A Serious Discussion on the Nature of Albus Dumbledore

[Isotropes]

Empress_Kat

Okay, so if Dumbledore doesn't want Harry thinking of himself as 'better' then all the other kids, why does he let Harry get away with things all the other kids wouldn't be allowed to? And I don't think that's why Voldemort thirst for power, but that's another discussion altogether... one that I might just go start...

But see, according to my theory, that's just it. Dumbledore doesn't care why Harry wants reenge, or what happens to Harry after he gets it. Whatever will make Harry the sharpest tool, that's what Dumbledore wants.

But it hasn't made Harry think of himself as better, but Snape does think it does. Harry is not pompous like most people set him out to be, Snape is the majority. But don't get me wrong Snape is an extremly great character, but he does have a grudge with James that he needs to sort out.
Although Dumbledore does give Harry more freedom when it comes to regarding the rules, I think it is because Dumbledore knows he is doing it for a purpose. I think Dumbledore somehow is watching Harry thats why he knows so much.

And making Harry the sharpest tool? Well there are many more thing he could do to make Harry full of spite towards Voldemort, take his friends, who are his most prized people and then hand them to Voldemort. It would be easy for Dumbledore to do.  

[Empress_Kat]

BeeBrittney

Empress_Kat

Okay, so if Dumbledore doesn't want Harry thinking of himself as 'better' then all the other kids, why does he let Harry get away with things all the other kids wouldn't be allowed to? And I don't think that's why Voldemort thirst for power, but that's another discussion altogether... one that I might just go start...

But see, according to my theory, that's just it. Dumbledore doesn't care why Harry wants reenge, or what happens to Harry after he gets it. Whatever will make Harry the sharpest tool, that's what Dumbledore wants.

And making Harry the sharpest tool? Well there are many more thing he could do to make Harry full of spite towards Voldemort, take his friends, who are his most prized people and then hand them to Voldemort. It would be easy for Dumbledore to do.

No, because at that point, Harry would rebel against him, as he started to at the end of OotP, and at that point, all Dumbledore had done was allow for Sirius' death, and Sirius wasn't even all that great for Harry anyway.  

[darkangeloflight14]

pmarsala311

This doesn't have to do with Dumbledore, but I want to point this out. Sirius was actually good for Harry. Even though Sirius is a convocted criminal, he is Harry's godfather. He's someone who Harry could go to if he had questions and he was part of his family. Sirius had a great impact on Harry's life just by being around. Harry knew that Sirius would be around whenever the boy needed him. The Dursleys weren't like that. They didn't like Harry and they made his life miserable unlike Sirius.

You've got a point pmarsala. Sirius was the only "family member" Harry could count on to be there for him. Remember Book 3 when Sirius offers to have Harry live with him? And the times Harry confided in Sirius afterwords about his scar, the Triwizard Championship, and other instances?

Anyway, I see that yes, Dumbledore may have cared so much for Harry that he didn't want to tell him about the Prophesy. However, only having half of the story caused Harry to go off to "save Sirius." So, I ask this: If Harry was told the Prophesy earlier, would it have changed the outcome of book 5?

My suspicions lean toward 'yes.'  

[-okonomiyaki o konomu-]

I think you're exaggerating Dumbledore's flaws, making him seem practically evil. Dumbledore certainly isn't the perfect person he's made out to be in the first four books, but I don't think he's a bad person, just human, like everyone else. He's made a big mistake by not telling Harry about the Prophecy earlier, but it wasn't an easy decision to make, and there was no way he could have foreseen what would have happened by not telling Harry earlier. I'm sure if he had told Harry while he was younger, there could have been another potentially bad scenario, and Dumbledore perhaps reasoned at the time that that was the worse one. Is he using Harry? Certainly he knows that Harry is the one prophesied to defeat Voldemort, but I don't think that trying to prepare him necessarily means he's using him. I guess this goes back to Harry being aware of the Prophecy; it would be more ethical to prepare someone for something if that person is aware of the training, but in some situations, you have to do what's necessary, even if it's not quite ethical.

OotP definitely showed Dumbledore in a more negative (read: human) light, and I wouldn't be surprised if HBP continued in that manner. Personally, I think Dumbledore is probably going to die in the next book, and I wonder if one of his flaws won't have something to do with it?  

[chibi_chan]

Kiriko I think you are probably right. We have about the same thoughts about Dumbledore. 3nodding
I also think he will die in the next book, but I don't want him to.  

[Empress_Kat]

Yeah, but see, I thought he was evil long before OotP. It's not that he made mistakes, everyone does that, it's the mistakes he doesn't make, or at least isn't blamed with, that worry me. No one ever sees him as evil, though, because he's a nice old man, always offering people lemon drops and whatnot. But, he's just so bloody manipulative! The fact that he seems like a kindly, but fallible, old man is just increasing it! No one suspects the butterfly!

* I promise, I will come back in the morning and be much more coherent.  

[darkangeloflight14]

That's what I was thinking...Professor Dumbledore is way TOO comfortable with the whole angel/devil persona.  

[Empress_Kat]

Just in case anyone was wondering, HBP didn't really change my opinon of Dumbledore, except a bit. And I'll say nothing more on the subject at all, for fear of spoilers.  

[chibi_chan]

I still love Dumbledore, maybe even more. I won't say anything either. Don't want to spoil. Not even if I write in white. Someone might see it accidently.  

[Sakura_kura]

I think it was obvious, just a bit, of the death in the sixth book. I don't mean I wish it would happen, but how would Harry become top knotch if . . . well I don't really want to say it so just assume you know what I would.