Dumbledore & Dursleys-What DD Knew

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 123335


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman"
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:
> 
<SNIP>
> Lupinlore:
> > Once again, it would be understandable but in no way clears him of 
> > the moral outrage of participation in child abuse, and in fact 
> > deepens his complicity.  The ONLY way Albus can get off is if he 
> > had no leverage whatsoever he might have used to make Harry's life 
> > with the Dursleys better.
> 
> 
> SSSusan:
> Okay, but I feel that you're not really addressing what I'm saying.  
> I *know* you're very upset about Harry's treatment and that DD did 
> nothing about it.  But I'm saying WHAT IF DD couldn't push too hard 
> because the Dursleys might just BACK OUT OF THE DEAL, might just say -
> - oh, maybe, for instance, when Harry was age 5 or age 7? -- "We 
> don't CARE anymore.  He's yours!"  If DD thought that was a real 
> possibility, then he has very little leverage.  So what could DD have 
> done then?  How would he have protected little Harry?  That's what I 
> would like to know:  if the Dursleys had backed out, what options 
> would have been available to DD for ensuring Harry's safety?
> 
> Yeah, it's a hypothetical, but at this point, with the limitations on 
> what we know about those 10 years, it's all hypothetical.  Might as 
> well address this one, which seems like a plausible set-up -- that 
> the Dursleys could have back out.
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan

Fair enough.  What could Albus have done?  Hmmm, here's an idea, pull
a Peter Pettigrew!  I.E. fake Harry's death and smuggle him out of the
country.

I do want to point out that we are actually not very much different in
our approach to this.  You, Susan, want evidence that Albus checked up
on Harry.  I, in order to let Albus off the hook, have to see not only
that he checked up, but that he *tried* to help and was thwarted or
was prevented from helping by *a factor we are shown.*  In other
words, in order for Albus to get off the hook we need to be *told*
that Petunia ordered him never to interfere on pain of Harry getting
the boot, or *shown* that he tried to interfere and Petunia threatened
to put Harry out.  Otherwise the circumstantial evidence of Albus'
complicity is just too strong.

Lupinlore