Dear Potter Fan,
Since I finished reading the seventh book, I have been wondering what Dumbledore would see in the mirror of Erised. I want your thoughts on the subject and I am presenting mine over here. Have you thought about it or is it too trivial a pursuit for your already busy mind? Nevertheless, I encourage you to reflect on the subject for a while.
Of course, the simplest explanation, after reading the last book, would be that he sees his family; even worse, you can point to Philosopher's Stone and say that he sees himself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks. But that is too easy and you just can’t have everyone in the series finding their family in the mirror (remember, Harry already sees his family). That’s too unimaginative and that is the last adjective one would attribute to JK Rowling.
I am quoting from the book. The lines below might explain why I have my little idea about what Dumbledore must see in the mirror.
"Another silence. Harry did not ask whether Dumbledore had ever found out who struck Ariana dead. He did not want to know, and even less did he want Dumbledore to have to tell him. At last he knew what Dumbledore would have seen when he looked in the Mirror of Erised, and why Dumbledore had been so understanding of the fascination it had exercised over Harry."
According to me there is a good indication in the above lines. Also, in the first book Dumbledore describes the mirror thus.
"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is."
You must be wondering what my little idea is. Now assume a scenario where Dumbledore was the fellow who stuck Ariana down. Dumbledore is definitely not the happiest man on Earth, as we learn from the life and lies of Dumbledore in Deathly Hallows. What a fine irony it would create - the mirror reflecting Dumbledore just like a normal mirror but for an entirely different reason.
What do you think of it?
I am, as you see, increasingly getting obsessed with my little theory. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that my theory is right. In fact, it is the only obvious thing that he would either see Grindelwald or himself in the mirror and it gives a nice element of drama to assume that he is the guilty party.
Have a good day.
Arvind
Potter Wars:
I had, only a few months back, recently acquainted myself with the Star Wars franchise. I am referring to the episodes 4, 5 and 6 and not the more recent ones. There could be websites probably dedicated to the subject of what I am about to say – in fact I have verified in Google that there actually are - but after watching the movies this particular thought crossed my mind.
Don’t you think there are characters in Harry Potter that have close counter parts in Star Wars?
Luke Skywalker could be a Harry Potter figure with Lord Vader killing his father Anakin Skywalker.(at least as it is presented in ‘A New Hope’)
In Obi Wan Kenobi/Yoda we see the Albus Dumbledore motif.
Han Solo can easily be seen as Luke's sidekick in the lines of Ron Weasley. In fact he even is insecure about his relationship with Liea.
Liea of course is Hermione Granger.
The friendship of Luke, Han and Liea could well be connected to the friendship shared by Harry, Ron and Hermione.
if you look at it, like Harry having special powers superior to the rest of his friends, Luke is a Jedi Knight specially meant to destroy Lord Vader.
Harry has to fight a lot of his demons with-in him and you see Luke having lost his father and stuff to that effect.
Lord Vader and Lord Voldemort are too close to one another in their superior powers which are used for the dark side.
Chewbacca; Hagrid anyone?
I will go a step ahead and outrageously compare Fred and George to C-3PO and R2-D2 as the characters that bring in the comic respite in the drama.
An aside: To paraphrase Rick Blaine, I would say of the Trent Bridge Test which increasingly is threatening to go down history as The Jelly Beans Test, 'it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of jelly beans in this crazy world.'
