The Gleam of Triumph
Ah, the gleam. There is a question going about online about Dumbledore's "gleam of triumph" at the end of book 4. First of all, I'll reproduce it for exact contxt below, so if you haven't read the Goblet of Fire yet, and don't want to have the entire book MAJORLY spoiled for you, as this will, shut your eyes NOW! Then squint them open just enough to go back to the main page and don't come back until you're good and ready! All right. Here's the quote:
"'He said my blood would make him stronger than if he'd used someone else's,' Harry told Dumbledore. "He said the protection my-- my mother left in me-- he'd have it too. And he was right-- he could touch me without hurting himself, he touched my face.'
"For a fleeting instant, Harry thought he saw a gleam of something like triumph in Dumbledore's eyes. But next second, Harry was sure he had imagined it, for when Dumbledore had returned to his seat behind the desk, he looked as old and weary as Harry had ever seen him (696)."
Now, I've heard people say that he's triumphant that Voldemort could touch Harry, and it proves some secret twist whereby Dubledore's actually on Voldemort's side, but I don't even consider that to be a possibilty. Sorry, but J. K. Rowling is against the Dark Arts, and if Dumbledore was actually a Dark wizard, that would be their triumph, they would win, if only because there was no such person to work against the Dark Arts. No, Dumbledore is so Real that he must be real...
Other people have suggested that maybe it was his triumph that there had been a protection in Harry's blood and maybe Dumbledore had had something to do with its being there and was triumphant it had worked so far. This is more likely. Better yet is the theory that includes the fact that the protection supposedly came from Harry's mother's love and willingness to die to protect him. But here's where a twist comes in, because who was actually there at the time of his parent's death to relate the events that occurred? (For a very interesting discussion on this, click here!)
But here's my theory: I think that although Voldemort believes that he has triumphed and won because he has worn down one more protection on Harry, and is thus one step closer to facing him on even grounds-- (which he hasn't quite yet; Harry's always had some protection, but I think he'll have less as he becomes more ready to face Voldemort on his own, and will eventually be left even without (yes, sorry) Dumbledore (and I see this to be even more indicated by the definite-- if temporary-- disappearance of my own Dumbledore, which you will understand only if you know me...))--even so, the triumph that Voldemort thinks he has gained will turn out, in the end, to contribute to his downfall, because just as Dumbledore reassured Harry in the Prisoner of Azkaban thathaving saved Pettigrew's life, although bad in the short term because it would allow Pettigrew to return to Voldemort, was actually valuable because "You have sent Voldemort a deputy who is in your debt...When one wizard saves another's life, it creates a certain bond between them... and I'm much mistaken if Voldemort wants his servant in the debt of Harry Potter (427)," so in the same way will Voldemort later regret having blood protected by love throbbing through his veins. I'm sure that J. K. Rowling has in mind that love will triumph over hate, and good over evil. And don't forget that the indebted servant's hand also went into Voldemort's potion, so that Voldemort, too, in a way, is indebted to Harry Potter. Hm.
If you have any other theories or comments on the above, feel free to write me a note (or a doctoral thesis paper!) at dragonfyre52@hotmail.com
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