What Would Dumbledore Do?

I love this lesson. While so many people didn’t think Neville had much magical ability, he choose to stand up to his friends in PS/SS. That choice gave them the points that allowed them to win the House Cup.

This lesson is so near and dear to my heart, I just love it! I believe that that with Sirius Black choosing to not partake in his family’s prejudice against all that weren’t pureblood, he set an example for all of those who would stand against their “pureblood mania” families. Although he wasn’t the first, but he still paced the way for others. Along with him, Andromeda Tonks (maiden name Black) also set the bar for those wanting to no longer be bias against those who are different by marrying Ted Tonks, a muggleborn.

I love this lesson, not only because we see characters in the series learn this over and over again, but it is one that is so easily transferred to the Muggle world.

I personally take a lot of hope from this quote when things seem difficult or I don’t believe I have much control over a situation. Even though I may not always have the power to change or do everything, I still have choices that I can make and can still exert some control over my own life.

I have a friend who, in almost every single way, embodies the spirit of Hufflepuff. However, he insists that he is a Slytherin. While his reasons (and my impressions of his reasons) are rather personal and I won’t discuss the specifics here, I have talked with him at length about why I don’t see him as a Slytherin whatsoever.

However, once I thought about it a bit more I learned to accept it. For, I told him, our choices are the primary key to what House we belong in and who we are as individuals. In a way, our personal decisions negate the entire “nature vs. nurture” debate. It doesn’t matter who you are or how you were raised, but what does matter is what you choose to do.

So I told him that, though he has a Hufflepuff heart and manner of accomplishing things, I will accept him to be a Slytherin because it is what he chose to be.

Sometimes, I find, in situations where we have no control, we simply need to make the decision to accept things and work with them instead of against them.

This is a really important lesson because we learned it in the first book, when Harry asks the Hat not to place him in Slytherin and later on when he’s facing Voldemort and he wants Harry to give him the stone and to join him but Harry says no.
The entire series is based in the fact that Harry could have allied himself with Voldemort or worse, to become like him. Like we see in HBP there are a lot of similarities between their upbringing: being orphans and growing up with people who didn’t really care,…etc. The point is Harry made the choice to be different, to not let himself be torn away by his demons; he did the brave thing and faced them and stood up for what was right. Voldemort on the contrary did what people who had suffered a lot usually do: he did evil things, making other people suffer because of the pain he carried inside and eventually lost all conscience.
That’s why this lesson has always been one of my favorites, because it shows that even when things seem impossible hard, we have to hold on instead of doing the wrong choice just because it seems easier.

This is a really important lesson because we learned it in the first book, when Harry asks the Hat not to place him in Slytherin and later on when he’s facing Voldemort and he wants Harry to give him the stone and to join him but Harry says no.
The entire series is based in the fact that Harry could have allied himself with Voldemort or worse, to become like him. Like we see in HBP there are a lot of similarities between their upbringing: being orphans and growing up with people who didn’t really care,…etc. The point is Harry made the choice to be different, to not let himself be torn away by his demons; he did the brave thing and faced them and stood up for what was right. Voldemort on the contrary did what people who had suffered a lot usually do: he did evil things, making other people suffer because of the pain he carried inside and eventually lost all conscience.
That’s why this lesson has always been one of my favorites, because it shows that even when things seem impossible hard, we have to hold on instead of doing the wrong choice just because it seems easier.

I read this a long time ago in the book and never paid much attention to it. the truth is, now (a teenager) I’m always terrified of making decisions because of the fear of making a mistake.
but this lesson reminds me of how important it is to stay true to yourself and what you want in life and, as long as you remember that, you can’t make any mistakes.

<3 albus percival wulfric brian dumbledore!!
man, he rocks.

Love is the strongest thing there is. Period. Nothing has ever, or will ever, beat the power of unconditional love.

In the end, Harry made a choice. He chose to trust Dumbledore, against all the evidence, and to do what Dumbledore wanted him to do–give up his life without fighting, just like his mother did. It could have been the wrong choice, Dumbledore certainly could have been wrong about what would destroy Voldermort. But Harry, ultimately, chose to trust and he (and Dumbledore) were right. Does this mean that we should always do what authority figures want us to do? Absolutely not! But if the choice is between non-violence and sacrifice and violent war, the non-violent choice is better. As Galdalf said “we cannot see all ends” but we can act in a way that is faithful to what we believe.

I was prepared to write a speech and post it here, but then I read the comments. You guys said it all and more, and in fewer words. Thanks.