[HPforGrownups] Did Dumbledore ultimately redeem himself?

[Ellie NC]

No: HPFGUIDX 192883

This is a really interesting conversation. I never thought about some of these issues before, or that anyone thought differently about them than me,  so thanks for the discussion!


I never before considered Dumbledore in need of redemption. He was in an impossible situation from the moment Voldemort cursed Harry. He had no choice at all but to send Harry to the Dursleys. It was the only way to give him as much protection as possible. That protection saved Harry countless times. I don't think he was at any fault there. By the contrary, he made the very difficult decision to do what was best for Harry rather than what would have made him happy. That is the hardest type of decision for a parent or parent figure to make for their child.


Voldemort doomed Harry to his fate, not Dumbledore. DD could only do his best to find out as much info about Tom Riddle's life and where/what the other horcruxes could be to help Harry only the only possible path that would give Harry and the world final and lasting freedom from Voldemort.  Well, at least we hope, we will have to see what new canon the play will bring us next summer.


Just a few thoughts on the subject...


Sara


> On Dec 24, 2015, at 1:51 PM, foxmoth at qnet.com [HPforGrownups] <HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
> Commenting generally on this thread:
>
> Harry recognizes and remembers Dumbledore (and Snape!) as a force for good -- if that's not redemption, what is?
>
> But I don't think any of the characters redeem themselves, if you mean the sort of episode where a character who has acted badly suddenly sees the light, proves it by showing up to rescue Our Heroes in the nick of time, and is thereafter  a good guy through and through.
>
> I don't think you can redeem *yourself* in the Potterverse. It takes a higher power, which may come in a guise you find hard to accept and may consider you worth saving for reasons that  appear self-serving. Above all it takes *time*. Snape changed sides and Dumbledore gave up his ambition to dominate the Muggle world, but they hardly seemed redeemed at that moment.
>
>
> As to whether it was fair to say that Harry was raised like a pig for slaughter, I don't think so. Though it's never explicitly stated, the "gleam of triumph" in Book Four suggests that among Dumbledore's many schemes was a plan to save Harry by nudging Voldemort towards using Harry's blood in his resurrection, thus keeping Lily's protection in place.
>
> Dumbledore does not show as much courage as Snape, but consider that if he could be overthrown by the likes of Draco Malfoy, then he was in peril every time he did battle for Harry--which he never hesitated to do.
>
> Pippin
>
>
>
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