When Albus read Harry early in the story to look for traces he asked Harry what Harry had recently eaten so as to prevent himself from reading anything private in Harry’s mind. If words can be used to redirect attention to banal issues so that it is impossible for even Albus to see more deeply
I didn’t interpret it that way. Rather, I interpreted it that Dumbledore didn’t want to incidentally get data about any other thoughts, he just wanted to look for signs of prior tampering. In that limited context, he didn’t want Harry to think about anything that wasn’t Dumbledore’s business. A skilled legilimens if they are trying might be able to still get more out of that situation.
But Quirrell was also there, and presumptively allied with Lucius and against Albus.
“If you don’t tell him,” Professor Quirrell said then, “I will, even if you fire me for it.”
If Albus read Harry in front of Quirrell without doing something to prevent invasive reading being possible in principle then it would have given Quirrell much more ammunition to use in a complicated way. They actually did quibble over the matter, and the fact of the quibble (rather than a bigger deal) directly implies that both Quirrell and Albus had precise models of what was possible with legilimency under those conditions, and knew each knew, and knew what could be safely done and safely accused, and didn’t bother to argue about bigger issues, where they mutually understood, and understood that each understood, and understood that Harry could verify, that the distraction had been sufficient to make it impossible for Albus to have engaged in profound impropriety.
the fact of the quibble (rather than a bigger deal) directly implies that both Quirrell and Albus had precise models of what was possible with legilimency under those conditions, and knew each knew, and knew what could be safely done and safely accused, and didn’t bother to argue about bigger issues, where they mutually understood, and understood that each understood, and understood that Harry could verify, that the distraction had been sufficient to make it impossible for Albus to have engaged in profound impropriety.
Or that Quirrell had a precise enough model of Dumbledore that he knew he could only hurt his standing with Harry by accusing Dumbledore of things that Harry could easily learn were out of character enough to be improbable.
If he starts accusing Dumbledore of things he doesn’t himself believe that Dumbledore would do, he could end up being discredited and then looking paranoid rather than wise and experienced.
Dumbledore’s remark that “That was all I looked for” doesn’t sound like something he would say if, while reading Harry, he couldn’t have looked at anything else if he wanted.
I didn’t interpret it that way. Rather, I interpreted it that Dumbledore didn’t want to incidentally get data about any other thoughts, he just wanted to look for signs of prior tampering. In that limited context, he didn’t want Harry to think about anything that wasn’t Dumbledore’s business. A skilled legilimens if they are trying might be able to still get more out of that situation.
But Quirrell was also there, and presumptively allied with Lucius and against Albus.
If Albus read Harry in front of Quirrell without doing something to prevent invasive reading being possible in principle then it would have given Quirrell much more ammunition to use in a complicated way. They actually did quibble over the matter, and the fact of the quibble (rather than a bigger deal) directly implies that both Quirrell and Albus had precise models of what was possible with legilimency under those conditions, and knew each knew, and knew what could be safely done and safely accused, and didn’t bother to argue about bigger issues, where they mutually understood, and understood that each understood, and understood that Harry could verify, that the distraction had been sufficient to make it impossible for Albus to have engaged in profound impropriety.
Or that Quirrell had a precise enough model of Dumbledore that he knew he could only hurt his standing with Harry by accusing Dumbledore of things that Harry could easily learn were out of character enough to be improbable.
If he starts accusing Dumbledore of things he doesn’t himself believe that Dumbledore would do, he could end up being discredited and then looking paranoid rather than wise and experienced.
Dumbledore’s remark that “That was all I looked for” doesn’t sound like something he would say if, while reading Harry, he couldn’t have looked at anything else if he wanted.