Seeking the truth (Re: Disappointment )

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 177556

> Jen:
 I'm particularly interested in the topic of 'the truth' in DH 
if 
> anyone is up for a discussion.  
> 
> Harry learning the truth about himself and Dumbledore, how their 
> lives were woven together and what that meant for Harry's final 
> confrontation with Voldemort, was the central mystery in DH as I 
> understood the story.  The slow unraveling of their intertwined 
> experiences reminded me particularly of Harry learning the truth 
> about Sirius, James and the Marauders in POA.  It turns out Harry 
and 
> Dumbledore were connected by much more than the prophecy: they 
were 
> also connected by their shared pasts in Godric's Hollow, the 
Hallows, 
> and how each one dealt with power when presented with the option 
to 
> pursue powerful magical objects in their respective lives.  
> 
> As I said in another post, I read the Hallows fitting into this 
part 
> of the story, that the Hallows were important for Harry's past as 
the 
> last descendent of Ignotus Peverell and owner of one of the 
Hallows 
> (as well as how the Hallows connected to Dumbledore's story).  
Plus, 
> Dumbledore expected Voldemort to seek out the Elder Wand. Since 
Harry 
> never learned Occlumency, he'd be able to see this happening and 
> might leave the Horcruxes to find out what Voldemort was after.  
> Learning the truth about the Hallows and himself in the process is 
> what stopped Harry from seeking the wand instead of the 
> Horcruxes: "And I am meant to know, but not to seek?  Did you know 
> how hard I'd find that? Is that why you made it this difficult? So 
> I'd have time to work that out?" (DH, chap. 24, p.483, Am. ed.)
<SNIP>


Alla:
I want to offer a little rambling on truth in the series in general, 
not just DH and maybe today I won't even talk about DH a lot.

Harry is indeed a Seeker and his quest, it seems to me is to seek 
truth of what he was chosen to do, what he has to do, what he needs 
to do. He is seeking to discover, I think truth about him first and 
foremost.

Obviously author is evasive on many issues through the series. I 
think though that it could be useful to keep in mind the evasiveness 
because of plot needs, surprises and all that and sort of disregard 
it in order to find out how truth is treated in the books.

I mean, when Dumbledore says his famous tirade about truth that 
is "a beautiful and terrible thing and should therefore be treated 
with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions, unless I 
shall have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll 
forgive me. I shall not, of course lie" – PS/SS, paperback, p.298.

Why is Dumbledore saying that "I shall not of course lie"? Why is it 
important? Could he not stop at "you'll forgive me"?

I think that this quote shows Rowling's attitude's towards truth – 
cover ups for the sake of plot notwithstanding, she refuses to let 
Dumbledore lie.

(Being silent and secretive of course does not count, hehe). This is 
the book which was written by a young mom on welfare, who had no 
idea that her books become so popular and would be dissected by 
millions of fans and that she would have to guard her plot secrets 
so zealously.

I think her intention here is clear to me anyways.


And we have Dumbledore's at the end of GoF:

"He will stay, Minerva, because he needs to understand," said 
Dumbledore curtly.  "Understanding is the first step to acceptance, 
and only with acceptance can there be recovery. He needs to know who 
has put him through the ordeal he has suffered tonight, and 
why," "Moody," Harry said.  He was still in a state of complete 
disbelief.  "How can it have been Moody?"- ch.35, paperback, amer. 
edition.

He needs to know. And then we switch to OOP when Harry frustrated 
and angry beyond anything at Dumbledore wants to know and is not 
allowed to, it seems.

Harry is searching for the truth and he cannot find it. It seems 
like through OOP truth is right there, right near his fingers and 
then Seeker loses it again and when he catches the snitch of truth, 
seems too late – Sirius is dead.

You know how I feel about Dumbledore's speech at the end of OOP. I 
am not a big fan of  it :)

But do I believe Dumbledore here? Yes, every single word of it, even 
if he is again engaging in silences and cover ups.

I totally buy that his love for Harry conflicted with the infamous 
plan and that Harry is the first person Dumbledore got emotionally 
attached to  since long time ago.

I do wonder if Dumbledore wished that their lives never got so 
closely intertwined, notwithstanding prophecy in a sense that I 
think that Dumbledore wished he would not want to care for Harry's 
well being.
So much easier to think of WW well being in general than trying to 
decide what is better " one tear of tortured child or happiness of 
all mankind".

I love topic Jen, I may post more later.

Alla