DD's dilemma - Protections and Perspectives

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 126358


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

> My question is: At what point would DD have intervened, if this 
was  an option?  I'm still undecided as to whether or not it was, 
but for  the sake of arguement, let's say it was.
>

Pippin:
Dumbledore sends Hagrid to get Harry off the island, and he 
sends the Howler in OOP when he fears that Harry may be 
thrown out of the house.  On the other hand locking a child in a 
cupboard is abusive and  illegal but  it isn't life-threatening, and 
neither is having to live on soup for a couple of days. I  think we 
can say that Dumbledore intervenes when Harry is in mortal 
danger. Presumably Dumbledore has some sort of magical 
device similar to the Weasley clock  that tells him when that is 
the case.

That would also explain why the DE's were so reluctant to use 
lethal force when ambushing Harry and co at the Ministry. They 
didn't want to set off any alarm bells. 

I guess it's hard to imagine that anyone who cares about a 
child's psychological well-being would be willing to risk it in 
order to secure his safety, but as I've pointed out, there are 
analogous situations in real life. And I think JKR was well aware 
of this. After all, she put her own infant child in physical danger
in order to escape an intolerable situation in Portugal.  She must 
have wondered many times, as Harry's story took shape in her 
mind and she worried about where Jessica's next meal would 
come from, whether she had done the right thing, and what 
could have conceivably persuaded her to choose otherwise.

I think Dumbledore (and JKR) knew the risk he was taking, 
especially since it reappears in OOP, not only for Harry but for 
Sirius. I think Dumbledore mentioned the risk that celebrity might 
pose in the WW because he he had to steel himself for his 
decision, which shows that he did care.  He was reminding 
himself that Harry's psychological well-being could not be 
assured, even if he were placed with a kind loving family. Fame 
and fortune and the envy that come with them have destroyed 
many a happy home -- see Othello.

Pippin