OoP: 4 Privet Drive: Harry's safe haven.

[Ali]

No: HPFGUIDX 64349

This very naughty elf has just had to slam her ears in the oven 
door, for forgetting the OoP prefix. Anyway, my second attempt, and 
massive apologies.

I can no longer see the point or the significance in having Harry 
continue to live with the Dursleys if he is protected only whilst he 
is in the home of his aunt.

Harry has a bolt hole, but it doesn't even extend to the garden. The 
blood shield doesn't seem to apply to being with his relatives, just 
the house. I am inclined to believe that it only protects him 
against Voldemort, so presumably he could still be seriously injured 
by other unwanted characters apparating into his home.

The Pact

I wonder what the "pact" was that Petunia sealed by letting Harry in 
her home. I am tempted to believe that it was to keep Dudley out of 
Hogwarts/ the Wizarding World. Dudley's worst memory could be doing 
something magical, and the effect that it had on Petunia. This is of 
course pure conjecture. But, the pact must have given Petunia some 
sort of incentive, or why else would she endanger her family by 
taking Harry in? I really believe that she knew the risks.

To break Harry's protection of the blood shield, why doesn't 
Voldemort (or any Death Eater) just kill Petunia, and presumably 
Dudley if he also gives protection, (which isn't clear), or has 
Dumbledore afforded them some special protection? I find this hard 
to believe, as if Dumbledore can not protect Harry without the blood 
seal, how can he protect anyone else? I would have to conclude that 
Petunia is in serious danger, unless Voldemort continues to gloss 
over the importance of love and blood.

The details of the pact are so vague that I can only speculate how 
it is to be concluded. However, it is possible that the pact exists 
only so long as Dumbledore lives, so if he dies, Petunia would be 
free from her bargain, and able to chuck Harry out. Alternatively, 
the pact might conclude when Harry comes of age on his 17th birthday.

A still grovelling, Ali