Petunia's protection of Harry

[Richard]

No: HPFGUIDX 82124

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "roseswicegood" <rose at s...> 
wrote:
> 
> Richard says:
> > > An interesting point here is that Voldemort KNOWS about the
> > > protection at Privet Drive, and we may assume from his comment 
> > > on the subject that he knows it to be effective.
> 
> Rose:
> He may have not known about Privet Drive, giving Dumbledore the 
> opportunity to put the charm on it.

Richard (moi) replies:

As Voldemort said (in OotP, though as I am without the text I cannot 
cite it exactly)  about that he cannot harm Harry at the Dursleys', 
and that it is an old magic, I think it a given that he knows about 
the place, and that he knows that the protection is an related to 
ancient or blood magic.  As to WHEN Voldemore became aware of Privet 
Drive, I think that is irrelevant, since prior to the attack at 
Godric's Hollow the Potters and Dursleys did not associate at all, 
and the magical protection was placed by Dumbledore in the roughly 24 
hours following that attack (when Voldemort was so recently 
diminished as to be incapable of an attack ... Dumbledore left the 
message explaining the protection to Petunia with Harry).  By the 
time Voldemort was in a position to even consider an attack upon 
Harry there, the magic was well in place.


> Kagome:
> > But _is_ it effective anymore?  At the end of GoF, after Harry's 
> > blood is used in the spell, LV is able to touch him, and says:
> > <snip>
> > 
> > The fact that he's able to touch Harry, and his indication that 
> > it negates the sacrifice of Lily, implies that it might mean the 
> > negation of Dumbledore's charm, which built on the sacrifice Lily 
> > had made. 
> 
> Rose:
> I believe the charm at Privet Drive is magic, but not the Ancient 
> Magic that V. refers to.  'The bond of love' is also something that 
> V. wouldn't think of. 
> The charm at Privet drive, I believe, is more in the line 
of 'Secret 
> Keeper' using "bloodlines charm" to protect the house.  It begs the 
> question, why did James and Lily have to have a secret keeper to 
> protect them in Godric's Hollow, then?   I'm still among the 
> believers that Ms. Figg was the Secret Keeper for Harry. 
> Sorry, more questions, fewer answers.

Richard again:

This charm is explained as wrapping the secret in the person of the 
secret keeper ... it is simply the nature of the charm, in a sense.  
However, if a secret is kept too tightly, it can be of no use, or 
even destructive.  Let's say the Potters hide from Voldemort so well 
that NOBODY can find them ... then Voldemort inexplicable dies from 
other causes.  (This is a hypothetical, here, so don't jump up and 
down and shout "That's not canon!" yet.)  So, how does anyone TELL 
the Potters that Voldemort is dead and they no-longer need to hide?  
Sure, eventually they would likely find out for themselves as they 
poke their noses out for food or such, but we are dealing with a 
magical universe wherein they might not need to so poke for DECADES.

As for the ancient/blood magic that protects Harry at Privet Drive, 
we again have to look at what Voldemort said ... which is quite 
scant.  But, knowing of a protective magic there doesn't mean that 
Voldemort will automatically attack Harry there.  It is classic 
military doctrine to attack where your enemy is weakest, and at the 
place and time of one's own choosing.  Attacking Harry at Privet 
Drive would be, in a very real way, attacking at the place of 
Dumbledore's choosing, even if the attack is at a time of Voldemort's 
choosing.  Thus, regardless of Voldemort's knowledge of or respect 
(or disrespect) for the protections at Privet Drive, I still think it 
not at all surprising that we have not seen such an attach ... yet.

Richard