Hard Choices, was Many sleepless nights

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 124591


Paul:"I think that AD is either the greatest fool or the greatest
manipulator ever. I don't believe for a second that he didn't know
what kind of people are the Dursleys. And that leads us to the
following options: a) He truly didn't know and that makes him at least
incompetent. b) He knew but he believed that the Dursleys may behave
themselves and that makes him at least naive and finally, c) He knew
but he didn't care. Everything and anything in order to protect his
"asset" or "weapon" you name it for future use. In that case he is a
s*n of a b***h.

In any case AD took a big risk because he recreated the very same
conditions that made Tom Riddle to become Lord Voldermort and that is
an abusive, uncaring muggle foster family for little Harry."

Dumbledore had no way of knowing, actually, how the Dursleys are. How
would he? Lily Evans might have told him about her straitlaced prig
sister, maybe, but how, otherwise?  It's one of the burdens of a
leader that a leader has to make large, important, often painful
decisions with sometimes shockingly inadequate information. 
Dumbledore did know Harry would have ten "dark and difficult years,"
but he consciously decided it was the only way.

Dumbledore knows, because of the Prophecy, that Harry is the only one
that can defeat Voldemort. Preserving that asset, or weapon, is
completely legitimate. Thousands of lives and the survival of a
society are at stake. Again, somebody has to make the call.

Harry had a miserable time at the Dursleys, but he wasn't frankly
starved, beaten, put in ice cold baths, or had his hand stuck on a hot
stove element. It could have been far worse than I want to imagine. I
see stories in the newspapers that make me nauseous.

What I don't understand is why Dumbledore didn't keep a closer eye on
him.  All he did was have Arabella Figg keep an eye out, perhaps to
look for signs of gross abuse.  Why didn't Harry get taken off to
"summer camp" each year for a respite?  Why didn't a new "Muggle"
family with children move into the neighborhood and befriend Harry? [I
had written `why didn't a "relative" from the Potter side of the
family turn up?' when I realized the Dursleys would have chucked Harry
over to them immediately] We don't know. The Dursleys probably
wouldn't have allowed Harry to be taken off anywhere, given their
desire to stamp the magic out of him, and they might well have
disallowed a friendship for Harry out of pure cussedness.

Clearly Dumbledore cares about Harry, loves him, and is troubled by
his own mistakes and what Harry went through. Dumbledore met the goal
of keeping Harry alive long enough to come to Hogwarts. There's no way
that Dumbledore is bad because of that. Could he have done better? In
hindsight, it's likely he could have, by looking for ways to insinuate
a little more observation and some relief into Harry's life.  Harry's
biographer (Hermione, probably) will write that history someday.(1)

Jim Ferer

(1) Rowling, J.K., and Granger, H.J., /Harry's War: The Life of the
Wizard World's Savior/ Royal Thaumaturgical Society Press, 2008.