[HPforGrownups] Re: Prophecies and Purposes ( was: What *Do* You know? Dumblodore Context

[Maeg]

No: HPFGUIDX 172032


On Jul 16, 2007, at 11:14 PM, Talisman wrote:

> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Scarah <scarah at ...> wrote:
> Re: [HPforGrownups] Re: What *Do* You know?
>> Talisman then:
>> For instance, I am sure that DD is the author of the Prophecy, and
>> that the dynamics in play, and the inevitability of the final show-
>> down, are his very creations.
>
>> Sarah:
>> What do you suggest are the mechanics of the seemingly legitimate
>> Pensieve recreation of Trelawney giving the prophecy
>> snip<
>
> The short answer is I think she was possessed--outright or some
> ventriloquistic variant yet to be named/revealed.

Talisman goes on to describe the similarities between possession and  
Trelawny's "authentic divinations". It's all very logical, but seems  
very contrived to me. Too complex to fit with how these books are  
written. It also supposes that JKR's decision to exclude a character  
with "second sight" means that a character who divines is either  
right all the time or wrong all the time -- there's no middle ground.  
That's now how I interpret JKR's words, and I don't think canon  
supports or rejects it the "all or nothing" theory, either.

<big snip>

Talisman again, after explaining why Dumbledore has to manipulate  
everyone this way:

> As for whether it's in DD's character, well, I've seen him do worse.
> But then, unlike some supposedly *rational* people, I don't force the
> evidence to conform to my preconceived notion of DD's character.   I
> just go where the evidence takes me.

Setting aside the rude ad hominem remarks, I think that it takes a  
big leap of faith to call Dumbledore a red herring like this. You  
have to ignore absolutely everything we've been shown about  
Dumbledore's character -- and more importantly, you have to negate  
his whole "confession" to Harry in OotP (where he takes the blame for  
Sirius's death and explains that his desire to protect Harry and to  
believe in the goodness of the world has led him to make various  
decisions in Harry's life).

Can this be done? Sure. Will it destroy the main theme, narrative  
arc, and symbolism of the whole series? Yes.

Maeg

My mind isn't always in the gutter -- sometimes it comes out to feed.