Dumbledore - Better Late than Never

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 190924



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Joey Smiley" <happyjoeysmiley at ...> wrote:
>
> Nikkalmati wrote:
> 
> > DD was a man with some very distictive weaknesses.  He believed in himself, but not anyone else.  Did he really think Harry or McGonagall or Snape would run off and make a Horcrux if he told them what LV had done? 
> 
> Joey:
> 
> LOL. Yeah, he could have certainly shared it with McGonagall, Snape and even Moody. I think trusting none was a huge flaw in him. ...
> 
> Yet I think he couldn't bring himself to tell Harry and, it was better for Harry that way, I think. Harry was not 17 yet when DD was dying. Telling him earlier would have made his existence miserable. This way, he had to endure only a few hours of agony.
> 
> Nikkalmati wrote:
> 
> > He was happy when things turned out so Harry could come back, but he did not plan it that way.
> 
> Joey:
> 
> Agreed. Though his plan did change course since GoF climax.
> 
> Nikkalmati wrote:
> 
> > I think he would have chosen to die, if he thought he could save the WW that way.  DD could just have told him.  
> 
> Joey:
> 
> I think what DD should have told him was about the Hallows instead of leaving Hermione to break her head over the kids story book. I don't understand how it will stop being a quest just because he told Harry that the story of Deathly Hallows is true, that such objects do exist and that Harry already has one.
> 
> And why in the world didn't he *tell* Harry that the sword of Gryffindor will help him out?
> 
> Cheers,
> ~Joey :-)
>

Steve re-replies:

This message was posted, or I tried to post, a couple of days ago, but Yahoomort couldn't or wouldn't sent it through. So, I'm re-posting, though a bit late -

Steve replies:

I have to wonder how many people in the group have any direct Military experience? Do you really think every, or for that matter any, soldier has any idea what is going on? No, they don't; the best they get is 'go here', 'do this', 'take that hill', no explanation, nor sense of the greater plan or objectives, just do what you are told and don't ask questions.

The theory is, the less you know, the less you can reveal. I concede as much as I understand that attitude, I think it is detrimental to the final objective, but it is none the less military reality.

Generals are moving toys around on the map, and real soldiers are dying in the fields no knowing why.

Dumbledore knew his death would come soon, but he didn't necessarily know it would come that night. Also, how many sessions did he and Harry actually have during the school year? Most of the time Dumbledore was gone seeking new information and confirmation of his theories. He and Harry actually had very few sessions together, and most of them involved Dumbledore trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. It seems reasonably that there was a lot more he intended to tell Harry, but never got the chance.

Though I have always said, that the lessons you learn best are the ones you teach yourself, and the revelations is a much better teacher than explanation. I believe, within limits, this was also Dumbledore's philosophy. But, not his exclusive philosophy, he had things he wanted to simply tell Harry,and he told him some of those things in a way that allowed Harry to realize them for himself, rather than simply being told by Dumbledore. The mark of a good teacher in my book.

But as time grew short, I expect there would not be time for such a luxury, at some point, I assume Dumbledore would have started to lay things out in detail. During those sessions information would have come in volumes. But he never got the chance.

Dumbledore knew he was dying, he also knew that Draco had been charged with the task of killing him, but he didn't necessarily know that Draco had the will or the skill to accomplish the task. Certainly in his lifetime, far greater wizards than Draco had tried to kill Dumbledore but failed. So, while Draco was a risk, and a risk that was going to come to the forefront very very soon, I don't think he saw Draco as much of a threat. He didn't see Draco's attempts as his own imminent death, at least, not at the hand of Draco.

So, Dumbledore's death on that particular night was pre-mature; inevitable, but none the less pre-mature. If Dumbledore quit beating around the bush with Harry, and knowing at best they had two or three sessions more together, I suspect, as I said, the information would have come in volumes.

Specifically what those volumes of information would have included is unclear, and whether Dumbledore would have come across with Full Disclosure is unclear, thought I doubt Dumbledore would have truly told Harry everything, nearly everything - Yes, but literally everything - no, I don't think so. He would have left bits of it for Harry to discover on his own. Again, it is the power of Revelation over explanation again.

So, at the start of that night, Dumbledore did NOT see that as their last night together. He saw more, though few, night and opportunities ahead. Sadly fate had other ideas.

Lastly, while we can analyze actions and motivations within this world, occasionally we have to step outside the world and realize that it is a story, things are not suppose to go smoothly. Harry is suppose to struggle, the needed knowledge is suppose to be a mystery. Dumbledore, from the perspective of the writer and the read, was not suppose to tell Harry everything because that kills dramatic tension.

The hero is the hero because he wins against all odds, meaning, for the story to be exciting, the author has to stack the odds against the hero. Further that means that critical information and knowledge can't be conveyed in advance; the Hero has to discover it on his own.

So, within the world, fate dealt a cruel twist in Dumbledore's premature death. He had knowledge he was unable to convey, though likely would have if he had gotten the chance. 

Inside the world, things did not go as planned; outside the world, things went exactly as planned and needed for a captivating story.

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn