Possession of the Cloak

[terri_testing]

“His passion … was the work he had taken over from Illyan….

No. The work Haroche had taken away from Illyan.

Oh.

… I’m blind, blind, blind! Motive! What’s an elephant got to do around here, to advance and be recognized?” Miles Vorkosigan in Memory, by Lois McMaster Bujold

Comments

[karentheunicorn]

With the whole Potters death I have often wondered this. We know Dumbledore seems willing to sacrifice people if he thinks its for the greater good.

So, why would he hesitate on letting Voldemort meet up with baby Harry if that eventually meant Voldemort would be defeated. Keeping the cloak not only seems selfish but in a certain way...if Voldie happened to go to the potters, so what, seems like Voldie and Baby Harry meeting might have been what DD wanted.

I know the zombie fans and even JKR herself would say NO, Dumbledore would not do that but to me DTCL writers/ and theorists have shown and pointed out many instances where Dumbledore willinly puts or allows Harry and others to be in mortal danger, or even be killed for the greater good.

So, why would James/Lily be any more special than the other people Dumbledore claims to care about.

[condwiramurs]

Does Dumbledore ever claim to actually care about them, even? He demands payment from Severus for protecting them, despite the fact that they are *his own fighters* who have already entrusted their lives to him. I highly doubt he would have qualms about sacrificing them if necessary.

Grieving over James and/or Lily

[terri_testing]

Severus, Minerva, and Hagrid all cry over (some of) the Potters' deaths.

Albus looked "grim" when he spoke to Severus, his eyes were "sparkling" and he "chuckled" when he saw Minerva. He "bowed his head" to confirm for Minerva the rumor that Lily and James were dead, patted her on the shoulder, and said "I know... I know" heavily.

When Hagrid bursts into noisy sobs, it's Minerva who comforts and shushes him.

So no, he doesn't especially make a pretense of caring strongly about his two pawns.

Re: Grieving over James and/or Lily

[sunnyskywalker]

It looks especially bad in contrast to McGonagall - who doesn't seem to have thought the Potters were the best thing since sliced bread (not that she disliked them, but she doesn't seem like she wants to commission a statue), but still is shocked and distressed that they were murdered. Like most people would be. Even Harry manages to find pity for Draco, whom he despises, and Dumbledore is twinkling after his own followers die?

Re: Grieving over James and/or Lily

[sharaz_jek]

It all depends on why they died. Lily and (to a lesser extent) James died to set up the conditions of Voldemort's disembodiment. It's what they would have wanted. Not that they were given the choice, or even believed it could happen (after all, Albus so magnanimously allowed them to choose an... inferior... wizard to be their Secret Keeper), but who better than their beloved former headmaster and current leader to make that decision for them? All was well.

Re: Grieving over James and/or Lily

[sunnyskywalker]

Their deaths did have great benefits, for sure. But I think many people, no matter how happy they were about Voldemort's semi-demise, would still find the idea of a young couple dying and leaving an orphaned baby which they are preparing to leave on an awful family's doorstep in winter sad enough that they wouldn't be chuckling and sparkling. But you're right, that's probably not how Dumbledore would see it. The plan just got tweaked a bit, nothing vital was lost, everything's on track, so we're okay! And I am a brilliant quirky old wizard mentor!

Re: Grieving over James and/or Lily

[oneandthetruth]

Lily and (to a lesser extent) James died to set up the conditions of Voldemort's disembodiment. It's what they would have wanted. Not that they were given the choice, or even believed it could happen (after all, Albus so magnanimously allowed them to choose an... inferior... wizard to be their Secret Keeper), but who better than their beloved former headmaster and current leader to make that decision for them? All was well.

And there are still people who doubt this man is a psychopath?

Re: Grieving over James and/or Lily

[oneandthetruth]

Albus looked "grim" when he spoke to Severus, his eyes were "sparkling" and he "chuckled" when he saw Minerva. He "bowed his head" to confirm for Minerva the rumor that Lily and James were dead, patted her on the shoulder, and said "I know... I know" heavily.

Eeeewwwww. I became suspicious of Scumbledore in the very first chapter of PS/SS, believe it or not. But this makes him look even more disgusting than I realized at that time.