Privet Drive (was Harry and starvation)

[dungrollin]

No: HPFGUIDX 123623


> > Dungrollin:
> > I've never found a satisfactory reason for this continued 
> > protection at Privet Drive malarkey. If Grimmauld Place isn't 
> > safe, why does Harry get to stay there for a month? If it is 
> > safe, then why does Harry have to go back to Privet Drive at 
> > all? 
> > 
> > Yes, yes, to renew the blood protection - so that he can still 
> > call Privet Drive 'home'.  But why not call 12GP 'home' if it's 
> > as safe?
> 
> bboyminn:
> 
> Just because you have a new fortress doesn't mean you burn down the
> old one, and just because the old fortress exists doesn't mean the 
> new one is worthless.
> 
<snip>
> Grimmauld Place is well protect and safe. It has all the 
> protections placed on it by the Black family over the years, and 
> now it has the Secret Keeper's Charm protecting it. In addition, 
> there are wizards and witches at Grimmauld Place who are able to 
> protect Harry in case of emergency. 
> 
<snip>
 But when Harry has his greatest 
> level of pretection at the Dursley's, it would be poor strategy to 
> abondon that and let the Blood Charm be broken. There may come a 
> time when things get so bad that Harry and friends have to retreat 
> to the safe, but annoying, haven of the Dursley's.

Dungrollin:
Yeah, that was the only reason I could come up with too - that DD 
wants a place of last resort where Harry will be safe. But it seems 
so unsatisfactory.

Harry is clearly *not* safe at Privet Drive; he's already been 
attacked by Dementors there, and now the Dementors have left Azkaban 
and (presumably) abandoned the Ministry and rejoined You-Know-Who, 
he's even less safe there. 

He was so *not safe* at the Dursleys' that DD had to assign a member 
of the Order to guard him all day every day.  That's one Order 
member wasted, when there's always somebody at 12GP anyway, who 
could look out for Harry at the same time as holding the fort.

I'm not convinced that Harry *is* better protected at Privet Drive 
than he is at GP; there's no secret-keeper for Privet Drive, anyone 
who wants to get at Harry just has to wait until he leaves the 
house, and then there's nobody (apart from an unreliable crook and a 
squib) to protect him.  At least at GP they wouldn't be able to see 
the house in the first place, and there is always guaranteed to be a 
trained witch/wizard nearby.

But, on the point you made that it's worth having a last resort, I 
suppose I have to agree.  I just don't like it much, the benefits 
don't seem to outweigh the costs and risks.

Dungrollin