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

[quick_silver71]

No: HPFGUIDX 163903

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at ...> wrote:
<snip>
> Betsy Hp:
<snip>
> My issue is with a Dumbledore who expected, planned on, and tried 
to 
> prepare Harry to go through a door that would leave him alone with 
a 
> highly talented Death Eater (best scenario) in the end.  It's 
insane, 
> full stop.  And it directly contradicts Dumbledore's professed 
desire 
> to keep Harry an innocent (for the most part) school boy for as 
long 
> as possible.
> 
> The only way I can take Dumbledore seriously is to take Hermione's 
> view.  He'd *never* planned on Harry going through the trap-door.  
> Rushing back to Hogwarts to find an injured Ron and terrified 
> Hermione was one of the worst moments in Dumbledore's life and he 
> spent a great deal of the time Harry was in his coma thanking his 
> lucky stars that Harry didn't die while trapped in a room with 
> Voldemort.  Victory by the skin of his teeth!Dumbledore: that's the 
> guy I like. <g>
> 
> Betsy Hp

Quick_Silver:
But doesn't the book make it quite clear then Dumbledore was the one 
that gave, and then returned, the invisibility cloak to Harry? 
Granted Dumbledore might have felt some duty to return it as Harry 
had been using it in an effort to cover for Hagrid (who is quite 
clearly Dumbledore's man). Yet the cloak plays an important role in a 
number of Harry's "adventures" and Harry with a cloak seems more 
likely to into trouble (and thus risk his "innocence") then a cloak-
less Harry. Or perhaps does Dumbledore believe that the only mischief 
that Harry can get into with the cloak is of Fred and George sort

that's hardly a reassuring thought and that's leaving aside the whole 
issue of what James managed to do with the cloak. 

I wonder if part of the reason that JK hasn't put Harry's view of 
Dumbledore out to pasture is that it reflects that "evolving" view of 
Harry in Dumbledore's eyes. By PoA Dumbledore seems confident enough 
in Harry to send him back in time and by OotP he's dropped most of 
the pretenses and is having Harry be tutored in Occlumency by Snape. 
Most of Dumbledore's tasks in HBP seem designed to encourage and 
further train Harry and develop his skills. Having Harry wonder (and 
not be shot down) in PS/SS and CoS (with the whole thing in Hagrid's 
hut) provides a base for that Dumbledore of later books. 

Quick_Silver