[HPforGrownups] Re: Dumbledore's judgment (WAS Hermione and 'Evil is a strong word')

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 165995

> Alla:
>
> I think I see what are you saying here - distinguishing between DD's
> mistakes and his judgment on when he concentrated on somebody to
> study them.
>
> I mean, I do think that he was wrong about Snape obviously, but I
> think I understand your argument.
>
> But I am wondering where do you get that Dumbledore understood
> Sirius at all?
> Could you elaborate on that?
>
> It seems to me that Dumbledore did precisely that - misunderstood
> Sirius' core characteristics, period, no?
>
> I mean, Dumbledore thought it possible that Sirius betrayed a man,
> whom he loved like a brother, thought so despite observing seven
> years of closeness between them, despite knowing that Potters took
> Sirius in, despite observing them ( supposedly) when they were in
> the Order ( the group of nearest comrades that DD supposedly lead).

Magpie:
I was thinking of his speech at the end of OotP where he talks about Sirius. 
As much as he was out of line, I assumed that from JKR's pov Dumbledore was 
explaining Sirius to Harry and all of us.

I didn't mean Dumbledore's previous mistakes with Sirius when he left him to 
rot in jail. That, to me, seemed like it was a case of Dumbledore *not* 
paying attention or caring enough to make Sirius a project. Which sounds 
awful--and it kind of is! But that's the kind of distinction I was making. 
Dumbledore wasn't depending on Sirius earlier, and him being the traitor was 
no better or worse than Peter being the traitor to him.

Alla:
> And years after Dumbledore **still** seems to have no clue what
> Sirius is all about - not helping him somehow to be active on behalf
> of the Order, instead of being stuck in that House ( I do know that
> DD wanted Sirius alive, I do, I am just saying that Dumbledore seems
> to be very clueless of psychology, that Sirius' nature required
> something very different, etc)

Magpie:
That's the part where I think Dumbledore is supposed to have gotten him. He 
understood why Sirius was going crazy in the house. He still was wrong to do 
keep him there, but it wasn't a case of Dumbledore not understanding why it 
was hard for him. Same thing with Snape if Snape is DDM, regarding the 
Occlumency. He knew exactly why Snape had trouble and why things failed, so 
it wasn't a case of misjuding him, more like overestimating him. I think he 
felt he was taking a similar risk with Sirius--knowing why it would be hard 
for him, but letting him try to deal with it.

-m