[HPforGrownups] Re: Deathly Hallows: Central Theme or Distraction?

[Lee Kaiwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 173036

chuck.han blessed us with this gem On 26/07/2007 21:14:
> 
> As for "Seeming unnecessarily cruel of Dumbledore," again, I have to
> disagree with Mr. Lee--ultimately, it is Harry's choices that enable
> him to defeat Voldemort, and Dumbledore lays out the choices for Harry
> however cruel that may seem to be, but it is, IMHO, not unnecessary.

Thanks for the comments, Chuck.

First, I may have a few of the particulars of timing wrong on the race 
to the wand; I haven't given the book a second read; but my impression 
was definitely that the race was all but over BEFORE Harry made his 
final decision.

As for the above, I'm not arguing that it was cruel to lay out Harry's 
choices; I'm saying it was the WAY it was done that strikes me as 
unnecessarily cruel. Given all the one-on-one time Dumbledore spent with 
Harry in book six bringing him up to speed on the Horcruxes and handing 
Harry his mission, it's inconceivable that Dumbledore simply forgot to 
mention the Hallows to Harry. One is forced to conclude that, viz a viz 
the Hallows, Dumbledore was deliberately keeping Harry in the dark. 
THAT's what strikes me as unnecessarily cruel.

CJ,
Taiwan