Under the influence

[Barry Arrowsmith]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "eloise_herisson" <eloiseherisson at a...> wrote:
> 
> On reading through the scene in the cave again I was struck as I was 
> the first time by Dumbledore's peculiar ravings as he drinks the 
> potion. Now clearly we're meant to think that he's suffering delusions 
> brought on by the potion, or that he's simply referring to the way the 
> potion's making him feel. But this is JKR and I wonder, I really 
> wonder. What better way to slip in some memories and make Harry think 
> that it's Dumbledore speaking for himself rather than recalling someone 
> else's words?
> snip
> 
> Delusion or memory? And if a memory, who's saying it? Doesn't sound 
> like something Dumbledore would say to me.
> 

A possible explanation was offered a few weeks back:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the_old_crowd/message/2479

In essence it's Puppetmaster!DD getting his come-uppance for all that
string-pulling. If he did manipulate Voldy into the open by using the 
Prophecy, then he must bear some of the responsibility for the consequences
- the deaths of the Potters, the torture of the Longbottoms as an absolute 
minimum.

The Cave potion (Catherine suggested it might be extract of Dementor - a
pretty neat idea IMO) is dredging up unhappy memories resulting from the
invidious choices he had to make and DD is in the throes of guilt and remorse.

Kneasy