Etiquette WAS Re: polite Dumbledore?

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 142631

> >>Sherry:
> > Dumbledore's behavior to the Dursleys hardly counts as bullying 
> > to me, when I consider the years of hell Harry went through at   
> > their tender mercies.
> > Dumbledore's treatment was exactly right, in my opinion.  

> >>a_svirn:
> Well, it was Dumbledore who left him to their tender mercies in   
> the first place. They certainly didn't ask for the job. Besides,   
> what it has to say to anything? They may be as bad as they come,   
> but Dumbledore behaviour would still be a "glorious" bit of       
> bullying. 

Betsy Hp:
I'm conflicted with this scene.  On the one hand, I like that 
Dumbledore is angry with the Dursleys over their treatment of 
Harry.  (I've no doubt that Dumbledore was expressing some righteous 
rage while beaning the Dursleys over the head with the glasses of 
mead.)

But on the other, the Dursleys are so obviously terrified it kills 
some of the joy for me.  Once again, wizards have no problem 
physically assulting Muggles they dislike with powers the Muggles 
can't protect against.  Not even Dumbledore is immune.

It would have been nice if Dumbledore had taken the higher road.  
But we've already learned that Dumbledore is not perfect.  He can 
get angry, and he is angry at the Dursleys.  And he does, it seems, 
hold himself back.  (I like the idea, a_svirn, that Dumbledore has 
some guilt fueling his anger.  I'm sure he was never really pleased 
with the arrangement he came up with.)

I do think think this shows that Dumbledore could not have bullied 
the Dursleys into treating Harry better.  If he'd done something 
similar when Harry was young, I think Harry would have been on a 
street corner as soon as Dumbledore left Privet Drive and the 
Dursleys would have had their bags packed and plane tickets for 
parts unknown in their pockets.  Because the Dursleys *were* 
terrified, and yet they still refused to drink the mead.

Betsy Hp