Dumbledore & Dursleys-What DD Knew

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 123423


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

> 

> 
> You asked how great might the risk have been that the DEs would have 
> come after Harry if he was kicked out as a child?  Pretty great, I 
> would think!  The kid didn't even know he was a wizard 'til 11.  He 
> wouldn't have had a wand; he wouldn't have been able to defend 
> himself.  Look at what the DEs did to Alice & Frank *after* Voldy's 
> fall.  What would have given DD any indication that Harry might not 
> meet a similar -- or worse -- fate?

Well, I think there is rather a sliding scale here.  Remember we are
talking about an entire ten year period.  Initially after Voldemort's
fall, I think you are right.  But after a couple of years, there is a
very different picture.  Bellatrix and her cohorts are in jail.  There
is no sign of Voldemort's return.  The Deatheaters who avoided jail,
like Malfoy, can be monitored to a large extent.  Then I think it
becomes much more questionable as to whether Dumbledore can use his
fears about the Dursleys kicking Harry out to do *nothing* to
alleviate his suffering.


> 
> But back to my main point, I believe DD offered the Dursleys 
> something -- likely a form of protection for them or Dudley or their 
> home -- as long as Petunia & Vernon continue to allow Harry to live 
> in their home.  This would have been a starting point, but with *how 
> delicate* a balance?  If the Dursleys routinely beat Harry or 
> refused to allow him to go to school or made him live in squalor [do 
> we see evidence of any  of this?], I like to think that would have 
> tipped the balance too far and DD would have appeared to address 
> it.  [Perhaps Mrs. Figg served as DD's monitor for these flagrant, 
> very dangerous abuses?]  But the Dursleys likely know about the 
> protection their home affords Harry, as well, and so they know DD 
> wouldn't lightly remove Harry -- so in that way, they have the upper 
> hand.  They *could* kick him out, albeit [*if* I'm right about a DD 
> offer] potentially at the loss of protection for themselves.  But it 
> was always a chance that they might elect to do this.
> 
> That Petunia seemed quite frightened & did *not* kick Harry out 
> after receiving DD's Howler makes me believe:  1) that DD *has* 
> provided ongoing protection; and 2) that she still very much wants 
> that protection.  So *now* DD knows that!  And perhaps it was only 
> *now* -- when Harry's 15 and more able to fend for himself, knows 
> what's going on in the WW & with Voldemort -- that DD could risk 
> issuing a threat which might lead to the Dursleys backing out of 
> Harry's life.
> 

Interesting and possible, but as with this whole discussion purely
hypothetical at the moment.  All we can do, ultimately, is hope that
JKR will address these issues in some specific way, as opposed to the
kind of inference and suggestion she has used to this point.  Until
she does so, I will have to stand by the circumstantial evidence that
we have, and that still makes Dumbledore very complicit in the abuse
of Harry by the Dursleys.

Lupinlore