The Isolated Headmaster: Implications for Snape and Harry

[quick_silver71]

No: HPFGUIDX 163571

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Ceridwen" <ceridwennight at ...> 
wrote:
<snip>
> Ceridwen:
> Right.  I can see this Dumbledore very clearly.  He is the leader 
of 
> an unofficial organization, and it isn't in his, or anyone else's, 
> best interest to go spreading the secrets around.  Snape is told 
what 
> he needs to be told, as are the rest.  The previous incarnation of 
> the OotP had a traitor in it: there is no reason to believe that 
this 
> will not happen again, with people being human and all.  If that 
> incident, or even one earlier on when Dumbledore defeated 
> Grindelwald, influenced the way he deals with the Order, then his 
> reticence could in part be from "once bitten, twice shy".
<snip>
> Ceridwen:
> Yes, as I mentioned above, he is the leader of an unofficial 
> organization, he is fighting a war, and in the last round of that 
> war, his organization was hit by a traitor.  We don't know what 
> happened with Grindelwald, so there may be another good reason 
> there.  Also, this would fit in with the description of Dumbledore 
> being isolated and with no confidants.  That plays into the job, 
and 
> perhaps a natural inclination in that direction helps him to 
maintain 
> that position.

Quick_Silver:
Its interesting Ceridwen on your view of why Dumbledore is secretive 
because I've never really considered Dumbledore's being the leader of 
the Order as the reason for him being so secretive. The Dumbledore 
that I have in my head is secretive and has no confidante but that's 
really part of his character rather then a habit forced on him by the 
necessity of war and managing the Order. It just strikes me as being 
more in his arch type range
old, powerful, and naturally secretive 
(plus the fact that most of the talented wizards in JKR world seem 
secretive
Tom Riddle, Snape, the Marauders, the Twins). 

<snip> 
> Lupinlore:
> > Maybe he deliberately kept Snape in the dark because his plan 
> depended on having a misinformed Snape among Voldy's entourage.
> 
> I don't believe the last one for two seconds.  But I could readily 
> believe a combination of the first three.  He probably does think 
> that the prophecy is between him and Harry.  He probably does have 
> problems "opening up" and sharing his plans.
> 
> Ceridwen:
> Yes, I can see this.  I can't see why it would be beneficial to 
have 
> a misinformed Snape in LV's ranks, unless we bring in ESE!Snape.  
He 
> really isn't my favorite flavor.  I think I like your Dumbledore, 
who 
> is intelligent, isolated, burdened by a war, and sensitive to 
others' 
> privacy - perhaps too sensitive.

Quick_Silver:
But when you refer to Snape being misinformed do you mean the 
Dumbledore deliberately mislead him or simply a Snape that drawn the 
wrong conclusions. I can't see the benefit of deliberately misleading 
Snape (Snape's so good at doing that to himself) but I think that a 
Snape whose drawn the wrong conclusion is an inevitable thing (since 
Dumbledore's plan involves Harry).
   
> Ceridwen:
> Thinking along these lines, I would think that an organization like 
> the Order would have key people who knew certain parts of the whole 
> that Dumbledore knew, so they could put everything together if he 
was 
> unable to lead them.  He is 150+, natural causes barring unforseen 
> disasters could just as easily have deprived them of their leader.  
> Would Dumbledore have made such a huge mistake in not giving parts 
of 
> his greater whole to certain trusted members so the Order could 
> continue if he was no longer able to lead?

Quick_Silver:
But isn't that what he did? He gave all of his information on 
Horcruxs to Harry, along with the knowledge of Tom Riddle, before he 
went to the cave. 

I see your point but if Dumbledore left behind too many instructions 
that could almost be worse. The last thing the Order needs to be 
doing is blindly following the orders of a dead man when Voldemort 
unleashes his plan in DH (I wonder if the real reason Snape is among 
the Death Eaters has nothing to do with the Horcruxs but with 
containing the damage of Voldemort's, hopefully, final push?). 

Quick_Silver