Harry as bait? (was re: Harry's Support)

[dzeytoun at cox.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 105083

Del said:

"I don't think you understood the full extent of my explanation as to
why Harry was left alone. The Order was trying to determine LV's
intentions. So they left Harry very visibly alone as a *bait*. Any DE
who might have been sent to check on Harry must never see Harry with
another wizard. And if you think a simple wall can block the view,
think of Mad-Eye Moody's eye again.

And I'd like to point that this plan worked very well indeed, even if
it was not LV who ate the bait. I'm sure Umbridge sent spies to Little
Whinging before she sent the Dementors. If she'd seen Harry with other
wizards, it could have spelled troubles for the Order."

Interesting theory, but I think it goes WAY past the line.  First of all, it assumes that Dumbledore was either partially or totally lying when he explained Harry's isolation.  He may have been, but I don't think we have any evidence for it at all, and it would be very much against his character as presented.  It also assumes that key members of the Order would have acted completely out of character in consenting to such a strategy (thinking particularly of Sirius, Remus, and Molly).

Del's point about the fact that it is nobody's JOB to take care of Harry up to OOTP is good up to a point.  However, the Weasley's still seem to be out of character on this issue in OOTP, and it certainly IS Sirius' job (albeit one he can't be expected to be very good at it, considering he's spent years in Azkaban or on the run).

I tend to agree with Steve that the lack of support for Harry in the wake of Cedric's death is reprehensible.  However busy I was, I do think I would bother to remember that the kid has just seen one of his classmates murdered and is probably a little freaked about that.  Whether he would have responded to attempts to help is a different issue.

However, when all is said and done I think we can't really blame the characters for acting like a bunch of low-grade magical morons (which is really the way they are acting on this issue, up to and including McGonagall's response to Harry when he complains about Umbridge giving him detention).  This whole thing strikes me as a plot device, and a rather clumsy one at that.  The storyline of OOTP depended on Harry being stressed out, and if the adults had been acting as if they had any common sense that would have been more difficult.

As to why no one was assigned to live with Harry for protection, it also falls under "plot device."  Although it is possible - even likely - that there is more to the "pact" with Petunia than we know.  Maybe part of the deal to keep Harry was that precisely that kind of thing (wizards invading the home to stay) would not happen.

Dzeytoun