Harry Potter Prognostications

I did a little "research" (that means I did a Google search until I found an illicit copy of Book 5 somewhere on the Internet), and came up with the text in question. As background, go to the above post over at Baraita and read the comments. In particular, the Anonymous Commenter (heretofore referred to as AC) writes:

History of Magic is appallingly taught at Hogwarts because WIZARDS ARE AFRAID. They are afraid of their own history because of their own guilt. Look at the statue in the Ministry and how it is treated in the book itself, and then look back at what Bill says about the attitudes to goblins, and its impact on goblins themselves, comparing it to how the "false" newspaper the Quibbler talks about Fudge and goblins (given how the Quibbler is, surprisingly, right in essence if wrong in substance - Sirius Black, anyone - much of the time) and then look at the precise question Harry gets stuck on in his OWL.

My research turned up the question in question (found here; we'll see how long that link stays up).

He was finding it very difficult to remember names and kept confusing dates. He simply skipped question four (In your opinion, did wand legislation contribute to, or lead to better control of, goblin riots of the eighteenth century?), thinking that he would go back to it if he had time at the end. He had a stab at question five (How was the Statute of Secrecy breached in 1749 and what measures were introduced to prevent a recurrence?) but had a nagging suspicion that he had missed several important points; he had a feeling vampires had come into the story somewhere.

He looked ahead for a question he could definitely answer and his eyes alighted upon number ten: Describe the circumstances that led to the formation of the International Confederation of Wizards and explain why the warlocks of Liechtenstein refused to join.

I know this, Harry thought, though his brain felt torpid and slack. He could visualise a heading, in Hermione's handwriting: The formation of the International Confederation of Wizards ... he had read those notes only this morning.

He began to write, looking up now and again to check the large hour-glass on the desk beside Professor Marchbanks. He was sitting right behind Parvati Patil, whose long dark hair fell below the back of her chair. Once or twice he found himself staring at the tiny golden lights that glistened in it when she moved her head slightly, and had to give his own head a little shake to clear it.

... the first Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards was Pierre Bonaccord, but his appointment was contested by the wizarding community of Liechtenstein, because -

All around Harry quills were scratching on parchment like scurrying, burrowing rats. The sun was very hot on the back of his head. What was it that Bonaccord had done to offend the wizards of Liechtenstein? Harry had a feeling it had something to do with trolls... he gazed blankly at the back of Parvati's head again. If he could only perform Legilimency and open a window in the back of her head and see what it was about trolls that had caused the breach between Pierre Bonaccord and Liechtenstein...

Harry closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands, so that the glowing red of his eyelids grew dark and cool. Bonaccord had wanted to stop troll-hunting and give the trolls rights... but Liechtenstein was having problems with a tribe of particularly vicious mountain trolls... that was it.

He opened his eyes; they stung and watered at the sight of the blazing white parchment. Slowly, he wrote two lines about the trolls, then read through what he had done so far. It did not seem very informative or detailed, yet he was sure Hermione's notes on the Confederation had gone on for pages and pages.

He closed his eyes again, trying to see them, trying to remember... the Confederation had met for the first time in France, yes, he had written that already...

Goblins had tried to attend and been ousted... he had written that, too...

And nobody from Liechtenstein had wanted to come...

Think, he told himself, his face in his hands, while all around him quills scratched out never-ending answers and the sand trickled through the hour-glass at the front...

He was walking along the cool, dark corridor to the Department of Mysteries again, walking with a firm and purposeful tread, breaking occasionally into a run, determined to reach his destination at last... the black door swung open for him as usual, and here he was in the circular room with its many doors...

After reading this, let's go back to the end of the AC's comment:

No. History of Magic in Harry Potter isn't treted [sic] that way because JKR despises history but because the society she is in despises it and it is one of the things she - like the Quibbler - is able to point to because the field in which she writes is sufficiently despised itself by those in whose interest it is to despise history that things can be said in it which would be ruthlessly suppressed if said elsewhere.

The AC's point is that JKR treated history the way she did on purpose. The Wizarding World does not learn from the truths of history; it intentionally ignores them. Instead of teaching history, and preventing those in Hogwarts from repeating its mistakes, the Wizarding World erects false monuments, rewriting history in one swift stroke (notice that Dumbledore "accidentally" destroys this monumnet in his battle with Voldemort; the Battle against Evil includes the Battle for Truth). We've noted before (see below, esp. 'The Boy Who Knew Too Much') the similarity between Book 5 and Orwell's 1984, but the attitude fostered here by the Ministry of Magic echoes the mantra espoused by Oceania's Ministry of Truth:

'There is a Party slogan dealing with the control of the past,' he said. 'Repeat it, if you please.'

'"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past,"' repeated Winston obediently.

The Ministry controls the present, rewriting the past to fit the image that serves it best. This in turn controls the future attitudes of the constituients of the Wizarding World. That being said, it is strange to me that Dumbledore does not realize that History is given short shrift at his school. You would think that he would recognize the importance of the subject and feature it more prominently in the curriculum.

As Book 5 represents Harry's quest for Truth, it is fitting that, during an exam where he is asked to recount historical truths, Harry is unable to make sense of the questions, and passes out. Instead, he finds himself in the Department of Mysteries, searching for knowledge. On a subconcious level, Harry knows the truths he has come to believe in as history, as objective fact, are in fact subjective, only true because the society he lives in says they are true. The path to truth involves realizing the difference in perpective that each individual brings to their interpretation, and the subjective nature of such truths. Rather than rely on history, Harry must learn to cultivate his sense of right to show him how to act.

Perhpas, then, this is the answer. History by its very nature is subjective; it is practically impossible to relate objective historical fact. As such, using History as a guide for your moral actions is somewhat questionable, as the history you are relying on is a product of the value system that recorded it, defined by their perspective. To act, one must rely on a highly-developed moral sensitivity, not a historical imperitve. Harry has all the makings of a Stoic hero; he acts based on what he considers right and wrong, and our journey with him tracks his moral evolution. Often Harry makes incorrect decisions, and often pays high prices. Perhaps this is why Dumbledore deigns to focus on history at his school. He would rather his students develop morally.

On the other hand, one of Harry's greatest faults is pride. He often refuses to learn from others, or from the past. All his great defeats (and Voldemort's victories) have come at the hand of Harry's pride. It would seem that Harry does have something to learn from History.

I am presenting two conflicting opinions here (I'm not sure which one is correct, or which one I believe - maybe neither). Any thoughts?

Either way, it's good to be back ;)