The Art of Love according to Albus Dumbledore (was:Harry left at the Dursleys)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 118270



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "carolynwhite2" 
<carolynwhite2 at a...> wrote:
> 
> 
> But nor do I have much time for the child abuse idea, either, I am 
> afraid. Unless, that is, you are implying that Dumbledore was also 
> instrumental in getting Tom into his orphanage, and, in general, 
> subscribes to Wackford Squeers-type educational principles? 
> 
> He's a tough old bird, and I wouldn't entirely put anything past 
him, 
> but actually, he states his intentions quite clearly on this topic:
> 
> 'you arrived at Hogwarts, neither as happy nor as well-nourished as 
I 
> would have liked, perhaps, yet alive and healthy. You were not a 
> pampered little prince, but as normal a boy as I could have hoped 
> under the circumstances. Thus far my plan was working well.'
> 
> There isn't much of an apology here for his decision about the 
> Dursleys, and his angst (such as it is) is reserved for subsequent 
> decisions he made about Harry's life. 

Well, I don't know if there is an apology here or not.  If you take a 
little bit longer quote, the one that begins "You had suffered..." 
and look at the entire speech in context, it could be an apology and 
it could not.  We are missing one crucial piece of evidence -- the 
tone of Dumbledore's voice.  If he made this speech sadly, 
regretfully, or with bitter irony (as if pointing his words at 
himself) then I think there IS an implied apology here for a lot of 
things.  That might be supported if it was indeed Dumbledore who had 
the Order threaten the Dursleys, which might be seen as him making 
amends by trying to act to fix as much of his mistake as he could.
On the other hand if his tone of voice is flat, then I don't know 
that it tells us he ISN'T sorry, but it doesn't tell us he is.

We just don't have enough facts here.

> 
> The interesting thing, obviously, is whether Harry's going to go 
> along with the plan. 

Yes, that is indeed a very interesting question.

Lupinlore