> This is *exactly* the cultural difference I am talking about. In
> "The Queen" Elizabeth just cannot fathom why it's so important to
> everyone that she speak openly about the loss of Diana. To her
> it seemed that it would be completely inappropriate and self-serving
> to  make a display  of her grief. And the result was that she was
> perceived as being cold and manipulative. I can see Dumbledore in
> the same place, hesitating between the values he was brought up with,
> which have served him well for 150 years, and his sympathy
> for Harry.

Magpie:
Personally I have no problem with Dumbledore not saying "I'm sorry for your 
loss," but I don't know where you're getting "cold" from this scene. 
Dumbledore's talking about feelings all over the place--at one point he even 
suggests that Harry thinks he will "bleed to death" from the "pain" of his 
loss of Sirius (so emotional he's mixing metaphors). He's not grieving for 
anyone, but he is talking about Harry's loss and his warm and fuzzy feelings 
for Harry. So any cultural difference about showing feelings (and I tend to 
side more with the Queen when it comes to public displays of emotion) don't 
really apply to the scene. I think Dumbledore was actually giving in this 
scene *exactly* the kind of stuff people were demanding of the Queen. "Show 
us you care!" the headline said--Dumbledore is Showing He Cares!

>>
>> > Magpie:
>> > And for some reason felt the need to remind us of the dangers of
>> too  much attention here, even though nobody in the room that we
> can see  is suffering from it (and in fact it seems like everyone he's
> talking about in the scene suffered from the opposite).
>
> Pippin:
> Ah. But for Dumbledore the danger was  always there, just as the
> danger of Voldemort was always there even when Harry wasn't aware
> of it. Why do you think Dumbledore kept the known half of the
> prophecy such a secret?

Magpie:
The danger's still there right now so he has to remind Harry that he wasn't 
a pampered Prince when he got to Hogwarts? So what I'm getting here is that 
Dumbledore really has issues with kids being pampered--so much so that he 
does see that as a plus with the Dursleys that he's pleased about.

-m