Family Tradition

Towards the end of a previous post ("Protego") I used the chess example, noting DD's praise of Ron's chess game in book 1. Voldemort, I think, also fancies himself a bit of a "chess master" and here I want to look briefly at a primary difference in the way Voldy and Dumbledore play their "game." The primary difference is that Voldy will never trust anyone. Even with this action of at least seeming to have killed the big man, I do not think Voldy will ever completely trust Snape the way Dumbledore trusts Harry ("I'm not worried, Harry," said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you." [HBP 578] - or the way Dumbledore trusts Snape himself, for that matter) Voldy's system is a bit like that of the Sith in Lucas' "Star Wars" world. You see some of it in the movies but you get a really good picture of it in some of the rp/strategy/adventure video games that have been written, especially "Knights of the Old Republic" (I personally suspect Georgey can't resist the money and popularity of the games but secretly hates the fact that these video games have much better written dialogue and plot than his movies ... but that is just my theory - [theory on Georgey hating it - is more than opinion that the games are better written than the movies, it's universally accepted fact]). The master and apprentice are never at real peace. It is a defining part of the Sith system that apprentice will someday challenge master and one will die. Either the master will prove he is still master by slaying this apprentice or the apprentice will rise to the level of Sith Lord by killing his master. This is exactly Voldy's kind of thinking - there is no "family," there are only masters and slaves. Dumbledore is exactly the opposite. In his game model tradition is a defining aspect. He is willing to have a son (figuratively) in Harry, a son to whom he will lovingly pass on his mantle. In fact, he is willing to die to do what is most beneficial for this son, what will most teach him how to do the right thing. Like Ron's foreshadowing of this theme all the way back in book one, he is willing to sacrifice himself for Harry to go on and do the right thing and "keep saving the wizarding world." Love and "familial" tradition are the defining characteristics of DD's "chess game."