Revisiting Dumbledore (again)

[sweettalkeress.livejournal.com]

This is something that occurred to me as I was having a conversation with a friend. We were making fun of Harry Potter and he mentioned that he didn't like Dumbledore in the last few books because he was too perfect, too infallible, and absolutely everything went according to his plan. I brought up the potion in the cave as one counterpoint, and he said something very interesting. He said that although Dumbledore was caught off-guard there, he still managed to maintain some degree of control over Harry, and was able to convince him to keep giving him the potion, so even in that instance it seemed as though he had planned out the whole thing.

Thoughts?

Comments

[vermouth1991.livejournal.com]

Personally I think Harry's continuing feeding the poison/potion was more of a mix of his honoring the "Obey everything" agreement they'd previously established, and his own understanding that only by draining the loquid could they ever get the Horcrux at the bottom of the Birdbath, as opposed to Dumbledore giving any extra pressure or influence as he's reduced to whimpering on the ground.

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

The main thing that bothered me in the later books is we find out that Dumbledore knew all along where pre Voldmort Tom was headed, how Harry was being treated, etc - and did nothing about it.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

I agree. Even if Dumbledore knew, or suspected, that Harry was a horcrux, it's really hard to understand why, after the second book, he left the horcrux hunt almost entirely to Harry and his friends. Wouldn't you think a skilled, adult, horcrux- hunting team (for example, Dumbledore, Aberforth, McGonagal, Snape, anf Flitwick) could have discovered and destroyed all the others in three years?

I do agree that Dumbledore seems entirely in control of events, but it's hard to see why, unless it's for his own glory. He's certainly not a very good leader.

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

The list of things a good leader should have done and Dumbledore didn't is very long.

Destroy the horcuxs. Harry obviously didn't need to do that, most are destroyed by some one else.

Give the Slytherins a reason to reject Voldemort when he returns.

Grow the Order of Phoenix. Tonks seems to be the only real new recruit.

[jana-ch.livejournal.com]

I don't know how important it would have been to increase the size of the Order of the Phoenix. Would a larger number of people cleaning Grimmauld Place, arguing with one another, and annoying the only genuinely effective member (Snape) really have helped?

[oryx_leucoryx]

Yes, what he should have done is use the Order for something. And involve members in strategy so they'd know something beside 'Harry is our best hope'.

[hwyla.livejournal.com]

At least in bk5 the Order WAS being used for something - guarding the door to the DoM.

It's frustrating,as I do feel the Order actually DID do some things, but since we only ever know what Harry does, we only get 'hints'.

I think (at least for me) that there are hints of the Order at work. The biggest one is the hint that the Order was also watching #10 Downing Street. I see Vance's death as a result of it.

She dies practically in the Prime Ministers 'back yard'. Obviously not literally, but that does mean at least on the same block probably. She also dies around the same time (at least during the same week - exact date never mentioned for either) that one of the muggle govt's junior ministers was treated at St. Mungo's for quacking like a duck. I've always seen that as a hint at Imperio.

But the question is - who took him to St. Mungo's? He was supposedly wandering around near #10 quacking and yet at St Mungo's he tries to strangle someone. I think he was imperio'd to strangle the Prime Minister and the caster was not an expert and had him 'quack' as a test to be sure the imperio 'took'. I think the watchers (the Order) interrupted at that point. With Vance dying at that time and someone from the Order taking the Jr Minister to St Mungo's. Afterwards Kingsley is suddenly assigned as a secretary in the PM's office.

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

annoying the only genuinely effective member (Snape)

Maybe that's why they all disliked Snape, what did he think he was doing, actually being effective. LOL

But Dumbledore didn't use the people he actually had well did he? Mundgus on guard duty? Tonks only uses her abilities to get laughs and reflect her moods.