I finally got a chance to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, an angsty film that falls short of the book’s entrancing sense of obsession and fear. While an otherwise mediocre film, the director does a great job of capturing the anti-climactic death of the great wizard Dumbledore, who, weak from a fruitless mission, chooses not to go down in a blaze of glory, and is simply pushed out a window.
Dumbledore’s death is reminiscent of Obi-Wan’s final salute and parting words to Darth Vader, “You can’t win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.”
Neither Dumbledore and Obi-Wan make it through the end of the series, but both leave a legacy, and inspire others to carry on their own work. It’s not to different from my favorite non-fictional superhero, Jesus. In giving up his life, he brought the exile of Israel and mankind from God to an end, and opened up the door for the Holy Spirit and the Church to carry out his mission.
This is a tough lesson to learn. I want to fight for what I believe is true, no matter what the cost. If you betray the principles you are fighting for, it doesn’t matter if you are right, and a well aimed defeat can be as strategic as a hard won victory.
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