five years ago you arrived at Hogwarts, neither as happy or as well nourished as I would have liked, but you were alive. You were not a pampered prince but as normal a little boy as I could have hoped for under the circumstances. Thus far my plan was working well.
This statement proves that "Manipulative dumbledore" is not just a cliché it was almost certainly the right answer.
Author's response
Thanks for the review - I added a new footnote that may answer your concern.