Chapter 27 :: The Lightning-Struck Tower

[monkeyshine4616]

Sorry about the timing. Too much on my plate at the moment. I completely forgot that I had a summary to do until I saw Chapter 26 on my f-list. So so sorry. *begs for forgiveness*Harry apparates himself and Dumbledore back to Hogsmeade after the adventure in the cave. Harry notices Dumbledore isn't feeling so hot, so he tells Dumbledore that they'

Comments

Re: oh, yay, exposition

[pilly2009]

Dumbledore is speaking to Malfoy with a specific purpose in mind. He's trying to keep Malfoy talking until Snape arrives, and he's doing all he can to persuade him not to kill but to seek protection.

Well yes, I know that Dumbledore's circumstances were critical, but I was speaking narratively. In narrative terms of the book, Draco seems to have been granted an absolution of sorts because it came from Dumbledore. Basically, he's been given "the okay", he's in the clear, not only because he lowered his wand but because he's been forgiven by Dumbledore. It reminds me a bit of the theme in PoA, when trying to prove Sirius's innocence and how it was all about gaining Dumbledore's acceptance, rather than the Ministry's. Understandable, given that Sirius hasn't been given much reason to trust the Ministry, and even at that point, neither have any of the kids. But all the same, it's a bit odd.

He seems a more controversial figure to me.

Oh, I agree that he's a controversial figure (but then, so are most religious figureheads). Only post-OotP was he not liked by the Ministry. We're told in one of the earlier books that Fudge went to him constantly for advice on how to run the Ministry and the wizarding world. The times he has been sacked from Hogwarts don't ring so much of controversy as they do of a weird "even if I'm not here physically, I will always be with you, and will come back" mentality; like Lucius and the Ministry are merely obstacles to test the faith of Dumbledore's followers.

Re: oh, yay, exposition

[woman_ironing]

This is difficult to respond to because it depends on your view of Dumbledore. I just don't see that what Dumbledore says to Malfoy in this particular instance necessarily has any wider implications for the book as a whole. He doesn't speak the book's (or books') truth or something. At least not to me. If you see him as JKR's mouthpiece or believe that JKR intended him to be omniscient then whatever he says or does will of course have more meaning for you. But even so in this instance it's stretching it a bit don't you think?

On Dumbledore's place in the wizarding world. I think I interpreted your comment as Dumbledore being Godlike rather than godlike, the God when you meant a god. I guess a god is pretty much the same as a very powerful wizard!