Dumbledore & Dursleys-What DD Knew

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 123291


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman"
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:

> 
> SSSusan:
> Glad I'm safe from firearms being wielded by Alla. ;-)
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> Was DD just trying to make McGonagall feel better that night, and he 
> DIDN'T really expect (or want?) the Dursleys to tell Harry about his 
> powers & his parents' deaths?
> 
> I know I'm beating this one to death, but I've not really seen 
> anyone respond to why DD would have announced that he was sure the 
> D's would tell Harry and yet the reality, 10 years later, is that 
> they didn't.
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan


bboyminn:

I don't think the Dursleys not telling Harry was that critical an
issue, and I don't think it matters with respect to whether Dumbledore
would leave Harry at the Dursleys.

I suspect Dumbledore reasonably assumed that the Dursleys would tell
Harry, but the fact that they didn't wouldn't have mattered. Now, I'm
sure he wasn't pleased that they didn't tell Harry about his parents
and his past, and given Hagrid's general attitude, I can certainly see
why Hagrid would be outraged, but again, at the Dursley's is where
Harry is safest. His existance there may not have been pleasant, but
bringing him back to the wizard world would have been like putting a
sheep among the wolves. In addition, getting the muggle authorities
involved would have certainly raised a lot of question that should
probably be left un-asked.

I think even Dumbledore, in hindsight, would agree that he should have
gotten involved at some point to insure better treatment for Harry,
but every time those doubts and concerns came up, Dumbledore just
reminded himself that unpleasant as the Dursley's may be, it is still
the safest place for Harry.

Also, remember that Dumbledore is administering all this from 500
miles (fair guess) away over 10 years time, and with a very busy
schedule. I'm not necessarily offering that as an excuse, but it is an
explanation. Conversely, just because it can be explained, doesn't
necessarily mean it should be excused. 

None the less, I think that is at the heart of the matter. From his
distant outpost and with his limted information, Dumbledore just kept
reminding himself that it was best to keep Harry out of the wizard
world and under the protection of his family's blood.

I'm really hoping and somewhat expecting Harry and Petunia to have a
little 'sit down', and perhaps then we will find out what was in that
letter, what Petunia's thinking was (beyond what we already know).
While we know Harry's stay at the Dursley's is going to be short in
the next book, I'm very confident, it will, none the less, be
interesting and informative.

So, to more directly address your question, I don't think Dumbledore
believed or stated with absolute certainty that the Dursleys would
tell Harry the wizardly details of is life. I think he did make a fair
 and reasonable assumption that they would do that, but he
underestimated just how much the Dursleys loathed the wizard world and
despised magic. Certainly, he knew the were the muggliest muggles
around, but I don't think it occurred to Dumbledore that the Dursleys
would so vigorously and actively try to supress all aspect of magic
and of the magical world.

In reality, I think the Dursleys did that for their own peace of mind.
By convincing themselves they could quash all the magic in Harry, they
 deluded themselves into believeing they would never have to deal with
magic and the wizard world. It gave them peace of mind to believe they
could have a wizard under their roof, and still not have to deal with
magic in any way. In a sense, it was this delusion that allowed them
to continue to believe that they and their lives could be /normal/
even with a wizard in the house.

It was 10 years of living this delusion that was shattered and caused
the panic when Harry finally got his letters. Even after the letters
arrived, the Dursleys did everything they could to hold on to that
delusion, even to the point of acting irrationally.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn