Deathly Hallows reread CH 1 -3

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 186223

> Alla:
> You know, I used to think that mistrust of the establishment and burocracy is one of the main themes in the series. But after Rufus Scrimgeour dying rather than betraying Harry, I really do not think that she condemns establishments per se. Or mayb I should say that at least as much as she condemns burocracy, she shows that people should try hard to work together instead of just washing their hands, like Dumbledore did, IMO of course.

Zara:
I don't agree Albus was washing his hands of the situation. The circumstances of Scrimgeour's death came as something of a shock to Harry and perhaps readers, but I don't think that Albus, had he still been around to hear the tale, would have found it surprising. And it does not really say much about bureaucracy, unless one considers the idea that there might be brave and principled people in bureaucracies a revelation.

Scrimgeour was a decisive, intelligent, powerful adult who was free to ignore (and did ignore) Albus's advice. We know Albus offered it; I think we know this may have been on more than one occasion. 

Albus was also working on an independent track to deal with the Voldemort problem, which he chose not to share with the Ministry. SHould he have? My own answer is "no way". He had a spy on the inside who could report to him that the Ministry was being infiltrated, and who likely did not know the details. Snape was not personally involved with this part of Voldemort's plans, so it seems most likely to me that in the timeline of HBP, he would have known in broad outline that a take-over of the Ministry was in the works, as is suggested by, for example, Albus and his conversation after he heals the Ring Curse - but without knowing names and particulars that ALbus could supply to Scrimgeour. Scrimgeour individually might or might not have been of much use - he was probably better off spending his time being Minister. If he chose to share information on the Horcruxes with subordinates (the only way he might make a difference, I believe), however, I think the secret would quickly have gotten back to Voldemort.

Regarding Albus and teaching - I took Doge's quote about ALbus loving to be a teacher, to have been made at some point after Albus became a teacher. I do not think it was a childhood dream or ambition of his, but he gave up on ambition for power in society after Ariana died and he decided he could not trust himself with that sort of power. However, having chosen teaching as his career, I think it is quite credible that he did like it.