Etiquette WAS Re: polite Dumbledore?

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 142667

> Lealess replied:
> The reason this argument doesn't hold water for me is that the
> correspondence is all one-sided.  It isn't as if the Dursleys were
> asking for Dumbledore's interference or his blessings.  They
> didn't want to be part of the wizarding world, full stop.<snip>  
> If Petunia had the temerity to write to him and say, you're not
> welcome, I bet he would have come anyway.  He felt he had the
> right to interfere with their lives. <snip> If they asked for his
> protection, that's one thing.  We don't know that they did. 

> Valky:
> I am under the impression that had Petunia refused with absolute
> certainty other arrangements would be made for Harry. If that were
> to happen though it would be highly dangerous for everyone so I
> assume a lot of Dumbeldore's forebearance was because he didn't
> want to force that upon them.

Jen: I hope getting more information on why Petunia agreed to take 
Harry in the first place(and the WW intrusions as part of the 
package) will more fully explain both the Howler and Dumbledore's 
visit. The new light cast on these events could make Dumbledore's 
visit more ominous, i.e. we discover he more or less forced Petunia 
to take Harry and used fear as a weapon, or it could explain why he 
felt the right to impose on the Dursleys, if Petunia agreed in 
exchange for something she valued.

Valky went on to say later in her post: "The whole thing hints to me 
that it suited Petunia no less, but I could be wrong" and this 
echoes my thoughts. Until we know what was in the letter left on the 
doorstep and the letters Dumbledore sent *only* to Petunia prior, I 
won't be convinced Petunia didn't invite the WW into her home. 

Otherwise it simply doesn't fit! We have no motive for Petunia to 
make this extraordinary move, no love for Lily or Harry or because 
she wishes the best for the magical world, lol. The only halfway 
decent motive we used to have was fear, yet Vernon and Petunia were 
not at all fearful to raise Harry as an invisible & unwanted son, 
withold his heritage and family information from him, and attempt to 
keep him from attending Hogwarts. They did not follow the wishes 
Dumbledore spelled out in the letter at ALL and suffered no 
repurcussions. Fear as a motive weakened considerably for me after 
HBP.

Jen, trying to decide if Petunia took Harry in to protect the ones 
she does love, or because Dumbledore offered her magical cleaning 
skills in return. ;)