Old, old problem.

[Shamyn D. W.]

No: HPFGUIDX 150948

As a brand new member, I must ask you to forgive me if this question
has been asked and answered before.

Beyond JKR's furthering of her story, why was Harry placed with the
Dursleys, who hated magic and magic users, in the first place?

We are told that it was to maintain the blood magic protection placed
upon Harry by his mother. But for all anyone knew for sure, Voldemort
was dead. His followers were either being rounded up, or were busy
covering their tracks.  Even if it had been known for sure that
Voldemort was NOT dead (all Dumbledore had to go on was a prophecy,
remember), he was still too weak to be any kind of threat.  Other
kinds of magical protection would have been enough to protect Harry.

So again we come back to the question: Why was Harry placed with
magic-hating Muggles?  

Well, there *is* a possibility, although I don't doubt that most will
dislike it intensely.  The reason? Harry's genetic heritage. More
specifically, his parents' characters.  James was an egotistical
hellion, as witnessed by his activities as a Marauder and Harry's peek
into Snape's pensieve.  We don't know much about Harry's mother, but
from the little we do know, it can be inferred that she was a strong
personality who thought for herself (James was practically adored by
everyone but her, at least at first), and might have had something of
a temper. 

It's a common belief that children inherit the temperament of their 
parents, and in a society that's about a hundred years behind the
times, it would have been even more so.  However, it is well known
that an abusive environment will often produce timid children.  So is
it beyond the realm of belief that Dumbledore would think to modify
what he would believe to be a too-strong personality in such a way?

Even one of his strongest supporters, Minerva McGonagall, says that
the Dursleys are "the worst sort of Muggles" and was against putting
Harry there, although she bowed to Albus' authority in the matter.

Draeconin