Can Dumbledore REALLY Be Trusted? | Harry Potter Film Theory

[@coolnerdlll6053]

This might be a big undertaking, but what if... Snape never overheard the prophecy? Does Voldemort ever fall and how does Harry grow up in a completely different world?

[@ked49]

I feel like Harry would still be attacked and marked because how much snape cares for Lilly. Though in that case Harry would be marked through snape

[@sharalakid]

We need this fr

[@tfahad2051]

​@ked49 how would Harry be attacked still if Snape never heard the prophecy? Only Albus would've heard it, Tom wouldn't have known a prophecy existed, so why would Harry be attacked?

[@lassegrotkjr6326]

⁠@@tfahad2051because the prophecy would be shared to the other members of the order of the pheanix, so Peter Petigrew could tell Voldemort after that.

[@jameslars7391]

@@tfahad2051 I feel like the Potters would still be attacked because they were defying Old Moldy but I don't think there would be anything special about the attack.

[@dylanbass8451]

6:51 I’m sorry, but the fact that the Carlin brothers made the trolly problem a Harry Potter picture is awesome, just amazing.

[@321gj]

But it's a loop, so the trolley hits everyone whichever way it is switched...

[@scaper8]

​@gjallagher I immediately saw that. Funny and cute, but the tracks need to continue on, not loop around.

[@321gj]

@@scaper8 There is a trend of creators putting deliberate mistakes into their videos to stimulate engagement. Very naughty.

[@PAVx_]

The picture is indeed awesome, but would've been even more so if they pictures the Hogwarts Express instead of the Knight Bus.

[@misterjj277]

7:03 Did anyone else notice the path of the trolley being a circle, killing everyone no matter what?

[@missingLEGACY]

Yeah, I saw that as well. I can think of two explanations for it, one is that they saw the meme version of the trolley problem and accidentally used it as their example, the other being that they purposefully put a mistake in the video to breed conversation in the comments. He also stated that the scenario would have five people on the right rail and one on the left, but the picture only shows four characters on the right.😂

[@misterjj277]

true

[@kielsonelnikos8589]

It's because if Harry actually dies then everyone else will also follow soon. No one was capable of stopping Voldemort anymore.

[@jordanne229]

@@missingLEGACY There actually are five characters on the right! You might've missed Dobby 😂

[@missingLEGACY]

@@jordanne229 you're right, I completely missed Dobby. 😂

[@Lauren.E.O]

You can trust that Dumbledore would give his life for what he considers the Greater Good. You can also trust that he’d give YOUR life for what he considers the Greater Good, and he probably wouldn’t ask permission.

[@abraham2172]

And you can trust that if he'd want to give your life for the greater Good, it is the last remaining option and that what Dumbledore thinks is the Greater Good, is indeed for the Greater Good.

[@hufflepom]

We may be able to trust Dumbledore in terms of his plans for Harry, but he makes some questionable choices in the safety of his students… lol

[@gajeelnats1151]

case in point dementors in school grounds?

[@ellicerslavic]

​@@gajeelnats1151one positive for Dumbledore is he was always against the dementors being there and compromised by not letting them roam the school halls

[@shadow-lr8xg]

He could have overrule the Minister since he does have the chief warlock position which literally makes the laws of the British Ministry of Magic

[@sajithreddyregatte8783]

⁠@@gajeelnats1151 The installation of the dementors in hogwarts was actually the ministry’s idea . Dumbledore actually refused to put dementors in hogwarts for the safety of the students but settled when the ministry said they were essential for catching Sirius black , and he only let them in the grounds.

[@milacvetkovic939]

You have to understand that many things are taken out of proportion to make the book more interesting for children, otherwise they might as well read about a mundane school life that they themselves already experience every day. Consider Quidditch, a sport played on broomsticks some 30 feet in the air with large iron balls hurtling towards you at high speeds, threatening to knock you off. Dumbledore didn't invent Quidditch, yet it's encouraged by every student and teacher. Or for example McGonagall, she sends Harry to serve his detention in the Forbidden Forest in his very first year, as an eleven year old. Potions. Potions as a subject is dangerous by nature, I'm surprised there are no known cases of students incinerating themselves (they don't even wear protective gear), yet it's still a mandatory subject. It's clear that the Wizarding World doesn't hold safety in high esteem, so all things considered Dumbledore's decisions are more or less justified.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Everytime you said "The Greater Good" I could not get out of my head the scene in Hot Fuzz when the NWA (Neighbourhood Watch Association) all say The Greater Good after everytime it's said.

[@torazely]

The Greater Good.

[@Youngtinman]

SHUT IT

[@nathanbartlett5841]

The Greater Good!

[@barbiquearea]

Dumbledore was the ultimate 4D chess player.

[@annapierce8666]

Dumbledore is unequivocally the *Master* of planing. He set up the *Golden* *Trio* to succeed and did this knowing his *death* would fuel their resolve to battle evil with the power of righteousness on their side 🪄

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

That is true.

[@maampata3587]

Science fan ?

[@LCM393]

Have you ever considered making a video about how wizards would cope in the modern world? Like how would the statute of secrecy hold up with almost all muggles having access to mobile phones to record everything they see and drones, satellites, internet and modern weapons? How could wizards erase a video that has been posted online? They can't obliviate the entire world. I think it would be quite interesting to dive into.

[@scloftin8861]

There is a theory in another magical universe, that magical energy and tech energy are incompatible. Thus when magic is in use, by a wizard (not sure whether the Fae are as awkward around tech), tech becomes unreliable or just dies. (source: another Harry ... Dresden files. )

[@lucasM005]

i consider dumbledores plan as a good thing because i think he would put anyone in harry's place if he could, even himself and not change anything about it. in the example about the trolley problem i believe dumbledore would choose to save the multiple people instead of the one even if the one tied in the tracks was himself. and that is what makes his choice truly a good one. harry was the chosen one/horrcrux and he had to die to save the world. he loved him but still choose to set his death in motion (with a small chance to survive as a last hope). and would had done the same if the chosen one was ron or hermione or snape or malfoy or himself. the plan would never change

[@scarameowSucksAtGaming]

I don't, if i was in Harry's place I'd kill bumbledore for manipulating me and kill voldemort or just let dumbledore clean up after his own mess and defeat voldemort himself😑

[@spencercorpuz]

​@@scarameowSucksAtGamingand that's why you're not the chosen one. 😂 No Gryffindor energy here 😂

[@georgiamackinlay5706]

Well his plan did hibge on Harry being a brave and self sacrificing hero. If Malfoy was the chosen one his plans would have had to of changed lol

[@scarameowSucksAtGaming]

@@spencercorpuz harry shouldn't have to be a hero when dumbledore was fully capable of killing voldemort quite easily, dumbledore is turning harry into a child soldier which im pretty sure is illegal in our world

[@lucasM005]

@@georgiamackinlay5706 im talking about the chosen one/ horrcrux having to die to defeat voldemort

[@Kilthan2050]

He expected Snape to be the master if the wand, so the wand would refuse to work properly against him. He didn’t expect Snape to be killed via snake, and neither did Snape expect it. They were under the impression that at the end Voldemort wouldn’t risk Nagini that way. As for the dursleys… he had little choice, it had to be lilly’s family, and there were no other choices left. It was a stronger protection than the fidelious charm. And Harry’s survival was the most important thing. And as for harry having to die… thats why being a leader sucks and most people can’t do it. You have to make hard choices. Let one die to save millions. But he left the choice up to harry. Harry could have ran. He could have refused. So in the end, it was Harry’s sacrifice, not Dumbledore’s actions.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

The actual reason most people can't be a leader is that you don't actually have to make hard choices. A leader's choices are easy. The hard part of being a leader is ignoring your own goals in favor of the goals of your subordinates.

[@thareelhelloagain]

​@@dontmisunderstand6041 Not if your goals are better ideas. Leaders should pursue the best ideas, regardless of whether it was their idea or one from their supporters. Leading is about improving life for all, not about my goals or yours.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

@@thareelhelloagain I didn't say ideas. I said goals. If you're the one setting the goals, you're not leading a group, you're commanding minions. Much the same way a shepherd does not lead their flock. They herd them. It's in the name. Getting other people to do what you want does not in any way require the same skillset as guiding others toward a path that better achieves their own goals.

[@thareelhelloagain]

@@dontmisunderstand6041 Both doing what you want AND doing what others want are requirements for a good strong leader. Nobody wants a leader with no identity of their own. You seem to need to separate the two, but good leaders need both their own goals and the goals of their people in mind, or else they won't be well rounded. I don't see how you're not grasping this very simple concept.

[@thareelhelloagain]

@@dontmisunderstand6041 Also, the whole "I didn't say ideas I said goals" thing is just a nothing argument and something you can contradict me on without actually contradicting. I made it very clear in my first comment that I was using goals and ideas (Quote "not if your goals are better ideas") interchangeably. You either didn't realize that, meaning you didn't actually read my comment very closely, or you did realize and ignored it, because you needed to contradict me on something. Neither of those reasons is a good look for you in a debate setting such as this.

[@riluna3695]

In an ironic twist, one of the biggest reasons we can trust Dumbledore is because he doesn't trust himself. Those who know they're fallible and are concerned with not accidentally (and especially not intentionally) leading people astray are far more likely to be on and STAY on a path of good. While those who become overconfident can cling too hard to their own ways, their own limited understanding, and fail to notice when their own flaws start to crop up. It's the difference between walking a perfectly straight line with your head held high, and walking the same line while constantly glancing at the ground below you. Any human will think they could easily walk in a straight line without checking (Heck, to this day I find it hard to believe the Mythbusters episode on the topic wasn't just utterly wrong), but in reality those tiny off-perfect discrepancies add up, and before you know it you're traveling straight left instead of forward, and you NEVER noticed the turn. Morality and behavior work the same exact way. There aren't many traits in a leader more appealing than Uncertainty. More specifically, a willingness to freely admit whatever uncertainty they may have on the topic at hand. It sounds ridiculous. Idiotic, even. But it's the best way to find a leader worth following.

[@scarameowSucksAtGaming]

If someone believes that they are not trustworthy it's probably because they are not, when the leader of the light is just as manipulative as the dark lord you know you have a problem, if harry was smart he would see both voldemort and dumbledore as an enemy, in fact harry would pity voldemort because they had similar childhood's and hate dumbledore because dum is responsible for tom becoming voldemort in the first place, so the entire harry potter story is harry cleaning up after bumbledore's mess

[@riluna3695]

@@scarameowSucksAtGaming I mean there are definitely some good points there, but saying Dumbledore is responsible for Voldemort is a huge stretch. At WORST he had the opportunity to keep a closer eye on a suspicious little kid and didn't. And that's not near the same thing as it being his fault. Incidentally, Harry absolutely does pity Voldemort, and empathizes with him on their similarities. They were both orphans, both place a very high value on Hogwarts, and I think some other things I'm forgetting. But empathy and pity don't have to override "you're doing evil things and I'm going to stop you." You can do both at once. And just to be clear, none of this is me saying that Dumbledore is some perfectly innocent angel that can do no wrong. As a firm believer in the Carlin Brothers theory on Dumbledore's Big Plan, I absolutely see him as a manipulator pulling strings in the shadows to achieve his own ends. I just think he does a better job of fighting for the right things than Voldy does, and uses less cruel and malicious means to do so. Not perfect, not even necessarily good, but still significantly better.

[@scarameowSucksAtGaming]

@@riluna3695 tom wasn't suspicious he was neglected that's why he didn't express emotion, if dumbledore actually got him out the orphanage and showed care and attention tom would trust him, dumbledore being suspicious of tom from the first meeting just because of what the matron of the orphanage said only reaffirmed toms belief that no-one cares about him and he has keep up a mask being heartless lest he be hurt again, and being sorted into sliterin the house of the cunning meant he would have to keep up the mask, which unfortunately led tom to become voldemort which could have easily been avoided if dumbledore treated him better, i relate heavily to tom cause im autistic in a way that makes it difficult to express emotion, and tom seems to do the exact same thing i do put on a mask of being heartless to protect one's self from being hurt, that's why i say dumbledore caused tom to become voldemort, edit: im not saying let voldemort live im saying let dumbledore kill him and allow harry to live in peace

[@thenon-chosenone]

@@scarameowSucksAtGamingDumbles wasn’t the headmaster then though… Plus Voldemort couldn’t feel love and empathy even if he had a nice childhood because he was born under a love potion (SCB made a video on it)

[@scarameowSucksAtGaming]

@@thenon-chosenone so it's a teacher's responsibility to teach and protect the students, so let's agree to disagree, im voidhearted meaning i don't feel any emotion but im not heartless which is get what you want even if others die in the process, i have friends that know i don't care about them but they stick around cause even so i still help them when needed and they care about me; i keep them around cause i find them useful; so it's a win win

[@carlrood4457]

I think the argument against Dumbledore is about how much he takes upon himself. He decides what "the greater good" is, and makes his plans. He only tells others what he deems necessary and takes away some element of choice since they don't have the full story. It's highly dependent on him being right much of the time, making the right decisions. He doesn't allow for other viewpoints or plans that might equally good or better. From that standpoint, he's still flexing his power over others.

[@abraham2172]

Thats nonsence. Dumbledore does listen to other people too and takes their advice. He is also more than ready to let other people take the lead instead of himself, even if that leads to a worse outcome, just think of Fudge becoming prime minister instead of Dumbledore. The thing is, Dumbledore is much smarter than anyone else and his plans are far better than anyone elses. Dumbledore himself as well as all of his allies know that, and why follow a worse plan just because Dumbledore didnt come up with it? He also never forces people to follow his plans. The people around him trust him unconditionally, and for a very good reason. He is the best fitted person to do the plans, and his plans almost always work.

[@thethreerailwayengines825]

Dumbledore is one of the best characters in the franchise. Yes, he made some decisions that were bad, but every time he does, the other option was something even worse

[@Restryouis]

people tend to believe that there's always a good and a bad choice, sometimes the choices are all bad

[@michaelodonnell824]

Really? In the Harry cycle, even before the Prophesy is made, he avoided directly confronting Voldemort (for example, when Voldemort came looking for the DADA job, despite the reports of his "exploits" Dumbledore doesn't attempt to have him arrested). Earlier in his life, despite the fact that he knows that the Blood Pact doesn't prevent him confronting Grindelwald (witness how he does so when G used the Cruciatus on Aberforth) Dumbledore CHOOSES to use an under-qualified Newt rather than acting himself. I can't help but wonder whether, for Dumbledore, his own health and safety is ALWAYS "The Greater Good"...

[@thethreerailwayengines825]

@@michaelodonnell824 Dumbledore had no power to have Riddle arrested. Yes, there may have been RUMOURS about Riddle, but he can't just go up to the Ministry and say "hi, remember that Riddle boy? I think he might be a dark wizard can you come arrest him please?" DUMBLEDORE may 'know' he is, but he doesn't have any proof And as for getting Newt to fight Grindelwald, Dumbledore DIDN'T 'know' the Blood Pact didn't prevent him from fighting Grindelwald. The truth is, none of the details are known about that night, it's very possible that Albus and Grindelwald attempting to duel each other is what killed Arianna, and DEFINITELY a chance that's what Albus thinks/fears what might be the case, which would obviously make him wary about trying again. And then in Secrets of Dumbledore, when Albus even thinks about defying Grindelwald, the blood pact starts strangling him. As for using Newt, he recruits the people he thinks will have the best chance, and from what we've seen from the Fantastic Beasts films, Newt is certainly very capable (and also has 2 fully trained aurors on his side)

[@michaelodonnell824]

@@thethreerailwayengines825 Firstly, Dumbledore was head of the Wizzengamont, so, yes he had the power. Secondly, where is there ANY evidence that the Magical World cares about evidence or trials? Sirius was jailed without a trial. Harry only avoided punishment for defending himself and Dudley because of Dumbledore. Barty Crouch Jr was jailed despite loudly claiming his innocence. So, yes, he could easily have gotten Voldemort arrested and sent to Azkhaban. And even if he doesn't take that step, he NEVER overtly opposes Voldemort or confronts him. Other members of the Order do directly confront Death Eaters and get killed. Dumbledore NEVER does so. Repeatedly, either with Grindelwald or in his pre-prophesy dealings with Voldemort, we find a Dumbledore HIDING from danger behind others. After he ALONE hears the Prophesy, he's able to use that as an excuse, despite his own admission to Harry that most prophecies NEVER COME TRUE. Dumbledore was never a good person. Throughout his life he hid behind others he knew were far less powerful than himself. Such behaviour is not ethical in any way, shape or form...

[@thethreerailwayengines825]

​@@michaelodonnell824Dumbledore was head of the Wizengamot, meaning he presided over trials, but he did not have the power to actually call them Sirius was openly admitting he was guilty, and Dumbledore says he gave evidence that Sirius was the secret keeper, so there was clearly SOME trial. And as for Barty Crouch Junior, so what? He HAD a trial, and he was found guilty, which he was. What does it matter if he was "loudly claiming his innocence". I'm sure lots of people who are jailed loudly claim their innocence. He did it, had a trial, and was found guilty. The whole argument of saying he didn't have a fair trial because he loudly claimed his innocence and was still sent to Azkaban makes absolutely no sense whatsoever So no, he couldn't easily have gotten Voldemort arrested and sent to Azkaban And yes, he does confront Voldemort and other Death Eaters. Have you actually read the books? Dumbledore is not "hiding", he is doing more than anyone else to make sure of their downfall. In the same way you didn't see Churchill, Roosevelt and Eisenhower leading the charges on D-Day at World War 2 There's a difference between a prophecy not coming true, and a prophecy being wrong. For example, if, say, Harry died from falling off his broom in Prisoner of Azkaban, then the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort wouldn't have come true, BUT it doesn't change the fact that Harry is the ONLY one who CAN defeat Voldemort, so the prophecy doesn't come true, but it wasn't wrong Dumbledore was a good person. He worked harder than anyone else to make sure first Grindelwald and then Voldemort fell. Sure, a lot of his decisions may LOOK bad and unethical, but people need to remember that they were AT WAR, and when you're leading your side in a war, decisions HAVE to be made that would look bad, because the alternative is even worse

[@williamfincher2260]

The thing about Dumbledore's choices is that he sees every side of each issue. Even when he knew having Harry die would be the only way to kill Voldemort, he still looked for a way around it. In death, he realized Harry would be able to return and served as a guide to him. The reason Harry was left with the Dursleys was because they were the only family he had, and living among muggles would keep him protected outside of Hogwarts since he would be able to hide. Dumbledore has made mistakes, but learning from them is how he became wise in the first place. Do you expect the mentor to be flawless. Dumbledore always tried to do what was best, but it's not always black and white when it comes to the ethics of choices.

[@Mcnerd213]

Bens version of the trolly problem ends with everyone dead no matter what. The tracks loop back.

[@windhelmguard5295]

well yea everybody dies either way, only difference is the order.

[@hackman669]

No win scenario. 🤔

[@gen4john660]

Can you trust him? Well what are you trusting him to do? If you're trusting him to do the best thing for you then the answer is no. If you're trusting him to win a war? Then yes. It's not like he wanted bad things to happen to good people but that was the cost. He was happy to have hope when Voldemort stole Harry's blood. If the choice is between you're life and letting Voldemort be immortal then by all means, make the sacrifice. I mean by all means.

[@ThisUserIsNoLongerAvailable]

What if James survived? Maybe he had to talk to The Order or Dumbledore about something or was sick of being cooped up and went out in his stag form, but he comes home to find Lily dead and Harry scarred. How much would things change with James still around?

[@Not_a_muggle]

Just the tought of James blaming himself for Lily's death and Harry's future makes me so sad.

[@ThisUserIsNoLongerAvailable]

@@Not_a_muggle I'm sure Sirius and Remus could convince him it wasn't his fault. It doesn't seem too far-fetched to imagine one of them saying something like "He would've just killed both of you if you were there, Prongs. At least this way, Harry still has you. And if there is anyone to blame for this, it's Peter."

[@DoftheLin]

He would have been sent to Azkaban for killing Peter, cause he would have known he told Voldemort

[@PumpkinSpikey]

Dumbledore’s excuse for leaving Harry in an abusive household was sorta moot once Voldemort got Harry’s blood. Because Harry’s wand and the ghosts of Voldemorts last victims are what allow Harry to get away after words. Like he could literally touch him. If the magic protecting Harry was such a great and powerful shield presumably it would have protected him from the killing curse even if he was willing to die. All that being said it’s so completely unacceptable that he allowed the abuse and then kept sending Harry back to it. It’s just doesn’t sit right.

[@JoshuaB1194]

the Protection Harry gets from Privet Drive is different from the one that Tom worked on over coming in GoF, though the later is used as a basis for the former. The protection at Privet drive was created by Albus and had use the blood that connected Harry to Lily's blood Relatives and the power that persists through the protection made by Lily on the night Tom attacks the Potters. Realistically speaking, Privet Drive through this protection is the safest location for harry(against Tom) especially during his younger days as a child, but only A. Harry is at Privet Drive and B. considers Privet Drive his home which he does so yes it is important he stays there over the summer. And don't mistaken Albus's opinion on the matter of Harry's history their since literally the next book after he tell Harry about the protection he addressees this fact to the Dursly's and the anger is palpable. As far as him not doing anything more, the simple fact is that Albus doesn't have any right to interfere in what's going on within Privat Drive, he's an outsider and not family so can't get involved in the matter no matter how angry or disappointed he gets. Worse case scenario Vernon and Pertunia could would just disown Harry from the house and they be able to do so and put harry into grave danger.

[@abraham2172]

He had no other choice. Dumbeldore did everything he could to make sure the abuse stopped.

[@reelgesh51]

@@JoshuaB1194 So not reporting abuse if I see it is acceptable I shall remember this since having a house with a fidelious or you know sending harry to fuckng japan and leaving him there do keep harry safe so if it was just a matter of keeping harry save and untraceable a random orphanage in japan would have worked fine or even the US for that matter Do you really think death eaters operate that far out?

[@hahano1121]

Supposed protection. Voldemort could just wait outside no 4 and wait for Harry to go to the shops and kill him. Like how the dementors were able to get him. I seriously can't see how the protections can do anything. If it's based on lily's sacrifice, Voldemort would logically be able to bypass it regardless, and if it is separate, that just raises way bigger questions.

[@chubbyninja842]

"For the greater good" typically means, "I'm going to really screw your life up and if you complain about it, you are the badguy, not me." This is why I'm an anarchist. You do you and leave me the heck alone.

[@brandibastian4193]

Dumbledore though we've trusted for a long time and we've never known Rita to be trustworthy. Remember how the boy himself was telling her. He's 14. And it's a big part of the wizarding world knowing that he was attacked by the dark Lord when he was exactly 15 months old and she keeps saying he's 12. Yeah, she does not care about facts

[@krisynthiagomez5883]

That was a movie addition, in the books Rita’s stories are questionable but her information is almost always truthful. In some ways she was more reliable than Xenophilius Lovegood.

[@nathans9764]

@@krisynthiagomez5883 No... the entire point is she takes a grain of truth and folds it into a ton of lies. She manufactures quotes from Harry, gets his classmates to lie about him, makes up relationships that don't exist, etc.

[@krisynthiagomez5883]

@@nathans9764 She didn’t lie about Harry being a Parseltounge, his classmates being afraid of him because of it, or him passing out and having “attacks” because of his scar. She didn’t lie about most students hating Hagrid’s classes ( the trio wasn’t an exception, in the end even they refused to continue the classes) or him bringing dangerous illegal animals in or him being half giant and who his mother was. She found out about the flying car incident and things about Dumbledore’s past that I’m guessing even his closest friends didn’t know. She was a honestly a scary kind of reporter, because she had all the facts that nobody could deny.

[@nathans9764]

@@krisynthiagomez5883 in order; Harry's classmates aren't afraid of him. There was a brief time that some of them were, 2 years ago, over a misunderstanding. That's like reporting that Hilary Clinton is expected to win the election. That was true 7 years ago and every knows now that it isn't. He wasn't passing out and having attacks. He had one vision when he fell asleep in class that year... So that's a lie. Yes, most kids disliked hagrids class, but that's not what she asserted. She asserted that they were all terrified of hagrids, which has never been shown to be true, and that goyle was injured by a flobberworm, which is not true. As I said. Hints of truth wraps in lies, lies of omissions, or twisted and irrelevant half truths.

[@thareelhelloagain]

​@@krisynthiagomez5883 That still doesn't change how her fictitious additions hurt the credibility of everything else she writes. You have to be right as much as possible and have integrity all the time, not just when you feel like it.

[@alanalirkani]

Unfortunately you can justify a lot of attrocities under the idea of "for the greater good" or "I meant well."

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

Even more, you can justify them that way even if that's not actually why you did them, as long as you have plausible deniability.

[@alanalirkani]

@@dontmisunderstand6041 I've found, in general, villains rarely think of themselves as the badguy.

[@DeadSezSo]

While that is true, the people who commit those atrocities oftentimes are not at all doing things for the greater good whether they believe they are or not. Right is right and wrong is wrong and it's all about what your motivation and goal is. It is also about what it is you are doing for the greater good. If it's a righteous motivation and a righteous goal, "for the greater good" is valid and righteous in itself. Dumbledore had a righteous goal to end Voldemorts reign of terror therefore he is totally justified. Grindelwald had no such noble goal and only wanted power. Dumbledore went along with it, believing the goal was something different even though that goal was still wrong but the point is that he realized it and he abandoned the goal.

[@alanalirkani]

@@DeadSezSo Not everything is as black and white as you seem to want to believe.just because you do a terrible thing for what you believe to be the right reason, doesn't make the terrible thing any less terrible, nor does it change if a reason may not be as just as you thought. That said, it's usually better to do the wrong thing for the right reason than the right thing for the wrong reason. For example, Dumbledore was willing to sacrifice Harry's life if that's what it took to defeat Voldermort. Even if he was wrong and Harry would not be able to come back. On the other hand, Snape joined Dumbledore only because the Prophesy sent Voldermort after Lily. And he wanted to protect Lily (not anyone else, just Lily. Dude didn't particularly care who else might live or die so long as Lily survived). Dumbledore left Harry with the Dursleys to protect him so wrong thing, right reason for Dumbledore, right thing, wrong reason for Snape. Or here's another example in super heroes. The Punisher kills criminals instead of turning them over to police because his family was murdered. Meanwhile, Batman does his best to keep the streets clean without killing anyone. Who is right? Who is wrong? Life is not black and white. Most villains don't see themselves as the badguy. Magneto sees himself as just fighting for mutants, like Exavier. Magneto's just willing to fight dirtier and be a terrorist. And if you keep crossing lines under "I was doing the right thing" where does it stop? At some point, if you go far enough, you become what you hate. The thing you were fighting against.

[@DeadSezSo]

@@alanalirkani Sure, not everything is as black and white as others but my comment isn't a philosophical musing about moral absolutism vs moral relativism so I don't understand why you are turning this into a philosophical debate. Your original comment even presented the belief that there are "atrocities" done so you clearly don't believe that everything is morally relative/subjective. If you don't believe in morality ever being black and white then you can't believe that "atrocities" actually exist in the first place because there is no objective moral truths to allow us to make that judgement. If you DO believe there are at least some objective moral truths then your whole comment is completely irrelevant to what I said because I wasn't making any claims about which beliefs are moral truths. It's merely operating under the assumption that at least some moral truths exist. So, in those instances where society agrees somebody committed atrocities, they weren't actually doing anything for the greater good whether they believed they were or not. I'm not trying to debate who is actually doing things for the greater good and who isn't. I am saying that in any instance where someone is claiming to be doing things for the greater good which you yourself believe to be atrocious, they are not actually doing anything for the greater good. But if someone is doing something which society considers reasonable for what society considers to be the greater good, then they absolutely are doing things for the greater good. Whether or not some cases are tougher to judge than others (like your punisher vs batman example) is irrelevant to my point. Unless you're trying to tell me that there is no such thing as "for the greater good" because it's all relative to an individual, your entire comment is pointless and does nothing to dispute what I'm saying.

[@SuperBlindKid]

Your trolley problem is a loop, they all die?😂

[@dclaiche]

The AI Image of Dumbledore jumping with glee is just wholesome and hilarious

[@beaniebear1122]

I really liked the illustration that was used for the trolley problem. It'll be cool to see more illustrations drawn in that style in future videos.

[@DarkBiCin]

I read the title of the video and said to myself: “if they dont mention ‘for the greater good’ im gonna lose it” and you did in the first 1:30 😅 My first thought after the title was Dumbledore still believes in his greater good assertion but no longer believes in it the way Grindelwald did. But that doesnt mean he ever stopped believing it and im so glad yall bring it up!!

[@ryutak777]

Most people do act upon what they think is the greater good. That doesn't mean they're doing good things just what they believe is the right choice in that moment. And even when people aren't necessarily acting for the greater good they still justify their actions and believe it is the best choice they could've made. At least most of the time that is.

[@torazely]

Is he working for the greater good? I'd say yes, in his eyes at least. Can he be trusted? Debatable.

[@coolnerdlll6053]

"The greater good." "SHUT IT!" - Hot Fuzz

[@tfahad2051]

*Dumbletable

[@arcaine3907]

ofc no. ppl are flawed

[@stevefontaine1335]

🧹🪄⚡@SuperCarlinBrothers⚡🪄🧹Lord Of The Rings Film Theory Video.?🙏🙏🙏

[@hackman669]

Nope 🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻🙅🏻

[@firedem0n5]

the diagram you have at 7:00 is PERRFECT! it loops around and gets everyone! Voldemort will be pleased

[@hoppingwren]

I just watched a SCB Trivia quiz from three years ago and Ben suggested that the brothers should take their own quiz 3 years later without multiple choice options to see if they remember - now is the time! Let's do it!

[@maxstone3779]

The Trolley Problem wasn't the standard, it was to show morality cannot exist in a vacuum. That the answer to the 5 vs 1 problem with even the same people changes whether it's a trolley or a surgeon looking at a potential organ donor.

[@obviouslyPSM]

you guys have really been amping up the potter content since you've started through the Gryffindor! you love to see it

[@Cheesehead_Caleb]

I just realized, when Harry was bitten by the Basilisk in the chamber of secrets, why doesn't that destroy the piece of Voldemort's soul in him?

[@КсенияКавалерчик-т4я]

That's because the container needs to be damaged Beyond Repair. And Fawkes kind of "repaired" Harry. The Basylisk Venom is only able to destroy Horcruxes if Phoenix tears are nowhere near, I guess.

[@lpsgameslilyanna5294]

Personally I think we shouldn't trust Dumbledore whole-heartedly but some of what he says should be taken into account. I do think he should've given information out more often and more freely or even worked with aurors when students were being attacked at Hogwarts (at least in Chamber). His resistance to giving out info to his followers and especially to Harry leads to Sirius's death. He didn't have to tell Harry the prophecy, he just needed to tell Harry that Voldemort can place fake images in his head, and that should anything happen Harry should go straight to a member of the Order in the castle. I just think that Dumbledore should've trusted more people with information so less people got hurt.

[@Emily-fv7lb]

In opposing dumbledore he knows that he is the only one Voldemort fears so it would’ve been a lot easier if he just went ahead and found all the horcruxes and then left it up to Harry for the last bit

[@SgtSupaman]

It feels like you need add a *lot* of variation into the trolley problem for it to resemble a hero vs villain scenario. Fighting someone to stop them from hurting innocents is very different than deciding whether to allow a deadly event to claim the lives of several or one. To me, both are easy scenarios with very different answers. In the classic trolley problem, taking action to switch the track means you are responsible for killing an innocent person (if you do nothing, you are not responsible for any innocents' deaths, because you didn't put them in the position that led to their deaths). However, with a villain directly threatening innocents, whether you kill the villain or not, you are not responsible for any innocent deaths, because the villain wasn't innocent and, as before, if you do nothing, you weren't the one that put the innocents in danger (the correct choice here being to kill the villain to save the lives he would have taken).

[@isabelgee5062]

My biggest thing is the Dumbledore knew that the horcruxes were a thing since Harry's second year and yet he never thought to go out looking for them himself!

[@xERICxBLAUx]

There are 7 more trolley problems. We did them all in my ethics class. Was a terrible time lol

[@MoxxoM]

7:09: In this picture it doesn't matter whether the lever is pulled or not. Everybody dies regardless.

[@thescreengeek]

I love all your content! You seem so passionate about what you speak about its inspiring so thank you for your videos J and Ben!

[@akshatawhaval8495]

I have a theory.... Since we know that Grindelwald can see the future and we also know that Dumbledore was visiting him in the prison... What if Grindelwald was guiding him in this and that's why Dumbledore knew more than he should we know that he used to be absent for long periods of time from Hogwarts I really believe that... Because the last conversation between voldemort and Grindelwald is like Grindelwald knows him in and out despite meeting him for the first and only time

[@hackman669]

So good old Grindy is actually redeemed in old age!😃😀😁

[@akshatawhaval8495]

​@@hackman669 Maybe... Because I feel Grindelwald knows love definately more than voldemort and Dumbledore's faith in Grindelwald may have been paid off and strengthen his belief in love and its power

[@Zeteekey14]

​@@akshatawhaval8495 i believe that's true as well especially because dumbledore suspected he was able to feel remorse which was something Voldemort was known to be incapable of! besides what is remorse if not guilt for an act of hate or indifference?

[@Nerdfriend2410]

Personally, I have always interpreted the text as 1. Dumbledore learns the prophecy believes harry is the chosen one ( doesn't knw about the horcruxes and believes in the prophecy)so does not believe harry has to die. 2. learns about the horcruxes end of book because of the diary. 3. suspects harry could be horcrux in POA along with theorising of voldemort's 7 part soul and now believes harry migh have to walk to his death IF this theory is correct but the prophecy must allow for it to not happen. 4. Dumbledore gets reassured that IF he is right about the fact that harry is a horcrux he will still get to live because of the love-crux that happens in the graveyard 5. Dumbledore gets the confirmation harry is a horcrux when MR. Weasly is attacked the line 'in essence divided' may apply to 2 parts of voldemort's soul: harry and nagini, (not voldy prime and nagini, as he is possessing nagini at that moment) this is the moment when its confirmed to voldemort that harry can see inside him but the bigger thing is the fact that Dumbledore learns about not one but two horcruxes. So, when Dumbledore gets the confirmation about the need for harry to walk into his death, he already knows harry will survive it. the moment "in essence divided" line has some more context given by JK herself in a live chat room in 2007 , I read about it here: www.hp-lexicon.org/2018/10/24/op22-in-essence-divided/ "Dumbledore suspected that the snake’s essence was divided - that it contained part of Voldemort’s soul, and that was why it was so very adept at doing his bidding. This also explained why Harry, the last and unintended Horcrux, could see so clearly through the snake’s eyes, just as he regularly sees through Voldemort’s. Dumbledore is thinking aloud here, edging towards the truth with the help of the Pensieve."

[@kizhaz5092]

I like how in that trolley problem it didn't matter if he flipped the trackes bacause they looped to each other anyway

[@ithinkihadeight]

Hear All, Trust Nothing.

[@murderofcrows5089]

That’s good advice

[@vorobuh_the_1]

I find the “those best suited for power are those who have never sought it” line so interesting from Dumbledore, because he himself is arguably the best man to lead the Wizarding World, but only after he stops wanting to.

[@crimtanecreature8903]

Please do some of these What Ifs I think they'd be really interesting and entertaining. What if Harry was a Squib. What if Dudley Dursley was a Muggle-Born Wizard. What if the Marauder's Map was never made. What if Ron went with Harry to face Diary Riddle. What if Hermione didn't get a Time-Turner. What if Harry got a different wand from Ollivander. What if Ron wasn't born.

[@Enverz001]

Dumbledore literally dedicated his entire life to fighting for the good, and yet some people are trying to make him a bad guy... He is a good guy. And no, he really did care about Harry and he knew that Harry will survive, but had to pretend so that Harry’s sacrifice would be genuine.

[@charleslee8313]

With the constant use of the phrase "The greater good," I was expecting a clip of the Neighborhood Watch Alliance from *Hot Fuzz*

[@xarenanotmyrealname4134]

I really think you guys should do a video on if Dudley went to Hogwarts and the video could just answer fun questions what house would he in? How would his parents react? What subjects he might be good at? What would his patronus be? Then go into how his presence might effect the story, would him going to Hogwarts make him and Harry get along? Just give enough fun info to get people interested than end the video by telling people if X amount of people like the video you'll make a full series on it.

[@zephodb]

Dumbledore himself says the Prophecy only has any meaning because Voldemort gives it credence.... So Dumbledore uses it to predict Voldemort's actions but doesn't give any proof that it WILL succeed, never forget that. c.c

[@Shadowpack95]

The Greater Good for one may not be the Greater Good for another. Dumbledore held three extremely powerful positions in Wizarding Britain and yet the state of the society actually gets worse from the first time Voldemort rose to power

[@freekazoid8489]

I hava a theory, remember in OOTP McGonagall said she would help Harry become an Auror? Could it have been her recommendation to Dumbledore to hire Slughorn as potions master so that Harry cpuld continue his required studies for Auror?

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Its always appreciated how much work and passion goes into these videos🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊😊

[@time.window]

9:03 Why did Harry had to be the one to defeat Voldemort? Like sure, the prophecy. But what would have happened if someone else tried to kill him?

[@peng1luver259]

7:22 the Trolley Problem has an option three, you sacrifice yourself so everyone else survives.

[@IdleLancer]

6:50 Love the artwork!

[@nenmaster5218]

2:10: Well, did YOU watch at least the super-UN-political channels of Not-Just-Bikes and Edenicity? Let alone issue-listing and problem-exploring Channels like Some-More-News and Second Thought? Do you really wanna better society??

[@NinjaMaxMC]

Dumbeldore sounding like an Amyr with all this "for the greater good" stuff😂

[@morrigankasa570]

Everything is Relative and Everyone has different Logic & Morality. Therefore, I always disagreed/disliked the "Trolley Problem". Anyhow, people always underestimate the impact of Snape especially his reaction to Dumbledore's plan for Harry's death. To me that was one of the biggest steps for Harry sort of forgiving/reevaluating Snape. Honestly, Snape even before the 5th-7th books was always my favorite Hogwarts Staff member (Hagrid being my #1 favorite).

[@windhelmguard5295]

it is a valuable test of character, not about good or evil, but about whether or not you have what it takes to act when given the opportunity.

[@morrigankasa570]

@@windhelmguard5295 Yet it still can cause conflicts between people. You answer the problem 1 way & your friend answered it a different way. That difference could cause conflict in the friendship. Additionally, it's still not accurate because it's not in an actual situation. The true test of character is when you are in an actual situation & the pressure is on.

[@DeadSezSo]

I think theres a big misunderstanding of why harry had to choose to die selflessly. It wasnt because that was the only way for the horcrux to be destroyed, his death would do that regardless. The point was that, in the case of Harry actually dying which dumbledore knew to be a possiblr outcome, at least his death would protect all of wizardkind from him with the same protection Lily gave Harry with her sacrifice. We know this is exactly what happened even though Harry did come back because during the last battle, Harry sees that the Hogwartians seemed to be invulnerable to Voldemort and his followers attacks. So him choosing to sacrifice himself was merely part of a backup plan and yet another example of Dumbledore playing 4d chess while everyone else is playing checkers lol

[@Shippuuryu]

My take on the matter is that while I do think that Dumbledore can be trusted, I don't believe that he should be blindly trusted. I think a good healthy skepticism is a good balance.

[@MattSimmonsSysAdmin]

The challenges at the end of Philospher's Stone were basically enrichment for captive Gryffindors.

[@xX_YallaShoot_Xx]

Everytine you said, "The Greater Good," I had to repeat it like from the movie: Hot Fuzz.

[@elfthreefiveseven1297]

Having just re-watched the movie Hot Fuzz, every time you say "the greater good" I have to repeat "the greater good". And for those who have not seen the movie. When somebody said that line, the greater good, the others in the group would say it back.

[@CosplayingwithChad]

11:34 two things that have always bugged me about the movies one, Ralph Fiennes is too over the top to play Voldemort and he doesn’t laugh like the crypt keeper and two Priori Incantatum is only used twice in the series, in the books it’s used to test Harry’s stolen wand and when Voldemort tried to kill Harry in the graveyard. But in the movies it’s used all the time in situations that make no sense. In OOTP Dumbledore used it in his rather anticlimactic duel with Voldemort yet Voldemort’s Yew wand didn’t share a core with the Elder Wand, Harry’s duel in the battle of Hogwarts is just a Dragon Ball beam struggle and in the Secrets of Dumbledore against Grindelwald.🙄🧐🤦 13:32 also good lord that was an unbelievably perfect stock photo to use for that part!😂 Also every time I hear Ben say “the greater good” I think of the cult from Hot Fuzz saying that in unison.😂

[@Sarah-ml4fv]

For the gleam in dumbledores eye moment in book 4: dumbledore is also directly responsible for invoking the “love crux” and keeping Lilly’s sacrifice alive by utilizing it to cast protection over Harry by having him live with Petunia even though life there pretty much sucks for Harry. I feel like not only does he realize Harry will probably be able to survive but his own choices for how to protect Harry are super vindicated at this moment Also Dumbledore might have suspected that Voldemort had a horcrux before book 2 since he doesn’t think he’s dead, but he says later that he didn’t know how many meaning he didn’t know how fragile Voldemort had made his soul before going to attack Harry. Also isn’t it in book 2 that dumbledore tela Harry Voldemort seems to have transferred him some of his powers? At what point do we think dumbledore started to suspect Harry was a horcrux? Aka how long was he raising him as a pig for slaughter vs just raising him to defeat Voldemort and hopefully win and live ? Bc if he only realized that after book 2 and they overcame that In the end of book 4, that was really only 2 years that dumbledore was “raising Harry to die”

[@gamer708886]

I can't hear "the greater good" without remembering the scene from "Hot Fuzz". The greater good....O-O

[@GoeTeeks]

I think the biggest question about Dumbledore's morality could be answered if you think about how Dumbledore might have acted if: 1) He never met Grindlewald (and perhaps never learned he shouldn't be trusted with power, but also never had his head filled with thoughts about subjugating muggles). 2) Voldemort never came to power (either Tom Riddle was never born, never allowed to enter the wizarding world, or turned out to be a really great guy) 3) (Perhaps most critical) There was no prophecy. No chosen one. No one for Voldemort to hunt down and have his spell backfire on him. How differently might things have played out if Trelawny had not have had a true vision. In fact, this might make a great What If video in its own right. Could Dumbledore have been able to stop Voldemort during his first rise to power? Or would the war have dragged on for longer? But most importantly, there would have been no "pig" to raise for slaugter.

[@Snidget-76]

Also, "You are setting too much store by the prophecy!"

[@emeraldkoala2]

Every time someone says "the greater good" I hear the neighbourhood watch alliance/cult from Hot Fuzz.

[@kylecollins3755]

Dumbledore could solo everyone in the Harry Potter universe, nearly at the same time. So, the fact that he didn’t shows that he can be trusted.

[@cyslammerx8011]

Yeah, the guy who didn't try to use his powers to solo the racist death eaters is such a good guy.

[@catman-du8927]

​@@cyslammerx8011 Thank you! I can understand that after Dumbledore hears the prophecy that he doesn't go and kill Voldemort & the death eaters. But before he hears it? No excuse

[@cyslammerx8011]

@catman-du8927 and even after he heard it, he could raise Harry himself in an actual loving home, training him to be strong enough that him and Harry and many other wizards and witches canbeat voldemort together.

[@cyslammerx8011]

@catman-du8927 it makes sense that he didn't kill voldemort because of the prophecy But it does not make sense the he let's all the other death eaters he knows of from having Snape as a spy get off scot free; so they can teach their kids and send those kids to his school where he does nothing but put them in a place where their hatred can grow.

[@catman-du8927]

@@cyslammerx8011 The books give a good enough reason for Harry to be raised with his aunt & uncle that I can accept that part even if I don't like it. It just feels like if Dumbledore is so powerful then why didn't he do anything to stop this stuff!!

[@BlackHoleForge]

Every time I hear the expression for the greater good, I imagine professor slughorn and his friends gathered in a circle.

[@DJay157524]

2:22 that's optimistic Ben. Looks like you called it...

[@Ollie.H-23]

Is this even a question? Of course Dumbledore can be trusted!

[@magiskhan-rex]

Oh no he got to you too?!

[@atlasreacts6483]

Sounds like someone who isn’t willing to think about it.

[@Ollie.H-23]

@@atlasreacts6483 no, it's just that this is Albus Dumbledore we're talking about. Who wouldn't trust him? Everyone does.

[@Ollie.H-23]

@@magiskhan-rex What do you mean?

[@kaspedkk]

Hello. I agree

[@olivergill8138]

I got one- What if Barty crouch told Dumbledore what happened in GOF

[@MssBilitroque]

When I read the books (I was one of the kids that had to wait years for the next book), I always interpreted that Harry didn't die that night because he is an horrocrux. So when Voldemort uses the killing curse, he kills the piece of his own soul that lived in him, and that was why Harry survived. The killing curse killed someone and that is it. And then, this really explains why Harry's wand attacked Voldemort in the seven potter's battle. It was not the wands own accord, but the horrocrux in Harry deffending himself against the person who made it. And I know this is not the official explanation, but I think it is a lot easier to understand. Even that Harry was the master of death and that is why he didn't die is a better explanation for me than the lovecrux. I don't know why I don't like that😂😂 Love from Spain

[@quietinsound8087]

The main thing pointing to how Dumbledore cannot be trusted is how in the third movie he had been replaced by a totally different person impersonating Dumbledore, yet no one was able to tell the difference, that had to of been some extremely powerful magic and be immensely powerful to defeat the true Dumbledore and for what purpose, why would this individual do this.

[@cordo7051]

But Dumbledore doesn’t not think the prophacy holds the truth, he said that only because Voldemort thinks it’s true, it holds any importance.

[@obviouslyPSM]

dumbledore: i dont want power also dumbledore: figurehead of a globally renowned magical institution

[@maddalena9947]

Hmrph...Dumbledore should have been in Slytherin IMHO. If he was, I'm sure we would trust him a bit less than we do.

[@hackman669]

Great idea! What if Dumdie was in Slythrine?!😄

[@fleurpouvior2967]

Funny thing, the train track thought experiment is proven easier to answer for multilingual people, because the implication changes based on the language it's asked in. There was a whole experiment done on exactly that. I forget the specifics, it was several years ago. It was run on multiple sources, and can be found via a search for 'train track ethics dilemma in multiple languages'

[@seanmoore2009]

Thanos didn’t do what he did for the greater good he did it for love the love of mistress death I have a question do you think anything would have changed if the potters used the unbreakable vow instead of a secret keeper?

[@bookworm3005]

The "I *am* the chosen one" clip will never not be funny 😂

[@BasicallyBaconSandvichIV]

This was a really fun episode! I loved seeing your enthusiasm for ethics. If you want some lore with Philosophy at it's centre I would suggest looking up the Magic: The Gathering Colour Philosophy. It's some really fun casual philosophy. It's so fun, it's even got it's own subfandom

[@yiyithewuster]

Haha I’m noticing the modified trolley image at 7:08 thats hilarious

[@brendankaufman3430]

I've always felt that the most important part of the trolley problem is that if you switch the tracks to kill 1 person, you're actively choosing to kill them, whereas if you don't change the tracks and it kills 5 people, you only had a passive role in it.

[@ayofanfics39]

Except not really - inaction is a choice, too

[@thestormcrafter]

12:09 There is a different theory that says that Dumbledore made extra certain to make noice around the stone (involving all the teachers, announcing that you shouldn’t enter a corridor for … reasons) so that a person who would want to steal the stone would come, but at the same time instated all those traps and puzzles so only people dedicated enough would actually bother to come. This then meant any person finding the mirror would definitively see themselves with the stone and be incapacitated by the mirror (because of what the mirror shows, comparable to a drug) so Dumbledore has an easy time overpowering them.

[@littlemuisje]

Love how the trolly in that image will just run everyone over regardless. it's looped. XD

[@Author-RKLight]

I love that right before Ben said “any marvel movie” (around 8:07) I got an ad for… guess what, the new marvel movie lol

[@bubblehulk7647]

So to get around needing Harry to be murdered to kill Voldemort, could they have waited until Harry died of old age? Would Harry even be ABLE to die a natural death with part of Voldemort’s soul in him? Would he get unnaturally old like Bilbo and Gollum did while they “possessed” Sauron’s soul? (The ring)

[@LenaLovesgoodStories]

In my opinion, the biggest issues with Dumbledore's morality regarding harry happen even before harry enters school , and I'm sorta surprised you don't include these. He lets Harry grow up in a severely abusive household without interfering. Ever since the revelation of Mrs Figg in book 5, we know that Dumbledore Always knew exactly what was happening at the Dursley's. We know from the same chapter when he sends petunia the howler that he can influence her pretty effectively but he never does. Ever since I had a child myself (currently 1 year and 4 months old, so exactly Harry's age when he came to the Dursleys) I realised not only how dark this is but also how unrealistic. A child growing up without any person to turn to for comfort and guidance is very very unlikely to ever grow into an adult who's remotely right in the head, letting alone "love" in the way Dumbledore means. Thus, it would have been in his best interest to help Harry for example by setting up Mrs Figg as this person and making a deal with petunia to let him go there whenever he wants. Instead, he orders her to make his visits as unpleasant as possible... How bad is that? And she obeys. Just as Hagrid when Dumbledore asks him to get Harry to the Dursleys in the first place. Which legal or moral right does Dumbledore have to decide this? None. But Hagrid obeys. Then he meets Sirius (at the time still considered innocent) his GODFATHER who does have the right to decide, but Dumbledore disregards the (legally binding?) wish of Harry's parents. Then, Sirius gets locked up without trial and I can't stop thinking that Dumbledore suspected his innocence. At least he could have worked towards a trial and didn't because it was convenient for Sirius to disappear. That's despicable and really bothers me about reading HP as an adult. I really think making Harry's childhood a bit less torturous would have been easy for the author, wouldn't have damaged the story and made Dumbledore redeemable...

[@samuel411]

I’ve been rewatching all the Potter films, I haven’t seen them in years and I really love and appreciate them much more now.

[@NotAnotherDouc-]

Witch on Hogwarts Express: Anything from the trolly? Ben: kill the one to save the many Witch: what? Ben: I said chocolate frog, please

[@TheAverageNerd408]

Have you ever thought about doing Lord of the RIngs theories? I would love watch them!

[@RedDragonForce2]

Here’s the thing with Dumbledore: The events of both the books and movies show that Dumbledore was in the know on facts and events and didn’t give Harry the best options from that. Was he a manipulator? Yes and no. He did get outcomes that favored him, but he admitted himself having too many thoughts, hence the Pensieve. Logic isn’t a thing Wizards use, so we muggles reading from a 3rd Person Omniscient POV interpret this as Dumbledore intentionally sabotaging Harry. But ultimately, in Dumbledore’s old age, he’s so rigid in his views and ways that there would be no convincing him otherwise. He tries his best, but even when that happens, Harry is the one who suffers. We’re super endeared to Harry’s strife because we follow his perspective 90% of the time. It’s a sad thing, but Dumbledore’s motives and choices don’t have to be nefarious for the results to end up against other people. There’s a saying that there are problems only smart people have, and Dumbledore’s problem was that he never sought to share more than the minimal information. And it destroyed him in the end. Destroyed him in ways that affected so many others. Dumbledore is a sad tale, great yes, but still sad.

[@Lorentari]

I kinda love that you don't even seem to question that you have used the trolley problem that loops around and kills everyone regardless

[@Redthreadwitch]

Omg, the trolley problem illustration! 😂❤

[@pingouin7]

2:18 That's optimistic, Ben...

[@dmidkif]

What if…Sirius had obeyed orders and decided not to go to the Ministry of Magic to rescue Harry and his friends in OOTP? This would be different than the “What if Harry remembered to use the mirror” video in that Harry would still go to the ministry, discover the prophecy, fight the Death Eaters, and be rescued by Dumbledore and the Order, but Sirius would survive.

[@Boundwithflame23]

Well the thing is Harry didn’t even know the present from Sirius was a mirror until after Sirius’ death. He had refused to open it because he didn’t want to put Sirius in more danger of being caught. So I suppose it’s less a matter of him remembering to use the mirror and more actually deciding to open the present before getting the fake vision. Or maybe more “What if Harry remembered Snape was in the Order and still at Hogwarts after learning McGonagall was sent to St Mungo’s and went to him instead of breaking into Umbridge’s office”

[@FirstDraftPhilosopher]

The use of the loop-around trolly problem image was an interesting choice. That version impllies that the choice doesn't matter and all 6 will die either way.

[@MarrisaPlays]

ok so here is the hard part, yes Harry was being raised like a pig for slaughter but the difference is he had a kind and loving "farmer" who gave him more love than almost anyone else would have. dumbledoor knew he had to give harry the means to defeat voldy but he cared enough to show him a type of fatherly (if standoffish sometimes) love and guidence. After yr 1 you knew he had fallen in love with harry and while knowing the eventual outcome he still took the time to make sure he had what he needed and friends and family that showed him how to love his fellow man and gave him something to fight and ultimately the courage to sacrifice himself for.