Wow, welcome, and thanks for this response. Seeing Dumbledore as you do (and liking Snape as you also do) you might really enjoy the yahoo group loose_canon, where this kind of discussion happens quite often. They've also influenced me to see Dumbledore as having mild autism or Asperger's syndrome. He just doesn't process emotion or get the feelings of others quite the way we do. There's some speculation that JKR may have some tendencies that way as well. She identifies with and idealizes him, and she also doesn't quite get some very obvious things. They both seem to share the seeing people as objects to be manipulated and used to build something. I think Albus connects more deeply with his plans than with any person in his life.

He's complex as a character, and ultimately, a little sad. I have some work to do, in this and in my sequel to Lost Boys, to figure out what sort of Albus I can write who fits the facts as I know them and fits the emotional tenor of the stories as I read them.

Again, welcome and thanks for dropping by.