Dumbledore's Decision and the Explanation for it we have yet to see

[opaldragonfly]

No: HPFGUIDX 41205

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "aldrea279" <chetah27 at h...> wrote:
> Darrin:
> >>Dumbledore had better have a really good reason for deciding 
Harry 
> needed to be physically and emotionally abused for the first 11 
years 
> of his life if he's been orchestrating all of this. And that's what 
> this has been, physical and emotional abuse.>>


Dear Aldrea and All--I think Dumbledore had a good idea that Harry's 
life would not be "a bed of roses."  I doubt he envisioned 
the "extremes" of nastiness the three Dursleys were capable of but I 
think he was aware of it as it went along.  However, besides the 
blood-relation (protection which he apparently placed on Harry or, 
perhaps, Lily did), I think he wanted Harry to develop into a quick- 
thinking, resourceful, risk-taking, agile, honest, and compassionate 
person.  He has done so and these qualities have already served him 
well in his encounters with Voldemort (and others).  Dumbledore is 
probably correct in anticipating that it is likely he would not 
develop these traits had he been "pampered" all his young life by 
every Good witch or wizard who found out who he was.  Combining these 
traits with his formidable magical talents, he could be developing 
into a "replacement" for Dumbledore himself.
    As  far as Arabella Figg goes, I think she was there to protect 
Harry when the Dursleys didn't want to take him somewhere and 
those "cats" were probably Kneazles (to detect the presence of Evil 
if it approached and so give Arabella a perfect "early warning 
system") and perhaps even other wizards and witches who transfigured 
for the occasion of protecting Harry. Opal