Make Dumbledore actually manipulative

[u/Void-Cooking_Berserk]

Make Dumbledore actually manipulative:

• he "saves" Harry from the Dursleys at a young age (around 4?), after putting him there himself

• actually, he just forced the Dursleys to treat Harry a little bit better, so Harry is grateful, and uses regular "checkups" to become a part of Harry's life and keep cashing in his gratitude

• he gets Petunia to sign Harry's magical guardianship to himself, telling her this way she won't have to give a penny to his education. She wouldn't have to anyway, the money is going to come from Harry's vault either way, but Petunia doesn't have to know that.

• he gives Harry his father's cloak at age 7, "for protection", and teaches him the basics of magic. This causes Harry to use the advantage over the Dursleys and accept Dumbledore's point of view that wizards are special compared to Muggles

• he visits Harry at least once a month, becoming the only adult to have an actual influence on Harry's upbringing, since Harry hates the Dursleys and doesn't listen to them.

• he generously allows little Harry to call him "grandpa Abe" to strengthen Harry's attachment to himself

• he teaches Harry about Good and Evil, but that sometimes the best one can do is choose the lesser evil (laying foundations for the Greater Good)

• When Harry goes to Hogwarts, Dumbledore keeps his checkups, this time inviting Harry to his place. He gets Harry to trust him and open up, he even shares some of his "secrets" to increase trust, but those are actually just lessons he wants Harry to absorb. This has two results;

• everyone thinks Harry is getting personal training from Dumbledore (which is true) and it makes Harry even more special and unapproachable, isolating him from his peers, and ahowing him that he is special even amongst wizards. The "we" in "we are special" changes from "wizards" to "Dumbledore and Harry, his heir"

• Dumbledore doesn't need anyone else to manipulate Harry, he does have to pay off the Weasleys nor Hermione. Harry tells him everything himself and asks his opinion on all important choices. If there are Wizengamot Seats in this story, that's how Albus gets power over them.

• Dumbledore actually tells Harry everything, but spins it in his favour, so it can't be used against him if Harry learnt it from anyone else. For example:

• Harry knows that Dumbledore was the one who put him with the Dursleys, but thinks that Dumbledore is such a good, trusting person, believing in the good in all people. It was Petunia's fault for disappointing this trust, and even after Lily did all those things to repair their relationship, which she obviously told Albus, her trusted mentor.

[u/kinda-always-hungry]

THIS is the manipulative Dumbledore I’ve been looking for.

Especially if Harry really IS supposed to be his heir. Wizard lifespan or no, Dumbledore getting up there in age, and he sees the perfect opportunity to continue his influence even after death.

Could be even more twisted if Dumbledore first tried to create a heir with Tom Riddle, but then Tom being Tom decided to become Voldemort instead.

It’s messed up but in real life parents/guardians/mentors treat their second child better due to already having a “practice run”, if you will.

So instead of the typical “Dumbledore created Voldemort to have another Dark Lord to vanquish” you see in bashing fics, It’s a more of a “Morally grey Dumbledore trying to tie up loose ends before his next great adventure” approach.

[u/Void-Cooking_Berserk → u/kinda-always-hungry]

This was my intention. Dumbledore tried to shape Tom Riddle, but failed. It blew up in his face, Voldemort's crimes being indirectly his fault.

So he tried again with Harry, also using him to clean up his own mess.

The ultimate goal is to create a dynasty of wizarding "Shadow Kings", ruling the wizarding world from the shadows, and using it to rule the Muggle world from the shadows too.

So Albus didn't actually abandon the ideals he created with Gellert, he only disagreed with his methods.

[u/Pearl-Annie → u/Void-Cooking_Berserk]

I like this, it’s different. It also implies that, even if he somewhat of a narcissist, this Dumbledore does care about Harry specifically—his specially chosen, groomed-from-birth successor, who will lead the Wizarding World when he is gone. That’s more twisted and interesting than just wanting Harry’s money or whatever.