A Chessmaster DD Idea -- Was Re: On the trivial and the profound

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 165449

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Magpie" <belviso at ...> wrote:
> Because nobody's life depends on Harry having a slightly easier
> experience in Potions class in sixth year.


Valky:
This inspires me in a new direction for HBP, it was the right question
and got me thinking deeply about this aspect of what I was reading here.

I first thought to answer this question with - To a certain degree the
Wizard World does depend on Harry having a good cover for the
activities which he is "really" engaged in with Dumbledore.

And that brought two considerations to mind in consequence.

1. As you were pointing out Magpie, there is a very real context which
posters such as Carol, Pippin and Betsy, are reading in to on this
thread. Canon Harry in HBP doesn't always put things in the context of
Voldemort/prophecy/destiny, once or twice he even neglects to focus
clearly in this context and Dumbledore has to reign him in.
It's Harry's life and lot that his fate is sealed and looming and he
knows it, no doubt; but it is also true that he doesn't seem to have a
whole and realistic grasp on that during HBP in a concious or vigilant
sense.

The person who does have that vigilant grasp in HBP is DD, he is the
quiet voice behind Harry's ear reminding him of the context in which
he's working over and over. And it occurred to me that Harry being set
on this path of focussing on things that he felt so much less
enthusiasm for he could almost quit without a second thought, and
looking like a student who was doing well and achieving, never mind
that he was basically apathetic about that aspect of his life.. then
who set him on that path, was Dumbledore. And it was for a reason.

Quidditch captain, pre-Auror subjects (Snape took a long note of
this), Slug Club... these are all DD's achievements.

By moving Snape from potions, and replacing him with Sluggy,
Dumbledore achieved a lot in covert. Sluggy was instantly keen to give
Harry the Slug Club honour and enabled Harry to eneter potions class
and look like a boy for whom nothing had changed since fifth year, he
was still in pre-Auror training as he had planned to be, and as was
public knowledge courtesy of Umbridge. And of course, Slughorn's
hedonist affections for Harry paid off in the confirmation of an
important theory to ice the cake.

Dumbledore also gave Harry the Quidditch captaincy, which is a normal
and expected continuation of Harry's normal and expected life.

And so here is Harry, living exactly as though nothing had changed
since the prophecy was lost in the DOM, from the view outside Hogwarts
it looks exactly as though Harry still knows less than Voldemort, and
Harry is none the wiser because DD has orchestrated it.

This leads me to think that from DD's perspective Harry must not quit
schoolwork that he has chosen, but is disinterested in. If he looks to
the outside world like a young man bent on new purpose or direction,
too much has changed and can arouse the suspicions of Voldemort.
In this way then the HBP text provides a good cover for Harry to
continue looking like an average everyday student, (well not even 
and average and everyday student, but moreover a student whose school
life is so good and rewarding and busy he couldn't possibly care about 
anything else), while DD secretly moulds him into an efficient weapon.

I don't suppose DD orchestrated Snapes text book to be in Harry's
hands; it doesn't seem right that it would be that way.. however..

If Harry is gaining a potions reputation in Sluggy's class, if he is
doing it easy enough in that class that noone is the wiser to his
enthusiasm learning about the Prophecy, Voldemort and the Horcruxes,
why fix something not broken ?

If there is a broken bit, it is the danger to Draco, from Harry, and
DD has put Snape on that job.. hence the chessboard looks pretty good.
Harry doesn't know he is being allowed the freedom to look like an
average schoolboy any way he can think of to, but I suspect that is
what is happening in HBP under Dumbledore's orchestration.

2. It also occurred to me to question wether Harry's reputation for
Potions genius may even at some stage preceed him to his benefit.
Whereas in HBP, I'm thinking, it was a good cover for
Voldemort/Horcrux-Expert!Harry to exist covertly. It may actually turn
out to be a really useful con, in DH. Potions wouldn't be the weapon
of choice which you use against a Potions Master; which is good for
Harry because it is definitely one of his weaker skills.
For that to happen, though, depends heavily on a DD'sMan!Snape not to
blow the lid off the con to Voldie.. luckily I am a DD'sMan!Snape
adherent. ;)

Open to your scrutiny :P

Valky