JKR's Dumbledore: Harry or Hermione (was:Re: It really annoys me ...

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 163893

Besty_HP
> Thanks! <g>  I'm able to shrug it off because I refuse to accept the 
> idea that JKR meant for Dumbledore to actually *want* Harry to go 
> through the trap door in PS/SS.  It's frustrating, because there's so 
> little canon support for that view (at least that I've found -- I'd 
> love for Pippin to contradict me here <g>), so it doesn't stand up to 
> reader analysis.  But if you begin with that particular Dumbledore, 
> his character makes a lot more sense.  At least, IMO.
> 
Pippin:

JKR isn't quite ready to drive a stake through manipulative Dumbledore's
heart, because it's part of what makes manipulative Snape credible. Snape
tells Bella and Narcissa  that Dumbledore doesn't really trust him, and
that possibility is meant to be nagging at us -- it goes with "Severus,
please" meaning 'please don't betray me.'  So we have to be able to
buy a Dumbledore who would tell Harry that he trusts Snape completely,
but actually thought he was taking a calculated risk, all the more
credible since Dumbledore does take calculated risks.

But I figure the stake is nice and sharp, and waiting.

Harry was ready to go through the trapdoor no matter what, even
after he realized that Snape (as he supposed) was ahead of him and
he was overmatched. Short of taking Harry completely into DD's
confidence and explaining exactly how safe the stone was, or
chaining Harry up, what could have been done to discourage him?
Harry would have gone through the door, or killed himself trying.

Pippin