Hogwarts Teachers - Lockhart (was History at Hogwarts) (was Re: Wizard Persecuti

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 126278


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "hickengruendler"
<hickengruendler at y...> wrote:

> 
> Hickengruendler:
> 
> But here you assume, that Dumbledore knew when exactly Voldemort 
> would return. But Dumbledore didn't know, and therefore he put Harry 
> to the save Dursleys, because it was theoretically possible, that 
> Voldemort could return any day, trying to kill Harry. And Dumbledore 
> explains all of this in the second to last chapter in OotP.

Actually, no, I don't assume that.  I just think his reasoning of
letting Harry suffer is morally unjustified.  It amounts to stopping
his ears, closing his eyes, and constantly muttering "Voldemort might
be coming," to himself to drown out the sound of a child crying in a
closet -- if he was even bothering to pay attention to the
consequences of his decision at all.  Although I can readily see how
this might be one of the "old man's mistakes" he alludes to. 
Nevertheless, in particular with regard to the question of why he did
not intervene to protect Harry from some of the Dursleys' abuse, I
think his explanation in OOTP begs far too many questions.


> I do agree with you that Dumbledore should have, if not threatened 
> the Dursleys, than at least *reminded* them, that he has an eye on 
> Harry and expects that they treat him at least civilly.

And this is one of the nubs of the whole rather heated debate over DD
and the Dursleys.  Without an answer to this, at best DD looks mealy
mouthed in OOTP.  At worst he comes off as manipulative and
cold-hearted -- i.e. regarding Harry as an asset who has to be kept
locked in a closet at all costs vs. seeing him as a human being with
real needs.

I certainly hope that JKR doesn't think DD's little speech at the end
of OOTP settles the issue.  After all, she was the one who brought up
the whole "epitome of goodness" characterization.  There are still a
lot questions that need to be answered before DD can get off the hook.


Lupinlore