...once again Dumbledore!Abuse /Blood magic v Love magic

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 142867

> a_svirn:
> I do believe that this "blood protection" thing is not one of her
> better ideas. She has drilled this "All you need is Love" mantra
> into our heads for years now, she has pretty well trashed out the
> subject of anti-Mudblood prejudices and how it is ridiculous to
> place so much reliance on one's origins. And yet, when it comes
> down to the matters of Life and Death it tunes out suddenly that a
> shared gene pool is much more important than a shared sentiment. 

Jen: There's a symbolic factor at work, though, in the protection. 
Love magic is different from just feeling love. Love magic is love-
made-manifest and in this case, residing in Harry's skin. When 
Dumbledore placed the charm and asked Petunia to seal it, he was 
asking for her compassion as much as her blood. He was asking her to 
give Lily's love for Harry a chance to grow and protect him as long 
as possible (even if Petunia felt no love for Harry herself). In 
fact, since we were recently talking about Dumbledore forcing 
Petunia to take Harry, I'm not certain the blood charm would have 
worked if Harry was forced upon her. Petunia *chose* to seal the 
charm, and had a choice to make even if she did so grudgingly, 
bitterly, etc. Haven't most of us said yes to something we didn't 
want to do because we knew it was the right thing to do? And 
sometimes we are changed by the very thing we rejected? 

All convoluted plot theories aside (much as I love them), I'm 
growing to believe the choice to take Harry in will be Petunia's 
story as much as Harry's. There's a reason she said yes when she 
wanted to say no, and the story will take us there. Petunia *will* 
change from the experience of allowing Harry to live with her, even 
if we haven't seen it yet, and that change will symbolize the power 
of love over blood.

Alla:
> I suppose after his HBP speech we could speculate that he hoped
> that blood magic and love magic will come together and Dursleys
> will learn to love Harry ( treat him like a son?).

Jen: "Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our 
aims are identical and our hearts are open." (GOF, The Beginning). I 
think you are exactly right that Dumbledore's belief in the open 
heart is his greatest strength as well as his Achilles Heel. I would 
imagine he expected more from the Dursleys, expected Lily's child 
might at least open Petunia's heart a tiny bit, if not Vernon's. Was 
he wrong, like his thinking that Sirius and Snape could put aside 
their differences or thinking love magic could change Riddle's 
closed heart? So far, yes. I'm waiting to see.....

Jen