How Tall is Harry?

[kumainpink]

Exactly! Why let things go for as long as he did? I just don't get it...

[Kitty279]

That, too. The sad thing is, Old Wrinkly didn't learn anything out of that experience with Riddle, but went on to make matters worse.

[kumainpink]

*laughs* Old Wrinkly, huh? I love that!

[brokenquill92]

Wrinkly didn't learn after the death of Ariana please he was just itching for a chance to do something for "The Greater Good" or in other words fuck up and ruin lives

[Kitty279]

Jul 9, 2012 1:42:56 GMT -5 kumainpink said:

*laughs* Old Wrinkly, huh? I love that!

That's how a few fanfictions had the elves call him, and I always liked the name ;D

[kumainpink]

It's official! I'm using that insult!

[Kitty279]

Glad to give you a proper name for Old Wrinkly

[kumainpink]

Bwahahaha

[Silvertongue]

You know in third year when everyone was sent to the Great Hall becuase Sirius was in the castle? Did Dumbledore have only Percy in charge or were there other prefects and teachers? I don't remember that part all that well but if it was only Percy, how could he expect a student to do anything against a mass murderer?

[Kitty279]

As all students were in the hall, I suppose all Prefects plus Head Boy/Girl were there, too. Not sure about the teachers, though - I seem to remember they looked in every hour while searching the castle. If that memory is correct, then they were as irresponsible as with the troll incident. Once again, what use are the adults, and the Hogwarts teachers in particular, throughout the series? It's no wonder everything was up to Harry and his friends.

[viralic1]

Especially McGonagall completely dropping the ball when Harry, Hermione, and Ron tried to tell her about the stone.

[Silvertongue]

I hated that part. You would think she'd at least consider the fact that they might know more about it just from the fact that they know what's even there in the first place.

[ykickamoocow]

Jul 9, 2012 4:25:51 GMT -5 viralic1 said:

Especially McGonagall completely dropping the ball when Harry, Hermione, and Ron tried to tell her about the stone.

Going off topic a bit here i think the biggest mistake McGonagall did came in 3rd year.

By mistake i mean giving Hermione a time turner so she can attend every class. To me it was extremely dumb to give a perfectionist like Hermione, someone who puts their entire self worth in how well they go in exams a way where they can work even harder.

To me it was like giving a obese man a hamburger made entirely of bacon or giving a manic depressive a hand gun. It was a very stupid and very irrisponsible thing for McGonagall to do and Hermione did exactly what anyone who knows Hermione would know that she would do in that situation. She worked so hard that she almost had a mental breakdown.

[Silvertongue]

I have to agree with that. I can't believe she'd think Hermione would be able to regulate herself properly.

[ykickamoocow]

Jul 9, 2012 6:52:00 GMT -5 Silvertongue said:

I have to agree with that. I can't believe she'd think Hermione would be able to regulate herself properly.

All McGonagall would have needed to do is ask Ron and Ron would have been able to tell her that it would be a very dumb idea to give Hermione that time turner.

Ron was only 13 and if he could tell that giving Hermione a time turner was a bad idea (which i am sure he would have) then surely McGonagall should have been able to tell as well (or at the very least asked a few people before deciding to give it to Hermione).

[Silvertongue]

Agreed. And we know, of course, that Dumbledore knew about it. He also should have known better, but then, he's the manipulative old coot, after all.

[physicssquid]

With the time-turner thing, I got the feeling that Hermione wasn't the only one to be given one. Maybe Percy and Bill were too, otherwise I can't see how they were able to get twelve O.W.Ls each.

[Silvertongue]

I did wonder about that at one point but it slipped my mind recently. That would be the only way unless they didn't actually go to some of the lessons and just used their spare time to catch themselves up with the rest of the class.

[Kitty279]

If History of Magic weren't mandatory, I'd suspect that is one of the subjects they'd study by themselves. The classes are pretty useless, after all.
But I can see both possibilities - they would explain a lot.

[Nahara46]

I'd like to mention that Dumbledore wasn't exactly an evil guy, just because he had his stupid moments. He seemed to really care about the students and others, just he didn't know how to help, or what to do. But when everyone is looking up to you, and you don't know what to do, you tend to try and end up dropping the ball. The fact that he's 150 and has a lot of responsibility on his shoulder's wouldn't help.

I think that Dumbledore is another character who would have benefited from therapy, considering the situation with his sister. He pretty much holds himself responsible for his little sisters death, how sad it that? Plus the dad in azkaban, dead mother and brother who won't really talk to him, he can't exactly be in the best mental state. Don't even get me start on how Grindlewald completely broke his trust, and Dumbledore then had to defeat his once best friend (And, mostly like his once crush).

[Dimcairien]

Jul 9, 2012 10:50:42 GMT -5 Nahara46 said:

I'd like to mention that Dumbledore wasn't exactly an evil guy, just because he had his stupid moments. He seemed to really care about the students and others, just he didn't know how to help, or what to do. But when everyone is looking up to you, and you don't know what to do, you tend to try and end up dropping the ball. The fact that he's 150 and has a lot of responsibility on his shoulder's wouldn't help.

I think that Dumbledore is another character who would have benefited from therapy, considering the situation with his sister. He pretty much holds himself responsible for his little sisters death, how sad it that? Plus the dad in azkaban, dead mother and brother who won't really talk to him, he can't exactly be in the best mental state. Don't even get me start on how Grindlewald completely broke his trust, and Dumbledore then had to defeat his once best friend (And, mostly like his once crush).

100% agree. I don't think Dumbledore was either evil or manipulative, but merely human, which I know I've stated earlier.

[Kitty279]

Jul 9, 2012 10:50:42 GMT -5 Nahara46 said:

But when everyone is looking up to you, and you don't know what to do, you tend to try and end up dropping the ball. The fact that he's 150 and has a lot of responsibility on his shoulder's wouldn't help.

IMO he kept all these offices way too long. Being a proper headmaster would be enough of a full-time job, then add the Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump duties, and the disaster is predictable. It's really strange that he refused to become Minister, but took and kept all the other influential, powerful offices, isn't it?

I think that Dumbledore is another character who would have benefited from therapy, considering the situation with his sister. He pretty much holds himself responsible for his little sisters death, how sad it that? Plus the dad in azkaban, dead mother and brother who won't really talk to him, he can't exactly be in the best mental state. Don't even get me start on how Grindlewald completely broke his trust, and Dumbledore then had to defeat his once best friend (And, mostly like his once crush).

He still didn't learn from it and kept Sirius and Harry locked up in places they hated. Once again, he decided what's best for everyone and ignored their other needs in order to just keep them alive. If they broke mentally didn't play a role, or so it seems. It reminds me too much of Ariana, who was locked away "for her own good", too.

[Silvertongue]

Just thought I'd say he was 115, not 150.

I think the canon Dumbledore was meant to be good and maybe slightly misguided but his mistakes and plans could easily be considered as questionable and questionable intent can be twisted beyond recognition into manipulation and evil.

[Kitty279]

As my late uncle always used to say: Well meant is the opposite of well done. Or, to use the common version: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Dumbledore may have meant well, but he was so busy with the big picture that he forgot that it is made of smaller ones - smaller ones that were human beings with feelings and needs he ignored too often.
Oh well, I like to see his actions as at least questionable, if not manipulative.

[Nahara46]

Jul 9, 2012 11:03:23 GMT -5 Silvertongue said:

Just thought I'd say he was 115, not 150.

I think the canon Dumbledore was meant to be good and maybe slightly misguided but his mistakes and plans could easily be considered as questionable and questionable intent can be twisted beyond recognition into manipulation and evil.

I'm fairly certain Dumbledores 150, one sec, I'll see if I can find where I found that...

Huh, I've found citations for both 115 and 150... Oh well, still, that's pretty old for so many jobs. I think that he took them up because so many people expected him to, they looked up to him and he didn't want to let them down.

I agree that Dumbledore did things he shouldn't have, and took control of others lives when he shouldn't. I personally think that he was so used to having to take care of everyone, that he didn't recognize when someone didn't want his help. Dumbledore is, as Dimcairien pointed out, only human.

[physicssquid]

I still see Dumbledore as an essentially good man. He may have had his flaws, but he did the best he could with what he had.

[Kitty279]

That's because JKR changed her mind mid-series in that regard. Here's what the HPL said about it:

Birthdate: 1881 (JKR), probably in July or August. This date supercedes Jo's statement in 2001 that Dumbledore was "about 150 years old" (Blue Nose Day) and fits better with the dates that appear in Book 7. Regarding his month of birth, Rita says that Dumbledore was “nearing” his 18th birthday when he left Hogwarts in June, but was still 17 when he met Grindelwald (DH18). Basically, at some point during Grindelwald’s stay at Godric’s Hollow Dumbledore turned 18, so the month of his birth appears to be July or August.

[Nahara46]

Ah, Thank you for that- very interesting . It all makes sense now.

[Silvertongue]

Ah, silly J.K. not knowing how old her own character's are.

[viralic1]

Kind of sad that she couldn't make up her mind on such an inane detail.