Once more - with questions. part 1

[snow15145]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "Barry Arrowsmith" 
<arrowsmithbt at ...> wrote:
>
> WYSIWYG.
> Usually.
> Question is, how usual is HP?
> 
> Twist things around a bit, look at things differently
> and guess what? What you get is a chance to be perverse. 
> Whether the perversity will actually be *helpful* is 
> something else again, but if it isn't then stirring the pot
> is a decent second-best. We've been trying for years to 
> second-guess an author who by her own admission 
> enjoys playing the trickster, so it's unlikely that all the 
> sneaky bits have been uncovered and explained. There 
> should be loads we haven't sussed out yet; in fact, I'll 
> be bloody disappointed if there isn't.


Snow:

Oh yes! And yes Dumbledore has been hiding information...or should I 
say shelving it out as the boy seems fit to handle it! Just look at 
one excerpt from HBP, wherein Harry is outraged over Trelawney's 
enlightenment that Snape was the culprit who heard and reported the 
newsworthy info to the boss. What did Dumbledore say as his reply to 
Harry:

"When did you find out about this?" pg 548 U.S. (The Seer Overheard)

Dumbledore knew all along (as he always does) and only gives Harry 
the bare minimal facts. (Don't want to mess with the power of choice 
you know) 

Or maybe an excerpt from one of the other books that have the same 
impact to Dumbledore's authority where it concerns Harry being kept 
in the dark. (The Order of The Phoenix pg. 88 when Sirius boldly 
states that:

"That's your parents' decision. Harry on the other hand –"

And Molly replies:

"It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!" [...] "You 
haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?"

(Dumbledore did have quite a time of it keeping Sirius under thumb... 
didn't he?)

My favorite has to be Dumbledore's indecision on what to tell Harry 
in reply to:

"...how can you be sure Snape's on our side?"

"Dumbledore did not speak for a moment; he looked as though he was 
trying to make up his mind about something. HBP 549 (the Seer 
Overheard)  

Dumbledore knew what was facing him in the cave and after, or fairly 
sure he would not survive one of the encounters, but remained 
steadfast that Harry should not be enlightened over this particular 
situation even if...

Harry is damned to figure out from point A to point B by his lonesome 
self. Why? 

How can it matter whether Dumbledore confides everything to Harry or 
not...oh yeah...Voldy can read Harry's mind, that is if he's close 
enough and Harry allows it. 

Harry didn't succeed in Occlumency because there was no memory he 
thought he needed to protect from anyone...until there was (Cho) and 
then the boy kicked butt. So I don't think Snape's report to 
Dumbledore could have included that the boy sucks under certain 
personal circumstances. (That is if he reported it)

So why is Dumbledore being mister obscure about information 
concerning Snape or his parents and a rather long list of parental 
friends and acquaintances? 

Why is Dumbledore on a teaching mission with Harry in the cave:

"I cannot touch [...] See? I cannot approach any nearer than this. 
You try." HBP 568 (The Cave)

And yet, Dumbledore gives Harry the hush when Harry asks a 
significant question:

"Harry made to speak again, but this time Dumbledore raised his hand 
for silence... HBP 569

Every time the boy asks a valid question (throughout the books) he 
gets the heave hoe. 

Is Dumbledore wielding a plan that concerns the boy or is he simply 
protecting the boy and allowing him to choose his own path? 

My vote would be that Dumbledore has a plan; in fact, I believe he 
mentions it in OOP during his great prophecy speech. 

It isn't like children haven't been used before. No one wants to 
acknowledge a child being used to such a circumstance but the Order 
realizes that "there are things worth dying for!" 
OOP 477 (St. Mungo's...)

Mom and Dad Potter knew there were things worth dying for otherwise 
they wouldn't have defied the Dark Lord three times like the 
Longbottoms who, as much as we might not like to have acknowledged, 
abandoned their son for the greater good when they denied Bella. 

I'm not saying that Harry was brought into the world as a weapon but 
when `they' found that he was the intended weapon; he ended up being 
the Ginny Pig that may or may not survive the threat and the 
protection against it. 

In the end, `they knew'!

Snow – glad to see Kneasy ruffling some old feathers although I would 
like it better if he shook up the main list again...they need big 
time shake up...You never no what you might get!