Extent of blood protection (was Re: shortest stay at Privet Drive)

[Eustace_Scrubb]

No: HPFGUIDX 125577


allies426 wrote:
> > (It seems stupid to me for Harry to have to stay there anyway,  
> > since he's only protected INSIDE the house, what good is that??? 
We 
> > already saw what happens when people are trapped inside their 
> > houses...  It would be safer if he stayed at Hogwarts year round!)
> 

GEO commented: 
> We've seen Hogwarts getting compromised more than Privet Drive 
> including Peter Pettigrew as Scabbers, Quirrelmort, Voldemort's 
> Diary/Lucius Malfoy, Sirius Black and Barty Crouch Jr. However in 
> comparison, Privet Drive has been compromised a total of once.

Eustace_Scrubb adds:
Does the ancient magic protect Harry against attacks by _anyone_ or
just attacks by Lord Thingy?  If the latter, and if the dementor
attack in Little Whinging was in fact ordered by Umbridge on her own,
I'm not sure I'd say that Number Four Privet Drive has been
compromised yet.

Reading OoP (Canadian ed., p. 737), Dumbledore tells Harry:
"While you can still call home the place where your mother's blood
dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort...You need
return there only once a year, but as long as you can call it home,
whilst you are there he cannot hurt you."

As usual, this sounded clearer the first time through.  Now, on the
umpteenth reading, I wonder if this isn't another case of "very
careful wording" by JKR.

I _do_ think this indicates the protection is only against Voldemort.
 If anyone else goes after Harry, he must fall back on his own skill
and instincts (and on whatever general resilience magic folk have
against accidents and violent attacks). ("you cannot be touched or
harmed by Voldemort...he cannot hurt you")  If Umbridge called in the
dementors on her own, as she claimed herself, that's not covered by
the ancient magic.

The problem I see with this now is the use of the word "there" to
qualify the statements:  "_there_ you cannot be touched or harmed" and
"whilst you are _there_ he cannot hurt you."  This does seem to
suggest that the protection is limited to the _place_ where the
Dursleys live.  At its most specific, this could mean "within the
walls of their house."  But their home could be interpreted to mean
"within their property lines" thus including the yard and the
driveway.  It could even extend to the "Privet Drive neighborhood" or
"Little Whinging."  That's about the broadest definition that seems
useful, though perhaps others could argue for even more latitude
(Surrey? England? UK?  Aargh!).

But let's assume "there" is limited to the corporate limits of Little
Whinging.  If so, why couldn't Quirrelmort touch Harry in the
catacombs beneath Hogwarts?  Is the Privet Drive protection separate
from the direct protection due to Lily's sacrifice?  Does the latter
mean Voldemort can't touch or harm Harry anywhere?  If so, what use
was the Privet Drive protection--at least until Voldemort's
resurrection in bodily form, after which he _can_ touch and harm Harry
(I think Imperio and Crucio constitute harm)?

But even if the Lily protection is gone while the Privet Drive
protection continues, if it's limited to the Dursley's home area it
seems to be of relatively little use to Harry on its own.  When he
lived there year-round, sure, but now he tries to stay "there" as
little as possible--and will apparently be there even less in HBP.  So
exactly what good is it anymore?

Bewildered cheers,

Eustace_Scrubb