What Would Dumbledore Do?

Having the courage to stand up to our friends is not enough. We must balance this out with the care to consider their feelings, reminding ourselves how difficult it feels when friends challenge us. As the saying goes, “It’s not just a matter of what we say but how we say it” and Dumbledore, who always spoke with great care. It is easy to see that he would be delighted with honest but caring communication between friends.

We also can remember that Dumbledore believed that in the end, each person is responsible for his or her own choices.

Remember, Barty Crouch Junior’s mother did not realize that her son’s addiction to Voldemort was out of her control – her attempts to help him with this only made him more dangerous to her, himself, and the entire world.

Indeed, many of us who have loved ones who are substance abusers have learned this lesson in the rooms of Alanon and Naranon. Sometimes it takes even more bravery to let our loved ones make their own mistakes than to try and control their every move.