In Harry Potter, Did Dumbledore Really Raise Harry 'Like a Pig for Slaughter?'

Harry Potter spent a lot of time and effort and lost many good friends to destroy Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes and kill that monster once and for all. It was Albus Dumbledore who taught him how to do that, but at the turning point, Harry learned that he, too, was a Horcrux and was supposed to die by the Dark Lord’s hand.

In Snape’s memory, the Potion Master was infuriated by this revelation and accused Dumbledore of “raising Harry like a pig for slaughter.” Was his accusation rightful?

Dumbledore Knew Harry Would Die for Years

Ever since Albus Dumbledore first saw Harry as an infant and noticed his unique scar, he suspected that there was some sort of a connection between The Boy Who Lived and Lord Voldemort. His suspicions were confirmed in the finale of The Chamber of Secrets when Harry handed him the destroyed Diary — a Horcrux.

From that point forward, Dumbledore was aware that Harry Potter was a Horcrux himself and he’d need to die in order for the Dark Lord to be truly defeated. The idea didn’t bring him any joy but he kept it in mind as he raised the boy; that was largely why Dumbledore needed Harry to grow into a good man who would be ready to sacrifice himself when the time is right. Slightly immoral but quite efficient, right?

Dumbledore Believed Harry Could Be Saved

However, the situation changed in the end of The Goblet of Fire: as Harry told the Headmaster about Voldemort taking his blood, he “saw a gleam of something like triumph in Dumbledore’s eyes.” At that moment, the old wizard realized that Harry most likely could be saved, but only under very specific circumstances.

That was why he told Snape that Lord Voldemort had to be the one to “kill” Harry. Anyone could have destroyed the Horcrux in The Boy Who Lived with the right method, but only the Dark Lord could theoretically do so without killing Harry — thanks to the blood protection foolishly overlooked by Voldemort during the ritual.

Did Dumbledore Raise Harry Like a Pig for Slaughter?

The Headmaster was aware that Harry would have to die for the Dark Lord to be defeated, and for a couple of years, he always kept it in mind when dealing with the boy. He needed to make him into a man willing to sacrifice himself for the greater purpose — and in this way, he was indeed raising Harry “like a pig for slaughter.”

But ever since Dumbledore realized there was a chance to save Harry, he bet everything on it even though he didn’t have to. He wanted The Boy Who Lived to survive and live a happy life after Voldemort’s downfall, and this proves that Dumbledore loved Harry, and starting from The Goblet of Fire, he was raising Harry “like a pig for slaughter” only to ensure Harry wouldn’t become a slaughtered pig.

Ultimately, Snape’s accusations had a lot of truth to them, but the Potion Master didn’t understand the true scale and grandeur of Dumbledore’s plan which would have twisted those words into a compliment rather than an insult if he did get them.