The Wise Old Fool, his Kith and his Kin (Quite Long, Even for Me)

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 170049

> Goddlefrood, quoting an interview:
> ES: `Dumbledore is unrivaled in his knowledge of magic
> - Where did he learn it all?'
> 
> JKR: `I see him primarily as someone who would be
> self-taught. However, he in his time had access to
> superb teachers at Hogwarts, so he was educated in the
> same way that everyone else is educated. Dumbledore's
> family would be a profitable line of inquiry, more
> profitable than sweet wrappers.' [20]
> 
> 'I don't need a cloak to become invisible', said
> Dumbledore gently. [21]
 
> Goddlefrood, on Dumbledore's family:
> If Dumbledore did have a plan, however vague, to rid
> the wizarding world of Lord Voldemort then the only
> other person likely to be in the know about that,
> other than his late self, would be Aberforth and this
> is the reason Aberforth will be important in book 7.

zgirnius:
I am sure Aberforth knows something, here we are 
agreed. 

However, to me it seems that in the interview you cite 
above, the comment about investigating Dumbledore's
family is connected to the observation about his 
education/accomplishments. A revelation that Hermione
is a descendant, or Hagrid is, would hardly shed light 
on that. The speculation I like is that there is something 
interesting about Albus's *ancestry*. I think if we learn 
something surprising about his family, it will be that he 
is a descendant of Godric Gryffindor. He certainly has 
strong associations with Gryffindor: he was in that House, 
its Head, his phoenix is of that House's colors, and he 
possesses the Sword of Gryffindor.

> Goddlefrood, quoting an interview:
> 
> ES: `I know Dumbledore likes to see the good in people
> but he seems trusting almost to the point of
> recklessness sometimes.'
> 
> [Laughter] `Yes, I would agree. I would agree.'
> 
> ES: `How can someone so –`
> 
> JKR: `Intelligent –`
> 
> ES: `be so blind with regard to certain things?'
 
> Goddlefrood on Dumbledore's mistakes:
> Dumbledore admits he makes mistakes. Other than
> perhaps the obvious ones what else could there be? The
> obvious ones are his failure to fully inform Harry
> about what he was facing until it was almost too late,
> his trust of Severus perhaps if that turns out to be
> misplaced (just mentioning it), his not insisting on
> being the Secret Keeper for the Potters, if he
> genuinely did not know otherwise his assuredness of
> Sirius's guilt and several more that I'll leave in my
> head for the time being.

zgirnius:
Right. Not telling Harry was an emotional mistake, in that
Dumbledore allowed his feelings for Harry to override his 
judgment. I don't see the SK business as something we can 
definitely call *his* mistake. We know he offered to serve, 
and he was turned down. He might have been quite emphatic
 in his offer, for all we know, but in the end offering is all he 
could do. I do not believe he cast the spell, since I do not 
believe he knew the true identity of the Secret Keeper. 
(Lily, with the swishy wand that was good for Charms work, 
strikes me as the likely caster). If his services were turned 
down, what was he supposed to do, Imperio the Potters? 

Similarly his belief in the guilt of Sirius I find likely not to 
be emotional in nature. It seems to have been based on the 
facts as they appeared. He was the Secret Keeper, and the Potters
were betrayed. Sirius then killed a number of people including 
Peter Pettigrew. QED.

I actually can't think of an instance of Dumbledore trusting 
recklessly, I presume the interviewer takes the ESE! position 
on Snape and finds evidence of this tendency in HBP.