Dumbledore's attitude (was Re: On lying and cheating)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 165503

Lupinlore wrote:
> Ahhh, right versus easy, the babbling of Dumbledore <g>. Yet, what
kind of messages is the "epitome of goodness" giving Harry with regard
to Sluggy? <snip> Still, DD gives Harry many messages with regard to
Sluggy, and they aren't ones that emphasize respect and honesty.
>
> From the very beginning, the attitude DD evinces toward Sluggy seems
to one of disrespect and, let's face it, condescension. He makes
clear at the very beginning that he is using Harry as "bait" to lure
Sluggy back to Hogwarts, and tells Harry very specifically to be very
careful and wary around his new teacher. Not a very good beginning, if
you are thinking of a student/teacher relationship. And who's lead is
Harry supposed to follow, that of some mythical "responsible adult"
who doesn't exist in his life, or of DD who for all his extreme faults
<snip> is after all the Headmaster and Sluggy's employer?
>
> As things events develop during HBP, it becomes clear that DD only
wants Sluggy at Hogwarts for the purpose of ferreting out what he
knows about Tom Riddle. He indeed makes no bones about it. Once
again, not a builder of respect and honesty. And finally, to put the
crown on the situation, he makes clear that he is very annoyed at
Harry because Harry has not been crafty, manipulative, and dishonest
ENOUGH in his dealings with Sluggy. <snip>

Carol responds:
You raise some interesting points here. How can we reconcile "what is
right" vs. "what is easy" with the Slytherinish tactics used by
Dumbledore to get Slughorn to Hogwarts (balanced by Slughorn's own
tactics, including Transfiguring himself into a chair and pretending
to have been kidnapped by Death Eaters to avoid going to Hogwarts and
yielding up the true memory)?

For one thing, I think you're ignoring Dumbledore's other motives in
hiring Slughorn, at least one of which is concern for Slughorn's
welfare. Just as DD protects Trelawney (who is no great teacher but
could be tortured by Voldemort to obtain information on the Prophecy)
by keeping her at Hogwarts, he wants to keep Slughorn, who already
knows that the DEs may try to recruit him (and probably suspects that
he's in danger from Voldemort himself in relation to the memory) in a
(seemingly) safe place where he can watch over him and protect him.
And, IMO, Dumbledore wants to give the DADA position to the only
qualified candidate, Snape (perhaps as part of a longterm plan that
involves letting Snape seem to rejoin Voldemort when the DADA curse
strikes) and he knows he'll need another Potions Master and Head of
Slytherin House when that time comes.

So, yes, we do see some cunning on Dumbledore's part as he matches
wits with Slughorn (and beats him hands down by playing on his
weakness for collecting trophies in the form of students), and we see
Dumbledore encouraging Harry to use his own Slytherin side in
manipulating Slughorn into getting the memory, which Dumbledore
regards as supremely important in the defeat of Voldemort (I suppose
because it teaches Harry about Horcruxes--IMO, the importance of that
memory is overplayed just as the importance of the Prophecy is in OoP).

Are we supposed to think that Slytherinis tactics are not so bad, that
cunning in a good cause is not only acceptable but necessary (think
DDM!Snape as double agent)? After all, one of Dumbledore's longterm
goals is to unite not only the Houses, including Slytherin, but the
schools, including Durmstrang, in the war against Voldemort. Are we
seeing "the end justifies the means" here, or can this attitude be
reconciled with right vs. easy? Frankly, although I like Dumbledore
much better than you do, he does seem more than usually manipulative
and coercive in this book than the previous five (in part because he
knows that Voldemort is back, that Draco is trying to kill him, and
that the time available to teach Harry what he needs to know is very
short).

Carol, who still doesn't approve of Harry the Hero stealing someone
else's glory, which has no connection in *Harry's* mind with the war
against Voldemort, but fearing that DD and JKR might justify it for
exactly those Slytherinish reasons