Dumbledore's Secret 'All Along' Plan?
pippin_999
foxmoth at qnet.com
Wed Jan 10 22:42:14 UTC 2007
No: HPFGUIDX 163665
Penny Bee:
> 1) Why would Dumbledore hire Lockhart? In COS, Dumbledore's comments
> about him indicate he's fully aware of Lockhart's incapabilities. It's
> hard to believe he hired him because no one else would do the job
> (except Snape, of course). If you suspect that the most dangerous
> wizard has a gripe with one of your students (a student you're fond of,
> as well), why would you hire an incompetent to teach him (and the other
> students) how to defend himself?
Pippin:
To add to what others have said, I think Dumbledore has theorized that
the DADA curse will reveal the unworthy secret of anyone who attempts
to hold the job. IMO, that's all it does. The dire effects come into
play as a result of the hapless professors' attempts to cover up
their secrets. Those who accepted being outed (Quirrell's first term,
Lupin, Real!Moody, and Snape) lost their jobs but took no other harm.
I think Dumbledore suspected but could not prove
Lockhart's little racket, and while hoping that he was
mistaken (innocent until proven guilty) he was also certain that if he
wasn't, the curse would expose Lockhart for what he was.
Dumbledore does not teach by offering only the finest examples
of wizardkind. For one thing, there is no consensus in the WW
on who the finest examples are. He teaches by offering a varied
sample, and letting the students decide for themselves whom
they should admire.
Penny Bee:
> 2) Why did Dumbledore agree to hold and host the Triwizard Tournament
> at Hogwarts? It's known as a dangerous event in its own right, but if
> you suspect that (again) the most dangerous wizard is still trying to
> get into your school to take out a student, why would you allow the
> state, and officials and students from other schools (including those
> with dark pasts, like Karkaroff) free entry into your school? It's
> hard to believe that he thought Moody by himself would be enough to
> protect Harry and the other students.
>
Pippin:
Plans to revive the Tri-wizard tournament had been underway long
before Pettigrew's escape. Though Dumbledore feared the Dark Lord's
return, it would only make international magical
cooperation more important than ever. Voldemort counts on distrust and
emnity between peoples to keep them weak and divided.
Those within Hogwarts are protected by many ancient spells as well
as by Dumbledore himself. By inviting the TWT contestants to Hogwarts,
Dumbledore was extending his protection to those most likely to
be Voldemort's targets if he returned, and offering Karkaroff
protection in a form that Karkaroff might accept. Dumbledore's
strategies, like Gandalf's, were not based on withdrawing to
safety. Ultimately he knew no fortress would be safe if those within
lacked the moral courage to confront evil.
Penny Bee:
> So, I'm wondering: if Dumbledore knew all along about LV's possible
> plans and the horcruxes, and such, then either:
>
> 1) He's making a lot of inexplicable decisions
Pippin:
I don't think any of Dumbledore's decisions are supposed to be
inexplicable or the result of Rowling charley-horsing the characters
to fit the plot. To judge from her interviews, she always tries to
find in-character reasons for what she wants her people to do.
So what *is* Dumbledore doing?
I think it is a major misconception that Dumbledore had the
prophecy in mind when deciding what was best for Harry. IMO,
Dumbledore did his best to keep the prophecy out of his
thinking except when he was strategizing from Voldemort's point
of view. Dumbledore had a healthy distrust of the
prophecy and all forms of divination -- just because a prophecy
is 'genuine' in that it comes from something outside the seer's
own knowledge doesn't mean that it contains knowledge or truth.
That would be why some of Harry's abilities, even though predicted
by the prophecy, (and taken for granted by longtime fans of heroic
adventure) seem to take Dumbledore by surprise.
Pippin
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