Blog #3

            It was hard to swallow at first, but Dumbledore is not at wonderful as we all expected. The last book in the series validated my suspicion that Dumbledore had used Harry as a pawn in the game against Voldemort. Well, more of a Knight because Harry could move diagon-ally (a little Potter humor, no matter how terrible, never hurt). Dumbledore’s actions were unveiled when we learned the deceitful comments that he made to Snape that Harry saw in the Pensieve. Not to say that Dumbledore didn’t have the best intentions for those who supported his cause. He did, but he made some interesting decisions along the way that could lead one to believe he was covering for his own past. Dumbledore was covering a mistake he had made long ago; letting Tom Riddle study at Hogwarts.

            Dumbledore did lots of suspicious things that led to my conclusion. In the Chamber of Secrets he tells Harry that he believes a part of Voldemort had latched itself onto Harry, but does not disclose the full meaning of what we would learn to be Harry as a Horcrux. He knew that if he let a little information go, it would look a lot better for him in the end. But what about what he did to Sirius is The Order of the Phoenix? Dumbledore made him stay in a house that had tormented him since he was a child. It was something that stuck with me beyond just Sirius’ safety. I think he really knew that Sirius would do anything to save Harry, and he would gladly leave hiding in that “hell hole” to do so. I think he knew it would be the end of Sirius. For as long as Sirius was around, it would only complicate the situation between Voldemort and Harry. The most important point I want to make is how hypocritical Dumbledore’s statements were to Snape in the last book. He criticizes Snape for not being concerned if James and Harry die. In Dumbledore’s defense he most likely didn’t know Harry would be made into a Horcrux, but it is interesting that he would be mocking Snape, when in a few years he would steer Harry towards his own death.

            While I see that Dumbledore is working for the better of the Magical World, Snape seems to feel the same way about how he has dealt with Harry up to the last book. He led him to his own “slaughter”. I think it is an interesting perspective into who Dumbledore really is, and whom he is really trying to protect.