Etiquette WAS Re: polite Dumbledore?

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 142692


> Jen: 
<snip>
>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.

a_svirn:

Personally I suspect that the melancholy truth is that Dumbledore 
did bully the Dursleys into adopting Harry, even though he couldn't 
*make* them to love him. What else does his little speech about 
Harry's being "unwelcome" and the Dursleys taking him "grudgingly" 
mean? Why would you "grudgingly" agree to raise other people's 
child? There are only three possibilities: either you stand to gain, 
or to loose or both. I don't see what the Dursleys got in the way of 
carrots. They are unaware of Harry's fortune, and their way of life 
has not changed noticeably since the Halloween 1981. As for sticks 
we don't have to overtax our imagination: we've seen enough of them. 
Fear might be only a "halfway decent" factor, but I believe it was 
enough for the Dursleys. 

> > >>Valky:
> > <snip>
> > We simply do know he [Dumbledore] was not malicious for a 
start,   
> > his intentions were entirely above board. I honestly think 
the     
> > Dursleys knew that as well as we do.
> > <snip>
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Do we?  I thought Dumbledore was being rather deliberately rude 
with 
> the Dursleys in this scene.  (I'm still confused about what book 
of 
> etiquette says the polite thing to do if someone refuses a drink 
is 
> to knock them repeatedly over the head.)

a_svirn:

You and me both. Too bad Valky doesn't want to reveal her sources...


>Valky:
>After introducing himself Dumbledore pauses and waits for the 
>Dursleys
>to say their piece. They can make their excuses here, but 
>Dumbledore
>knows he has pressed his advantage on their hospitality now to the
>point where they wouldn't feel it was acceptable to make excuses. 
>Yes,
>it's not a gesture brimming with kindness, but it's acceptable
>etiquette, really it is.

a_svirn:

I hope you are not going to put it to the test. Because, you know, a 
host is within his rights to boot out any guest that overstays his 
welcome. Much less, "presses the advantage on his hospitality". It 
would be quite in keeping with any known social code of behavior. 
Consult Debrett's Guide on Etiquettes if you don't believe me.

>Orna:
>I think there is some complex interplay between cold and sometimes
>amused manipulation, magic, and sincere talking. And I'm not able 
>to
>locate the key to when he chooses which. <snip>
>I mean, every
>social worker would have intervened earlier. But is this DD's
>function?

a_svirn
Well, what is his function? It's not like he has any right on Harry 
at all. He's neither his blood relation, nor guardian. In the year 
1981 he's not even his headmaster.