Sniffles, and an HP Theory
Jan. 23rd, 2017 02:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jedibuttercupSo the baby's bronchial ailment? Yeah, every single one of the rest of us came down sick a few days later, and I'm still getting over it. Writing, not happening. I'll try to get something out soon, though.
In the meanwhile, I've realized something rather alarming re: the Harry at the Dursleys mess, prompted by the Scamander movie and a rewatch of all the HP films, that's a little harder to refute than many past 'Dumbledore is malignant, not misguided' ideas I've come across. I really don't think JKR always thinks the implications of the story threads she puts out there through ....
Let me lead you through a few evidence steps first:
1.) Albus Dumbledore's sister, Ariana Dumbledore, was an Obscurial; JKR didn't call her that, but by description, she's obviously the prototype for Credence Barebone in FB.
(Quote from Aberforth, in Deathly Hallows: "It destroyed her, what [those Muggle boys] did: She was never right again. She wouldn’t use magic, but she couldn’t get rid of it; it turned inward and drove her mad, it exploded out of her when she couldn’t control it, and at times she was strange and dangerous. But mostly she was sweet and scared and harmless.")
2.) Grindlewald was well aware of her abilities, and was apparently impressed; after the duel that led to her death and his fallout with Dumbledore, he went hunting for more Obscurials per FB.
(Quote from Aberforth, in Deathly Hallows: "Grindelwald [...] told me what a stupid little boy I was, trying to stand in the way of him and my brilliant brother … Didn’t I understand, my poor sister wouldn’t have to be hidden once they’d changed the world, and led the wizards out of hiding, and taught the Muggles their place?")
3.) Dumbledore, with vivid firsthand knowledge of what could happen to a magical child mistreated by Muggles who thought of magic as 'freakish', dropped Harry off with the Dursleys with an incredibly blatant lack of safeguards.
(Quote from Albus, in Order of the Phoenix: "You had suffered. I knew you would when I left you on your aunt and uncle's doorstep. I knew I was condemning you to ten dark and difficult years.")
4.) Now recall the wording of the prophecy given before Harry was born.
(Per Order of the Phoenix: "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives … the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies …")
.... So, in conclusion?
WELL, AN OBSCURIAL WOULD CERTAINLY BE A POWER VOLDEMORT KNEW NOT, WOULDN'T IT?
Obviously this idea is incompatible with the end canon plan of Harry sacrificing himself to Voldemort to get rid of his Horcrux and give the 'light' side a boost in the final battle. But according to JKR, Dumbledore didn't know Harry even was a Horcrux until Book 5 (the 'in essence divided' scene), so it could easily still be his first take on the prophecy's solution. I'm just picturing him waiting for Mrs. Figg to report chaotic magic ripping up Privet Drive, and it never coming, and it never coming, and well, hm, going to have to go to plan B now aren't we Albus? Now, let's see, who can we send for him that won't ask inconvenient questions about the evidence of the failure of plan A ... ah, Hagrid .... *facepalm*
Obviously, JKR never intended all that back-projection. But if three hateful Muggle boys treating Dumbledore's sister as a freak resulted in something like Credence, an Obscurial that accidentally killed their mother and wrenched Albus' life off course, then detonated his friendship with Grindelwald, earned the hatred of his brother, and drowned him in guilt for the rest of his life for her death ..... WTF, you don't leave a magical baby with three other hateful Muggles and not have the thought that that could happen again cross your mind! Unfortunate Implications, for sure.
In the meanwhile, I've realized something rather alarming re: the Harry at the Dursleys mess, prompted by the Scamander movie and a rewatch of all the HP films, that's a little harder to refute than many past 'Dumbledore is malignant, not misguided' ideas I've come across. I really don't think JKR always thinks the implications of the story threads she puts out there through ....
Let me lead you through a few evidence steps first:
1.) Albus Dumbledore's sister, Ariana Dumbledore, was an Obscurial; JKR didn't call her that, but by description, she's obviously the prototype for Credence Barebone in FB.
(Quote from Aberforth, in Deathly Hallows: "It destroyed her, what [those Muggle boys] did: She was never right again. She wouldn’t use magic, but she couldn’t get rid of it; it turned inward and drove her mad, it exploded out of her when she couldn’t control it, and at times she was strange and dangerous. But mostly she was sweet and scared and harmless.")
2.) Grindlewald was well aware of her abilities, and was apparently impressed; after the duel that led to her death and his fallout with Dumbledore, he went hunting for more Obscurials per FB.
(Quote from Aberforth, in Deathly Hallows: "Grindelwald [...] told me what a stupid little boy I was, trying to stand in the way of him and my brilliant brother … Didn’t I understand, my poor sister wouldn’t have to be hidden once they’d changed the world, and led the wizards out of hiding, and taught the Muggles their place?")
3.) Dumbledore, with vivid firsthand knowledge of what could happen to a magical child mistreated by Muggles who thought of magic as 'freakish', dropped Harry off with the Dursleys with an incredibly blatant lack of safeguards.
(Quote from Albus, in Order of the Phoenix: "You had suffered. I knew you would when I left you on your aunt and uncle's doorstep. I knew I was condemning you to ten dark and difficult years.")
4.) Now recall the wording of the prophecy given before Harry was born.
(Per Order of the Phoenix: "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives … the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies …")
.... So, in conclusion?
WELL, AN OBSCURIAL WOULD CERTAINLY BE A POWER VOLDEMORT KNEW NOT, WOULDN'T IT?
Obviously this idea is incompatible with the end canon plan of Harry sacrificing himself to Voldemort to get rid of his Horcrux and give the 'light' side a boost in the final battle. But according to JKR, Dumbledore didn't know Harry even was a Horcrux until Book 5 (the 'in essence divided' scene), so it could easily still be his first take on the prophecy's solution. I'm just picturing him waiting for Mrs. Figg to report chaotic magic ripping up Privet Drive, and it never coming, and it never coming, and well, hm, going to have to go to plan B now aren't we Albus? Now, let's see, who can we send for him that won't ask inconvenient questions about the evidence of the failure of plan A ... ah, Hagrid .... *facepalm*
Obviously, JKR never intended all that back-projection. But if three hateful Muggle boys treating Dumbledore's sister as a freak resulted in something like Credence, an Obscurial that accidentally killed their mother and wrenched Albus' life off course, then detonated his friendship with Grindelwald, earned the hatred of his brother, and drowned him in guilt for the rest of his life for her death ..... WTF, you don't leave a magical baby with three other hateful Muggles and not have the thought that that could happen again cross your mind! Unfortunate Implications, for sure.
