Dumbledore

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 190909


> > > Alla:
> > >
> > > I am confused here. If you could clarify please, I will be much obliged. Whom are you casting as Dumbledore and Harry in the Prank? I mean whom are you comparing to Dumbledore and Harry? Snape and Sirius? If so Sirius was  never in the position to*command*  Snape and Snape was in the position where  he was*obligated*  to listen to him.
> > Bart:
> >      I am referring to your contention that the tactics used by Sirius 
> > to get him to go into the Whomping Willow did not constitute coercion in 
> > any way, shape or form.
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Yes, and I stand by that opinion. And of course what I wrote above meant to say that Snape was not obligated to listen to him. They were both schoolboys, and Dumbledore and Harry are in the position of somebody who has the power over Harry, tremendous power of trusted mentor. Dumbledore does not need to use commanding language to coerce him. I do not see any similarities here, to be honest.


Pippin:
If Dumbledore does not need to use commanding language, why does he? If Harry is already obligated do everything Dumbledore says (and when was that ever the case), why does Dumbledore   tell Harry, "I take you with me on one condition: that you obey any command I might give you at once, and without question." Harry never thought his loyalty to Dumbledore demanded absolute obedience, and when he does swear to obey, it isn't out of loyalty, it's because he wants so badly to be part of the horcrux quest. 

In fact Harry questions Dumbledore's judgement from beginning (in PS/SS where his first reaction is to wonder whether Dumbledore is mad) to end (at King's Cross, where he thinks Dumbledore is being much too hard on himself.) 

In any case, I don't see why Sirius can't be as good at manipulating sixteen year old Snape as Dumbledore is at manipulating sixteen year old Harry.  All it takes is a knowledge of the target's emotional weaknesses and a bit of ruthless cunning. Sirius had both of those. And we shouldn't underestimate the power imbalance between Snape and Sirius. The social distance between a headmaster and his star pupil is actually less, IMO, than between Sirius,  coolest kid in school and a social outcast like Snape. 

You will notice that sixteen year old Tom Riddle can manipulate people who have much more power than he has, even people like his headmaster and his head of house to whom he is supposed to owe loyalty rather than vice versa.

Pippin