What Dumbledore "believes" (was Re: What Harry "knows")

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 169944



Julie wrote:

> The first example of this from Dumbledore was in PS/SS--"I do 
> *believe* he (Snape) worked so hard to protect you this year because 
> he felt that would make him and your father even." 

<snip>
 
> Besides these two "beliefs" Dumbledore relates to answer Harry's 
> probing questions (both not so strangely referring to the most 
> enigmatic character in the books) [...]

Karina:

What was the second "belief"? I keep re-reading your message, and the
belief concerning why Snape was working to protect Harry is the only
one I saw.



 

Julie:
In my original post I quoted an earlier post regarding Dumbledore's
belief that Snape reporting the Prophecy to Voldemort was the greatest
regret of Snape's life. (This of course it what Harry thinks is 
Dumbledore's reason for trusting Snape, and Dumbledore basically
let him think it.)








So, sorry, I added the "first" example (meaning chronologically within
the books, not the first one presented in my argument) in addition to
the already previously cited example!



Karina:

Perhaps this explation of why Harry's scar hurts, which Dumbledore
gives to Fudge in GoF, may be what you are looking for:

"Harry is as sane as you or I. That scar upon his forehead has not
addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close
by, or feeling particularly murderous."

Perhaps Dumbledore didn't want to expand on the topic in front of
Fudge. And then the scar and the Harry's ability to feel what
Voldemort is feeling through it has become important in HBP.

Primarily, when Dumbledore uses phrase "I believe", he's talking about
actual facts, like Fred and George trying to send Harry a toilet seat,
or the number of forbidden by Filch objects... 

>
>

Julie:
I should have clarified that I'm referring to the times when Dumbledore
uses "I believe" to state his opinion of *someone else's* motivations or
mental state (believing Snape saved Harry because of the debt he owed
James, believing revealing the Prophecy to LV is Snape's greatest regret).
At least in these two instances Dumbledore also uses "I believe" to offer
an explanation for that person's actions, an explanation that seems to be
either incomplete (Snape keeps trying to save Harry, book after book) or
insufficient (Dumbledore trusting Snape based only on Snape's show of regret 
over spilling the Prophecy).


.
.
As with your example, it may be that Dumbledore doesn't want to expand
the other topics either. In your example, he doesn't want to give
the doubting Fudge too much information, and in the case of Snape's 
actions it seems Dumbledore doesn't want to give Harry too much 
information, whether to protect Snape's privacy or for some other 
reason is something we'll hopefully find out in DH.
.






Julie





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