DD's dilemma (RE: Hogwarts Teachers - Lockhart)

[Ziggie Valencourt]

No: HPFGUIDX 126309


Lupinlore:
> 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.


Ziggie:
It's easy with the knowledge we have 15 years after the fact to look back
and criticize Dumbledore's mistakes.  No one know what happened to LV, no
one knew that all the DE's were fleeing for their lives, no one knew if and
when LV would even come back.  Granted, after a few years then **maybe**
Harry could have been moved, but why move him away from the only family he
had?  It would have been more abusive to place Harry with strangers than to
take him away from his family at the age of 5 or 6, no matter how nasty they
may seem.  Family is family, and deep down I think Harry was happy to have
someone, even if they were awful.


Lupinlore:
> 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.


Ziggie:

Do we know that he ignored Harry for 10 years?  It sounds from the Howler
that Petunia received that Dumbledore had been in regular contact.  Maybe he
had reminded them or suggested they move Harry, and maybe they had
threatened to throw Harry out.  We have a 10 year void that we don't have
any canon to support one way or the other...

Ziggs...who thinks that Dumbledore deserves a break for not being able to be
perfect.