I did add tags such as 'anti dumbledore' and 'dumbledore bashing' so they are there, but i will add 'anti albus dumbledore' in at some point during this (failed) quick reblog.
Had to let your (very lovely I may add, and genuine in that) breakdown of my post and points on all the wrong assumptions I've allowed to clog up my mind from fanon. I will actually be saving a lot of your points down while I rework my own as I go through canonical events once more in their full context.
Ngl even after reading my own post once more while far more awake, and triple reading yours while it sunk in, I get a little lost on my own thought process. Not very good of me, and I should, in the future if I make another post, at least remember to, oh idk, back it up with actual canon facts like you did? (Very childish of me not to.) (Additionally, I may add, that Eva and Ava, upon further thought, are probably more like Dumbledore, just on a bigger scale. Im reminded that just because a pool of water is only a puddle to one person, it may be a lake to another)
I think, though, there is at least one thing we can agree about, is that Dumbledore is... at least, can be questionable, in some ways. And I will actually bring facts this time, instead of throwing pasta at the wall and seeing what sticks.
Now, admittedly, a LOT of this could be left as Author Error mixed with Author Hand Waving over certain things as "IDK, but it happened *shrug*", which is almost undoubtedly that, especially the first book where yes, firmly a childrens story, so hand waves over many things. And also powered by hindsight.
First I will bring up is Harry being placed with the Dursleys.
So what we do know is this;
Night of October 31st; James and Lily are killed by Voldemort, Vooldemort 'dies' (Is vanquished, but he is actually still alive. Somewhere. Apparently Albania of all places?)
Within the time between James and Lily's death and the time Mr Dursley goes to work, news spreads like wildfire about the dark lord's supposed 'death' or, at least, being 'gone'.
Additionally we do know that Sirius had went to check on Peter Pettigrew -- "The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straightaway. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies... I realized what Peter must've done... what I'd done..." (PoA, ch. 19)
November 1st, Minerva McGonagall observes the Dursleys for a day (our dear Hagrid, who is sadly notoriously terrible at keeping quiet about things, told her where Albus would be. I also imagine class would not be in session due to the news, and also as Minerva is very much *not* at the school despite being a teacher...)
By the end of November 1st, Hagrid arrives with Harry to be given to his aunt and uncle, on Sirius' Bike before and quote "-- house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol." (PS, ch. 1)
During this all, at some point Sirius is off hunting down Peter Pettigrew, after having -- assumingly -- given his bike (and Harry?) to Hagrid , and then getting arrested for apparently killing Peter and 12 muggles
Albus explains everything in a letter, and then leaves Harry on the Dursleys doorstep with said letter
It is only a 3 hour drive from Bristol to Surrey if Hagrid followed the motorways, and maybe 6 hours from the furthest out west, like Penzanse England -- and from here we only know that Godrics Hollow is somewhere within the West Country (DH, ch. 16). Now, why would the fly over Bristol if they were so far south, when they can simply cut through Southhampton area, could again just be Author Error, but best assumption would be that Godrics Hollow is just west of Bristol, and along the Bristol channel. Still, roughly 3 hours, maybe less when flying over all of the southern part of England. What Hagrid was doing for roughly some 20 hours with Harry? Idk, Author Hand Waving applied. But it is a long time to have been apparantly been riding around with Harry in November, in the air, even if Hagrid was a radiator of warmth and hadn't performed any magic on Harry. (On one hand, maybe he got terribly lost, on the other, maybe went to a safe house and we can have an adorable picture of Hagrid taking care of Harry best he can. And it could be both. Maybe it was a zig-zag or smthn to get any death eaters off his tail too, but a still, very long time considering it must have been a short distance.)
Personally, still, that is an insane amount of time, and not the safest, though I've no doubt that Hagrid would have done anything to make sure Harry was safe as best he could. (And hope he was checked on by a healer, had food or something, gods he was probably starving too...)
We do know that Minerva, who had been watching the Dursleys, is also firmly against the Dursleys for being the "worst sort of muggles", even if she does cave in on Dumbledore assuming that it was for the best, but even appalled at simply leaving a letter behind. I think that was crazy on Dumbledore, because Minerva has a point, and while they don't have to treat him as some 'famous, powerful' child, it would be, imo, that that is something you should discuss in person so you can ensure not only Harry's safety, but also the safety of the Dursleys. (even if its only implied that Dumbledore talked to them in person, rather than left a letter)
I mean, lets just have a moment to say that Lily's sacrifice very much did not protect Harry outside of the house -- though apparantly Voldemort couldn't touch him regardless until the ritual -- or from those inside the house. It also doesn't protect the Dursleys, and again, Author Hand Wave, the protection might be tied to the Dursleys themselves, or to the house, all ambigous and speculation. They don't protect him from non magical forms of danger (Dursleys, falling off his broom, etc.), or other forms of magical danger (Lockhart spelling his bones gone, Imperius by Barty Crouch Jr -- even for short amount of time, or the Crutiatus curse). At least outside danger.
(Harry also has been recognized by other wizards as he recalls them in the end of PS, ch. 2. Again, Author Error Hand Wave, but that also seems like a huge security risk? Like, yes, Harry is in one of the most non magical muggle residential areas, but what if he was followed? The Dursleys cant protect him outside the house -- or property line at least and even out in public at most if wards are carried with them. Honestly it is a surprise that no one would have tried, but I suppose that is left to fanfics to guess at.)
Simply, it may have seemed like a good idea, but it was definitely not the safest. I mean, after all, Arabella Figgs had been a nanny of sorts to Harry (even if he hated it), and she was apparantly working for Albus. This is probably another Author Error, but still, did she not at least see something for the last decade? If she didn't, maybe thought it was normal (unfortunately high chance), well, maybe Albus thought it best to leave things be, but it wouldn't have killed him or hurt to have done a 'house visit' of some kind or have another go in his place (Minerva as a cat) to just make sure everything was alright every once in a while. And ofc again, obv doesn't make as good of a story and probs not considered, etc, etc, but if he was able to get a regular watch on the Dursleys during OotP without anyone noticing, why not again, but with a semi regular check in outside of Mrs Figgs? And again, even Minerva was rather against it, it would have been best to at least make sure the Dursleys would and could take Harry in, face to face, after explaining all that had happened. Its a bit of a dick move, and short of a miracle that Petunia kept Harry at all. (Ofc also author hand wave applied generously.)
Now, of course, Harry at Hogwarts -- why on earth would you bring a powerful artifact such as that blasted Stone to a school and then proceed to hide it behind a door that can be unlocked with Alohamora? It's a bit insane? Ballsy too, which I have to reluctantly give credit on, but still? Like you've just told the school that the 3rd floor is out of bounds, for reasons unnamed, unless you "want to die a very painful death". That's a bit crazy, and Percy says "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere -- the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least." (PS, ch. 7) I get not explaining its because of the stone, but still? Damn?
While it does give off the severity, the additional fact its still rather accessible by a rather simple spell, is just? A little insane? Whether he knew that someone on staff was in leagues with Voldemort (tbf, Quirrell was a previous staff member who went on a sabbatical, and I doubt anyone actually knew that Voldemort was a wraith-like thing in Albania -- as Hagrid tells Harry in ch. 5) it still would draw Voldemort in as he managed to get through Gringotts, and potentially risk the students (whether that's again through the staff, using the cover of Hogsmeade trips to get into the castle, assuming there aren't other safety precautions, or even Imperious-ing a student to get in -- though I will say, perhaps he was just too weak enough to not be able too anyway, hence quirrelmort needing Unicorn Blood to survive longer). (Especially risking first years who are most prone to getting lost, and only may have been safe simply as they wouldn't have known how to unlock the door early on, assumingly...) Admittedly, maybe not Everyone would unlock a (magically) locked door, taking it as a sign to keep out, but these are kids. It's not a farfetched assumption someone may have tried, kids can be nosy, even if it may kill them to be nosy.
Perhaps maybe the 3rd floor being under construction would have been better, and blocking all entrances with an obstacle course of the century with beams and scaffolding -- maybe? Maybe hidden in his very cluttered office, on his person, or some other magical space not unlike in the Fantastic Beast, where it can be 'lost' without being lost? (The room of requirement wouldn't have been the worst place, but probably not the best either based on how it worked. Hand wave here, and tbf it wasn't mentioned for some time till OotP so it didn't really exist (officially at the time).)
Of course that doesn't make a very good story, but it is a fair criticism, I should think. Would it stop Voldemort from coming to hogwarts? Maybe not, but it'd be less likely.
There is also, the troll incident too. You have the majority if not all (minus Hermione) of the school already in one safe place, it would be safer to remain so. The troll was last 'seen' in the dungeon, where the Hufflepuffs and Slytherin common rooms are, so they shouldn't go to the dungeons in the first place, in case the troll was still there, for their safety. Obviously doesn't make as good as a story, or a way for Ron and Harry to sneak off in the confusion (or at least as easily), but because they are able to sneak off, its just another reason why they should have all remained in the great hall. Realistically.
Now this one is just more speculation, and a diversion of what we can agree on, but in regards to Slytherin house... it is not a secret that Slytherin is unfavored, whether purposefully done or not, it has a reputation.
Hagrid tells Harry "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin." (PS, ch. 5) This is an opinion shared of many wizards in general, not just students. And Hagrid has been done wrong by Tom Riddle of Slytherin, but it isn't far fetched to say, especially after the war, that Slytherin house was very much demonized into this simple look, despite Barty Crouch Jr being in Ravenclaw, or that Peter (though he was unknown till at least PoA for a while) was a Gryffindor -- so it wasn't just Slytherins (it was, rather, Purebloods, which makes it more of a 'class' issue rather than a house issue, though again, Slytherin is unfairly made out to be a 'pureblood only' house, when obviously Severus and Riddle are half-bloods, and thus there must have been some muggle born/raised children in Slytherin...).
It's not unfair to assume some of the staff may share Hagrids opinions to some degree, even if its subtle or internal -- and as far as can be seen, Severus is the only confirmed Slytherin on staff. It is also not unfair to assume that this is an opinion spread across the magically-raised students themselves either, especially by bitter parents/family members, and especially of Gryffindor house. (And, cunning and ambition, beyond blood related issues and HP, are rather demonized characteristics in 'villain' types.) (It does also get really black and white when it comes to Gryffindor vs Slytherin, Hero vs Villian, unfortunately.)
Whether Albus could have done more to unite the houses... really, there is just so many things we could say could have been done, like maybe he could have planned some more in-school things between Gryffindor and Slytherin that didn't immedietaly pit them against each other. Though obviously, not the point of the story (best left to the amusement of fanfic imaginations to which canon can thusly be ignored, plot, what plot, and author hand waves on full speed), but we can speculate that maybe he could do more. (and if he did, well, harry was not paying attention...)
I think what has grinded me the most is probably Dumbledore saying "Maybe we sort to soon" to Severus, as if to imply that maybe Severus' bravery or courageousness outweighs his Slytherin traits -- his ambition and cunning -- and maybe he could have been in Gryffindor instead. It's almost offensive, as it feels more like it just brushes off that he's brave because he is cunning, because he is ambitious. It was, of course, very brave of him to face Albus to beg for Lily's safety, especially as he was still a Death Eater in name if not in truth, and ofc face Voldemort time and time again after, but I think it was mostly lead by ambition. He had the ambition -- a goal -- to see Lily was safe, which gave him purpose and fueled his bravery. He has to be cunning to survive (home, school, the war), he has to be clever and crafty, because he wanted -- he desired -- to survive, to live. So to imply otherwise feels dismissive of those qualities that drive him to do these brave things.
Anyone can be courageous and brave, whether it comes from a sense of justice, from wisdom, or from their ambition, it is not that he is lacking any of those other qualities or has gained them either, it is that its source is lead by his most slytherin ones (And Pride, a dual edged sword of good and bad, is also not lacking in Gryffindor house, though it is associated with Slytherin most. If anything, its probably the one trait both houses share the most, and probably causes the most issues of them all -- its just Slytherins go about it more cleverly (usually), while Lions are more determined and brave enough to charge in guns blazing.)
In regards to Harry being a legal adult by the time of his semi-death... its still a lot to ask a 17 year old of any country or culture. It's a hard thing to ask to die for ones country -- or world --, even if it is inevitably Harry's choice to do so. Some find it easier, some don't, whether in the asking or answering, but it is a heavy question to lay on. And while it is certainly the authors intention, to lead up to that point, it still feels like he was 'raised like a pig to slaughter' -- by the fates (author) design or not. He was almost primed to sacrifice himself to the wizarding world -- the world which became his home, his friends, and even family -- at a young age, in ways he shouldn't have had to go through, but did, and it sucks. He lived, yes, but that is still a heavy trauma to go through. He nearly died in just about every year of schooling, and was just. Very primed and willing to do so at such a young age, it just -- it is heartbreaking, even if it is such a wonder.
Now good lord this got on long enough (curse verbosity, i guess and damn thought detours). So yes I am wrong and dramatized a lot of things, and really ought to reread the source material at least there are points where he can be looked at with more critique in a realistic view, even if it can be blamed mostly on Author Error/Hand Waving.
And perhaps, he was stretched too thin. Had too many shoes to fill, and not enough feet, or even hands to do so (uh, pun unintended...?), and given too many roles to fill in.
Which is now a thought I will play with in my little sandbox further. You've given me plenty of food for thought that it actually smashed through some writers block, which is always welcomed and now I will go do some more writing, thinking, and rereading+rewatching... (if only my eyes were on the same program, instead of convincing me its sleep time -- its not. But I might have to.)
Anyway, thank you, and have a good rest of your day/week!
