Old, old problem.

[Beatrice23]

No: HPFGUIDX 150992

Draeconin:
> What reason did he have, beyond Trelawney's prophecy? 

Beatrice:
Well, LV body is not found in the rubble of the Potter's home...that 
might make someone question if he really had died.  Also, DD states 
that the blood protection given to him by Lily must be sealed by a 
member of her family to make it completely effective.  That is why it 
is so important that Petunia allows him to stay and why he must stay 
there even for 1 day a year.  (remember DD's gleam of triumph in GoF, 
I suspect there is even more here).  

Also, Harry will have a compassion for muggles, an understanding of 
what it is like to be one that other wizard children lack.  Think 
about all of the misconceptions about muggles that fly around the 
wizarding world.  

Finally, (although, I think this is unintentional at first) Harry 
will understand what it means to be persecuted, hated, and abused.  
If nothing else this might give him the compassion toward others that 
is so seriously lacking in people like the Malfoys, etc.  It maybe 
this that gives him the strength and courage to free Dobby.

Draeconin:
> I thought the Longbottoms were tortured into catatonia by Voldemort
> himself?

Beatrice:
This occurs 1 year after Harry goes to the Dursleys.  When Harry and 
Neville are just over 2 years old. 

Draeconin:
> Shall we start with Dumbledore's not checking up on Harry's welfare 
> in almost ten years, nor sending anyone else to do so? He *knows* 
> the type of people the Dursleys are, after all. 

Beatrice:
DD tells Harry in OotP that "he has watched him more closely than he 
can possibly imagine."  (not an exact quote)  I suspect the DD 
watched him very closely.  It probably pained him to see what was 
happening to Harry, but he knew that there was nowhere else for him.  
He had to seal Lily's blood protection and couldn't help him before 
he was 11 (entering his 12 year).  Before this year he would be 
unable to control his magic and was too young to be trained.  Don't 
forget that not only is the abused orphan a literary trope, but it 
also makes for a more interesting and dramatic story.

Draeconin:
> And then there's the person Dumbledore sends to get Harry. Hagrid.
> Intimidating just by his size, quite prejudiced against Slytherin -
> "there's not been a Dark wizard that didn't come out of Slytherin" 
> (or words to that effect) - a blatant untruth, btw. The man is also 
> a drunk and rather slipshod in his duties.  Almost any one of the 
> other staff would have been better.

Beatrice:
Better than Hagrid?  But any lurking DE would never suspect that DD 
would give a "half-breed" such an important job.  It would make it 
unlikely that Harry or Hagrid would be attacked by DE.

Draeconin:
> And then we have Snape. Yes, he had a grudge against Harry's father,
> and later he has to maintain a look of hostility towards Harry in
> order to preserve his status as a spy, but again Harry is being
> subjected to abuse.  
> 
> Even a detached Dumbledore, if he's the kindly person he's made out
> to be, would have tried to curb that, wouldn't he? And surely the
> other staff have noticed? Why haven't any of them tried to 
> intervene?

Beatrice:
Snape is pretty much a git to everyone.  He is cruel to Hermione 
(never gives her the credit she deserves), refuses to acknowledge 
that Hermione has been cursed by Malfoy (the big teeth incident), 
bullies poor Neville to death, etc.  It is a hard fact but some 
educators are *sses.  It doesn't mean that they aren't intelligent 
*sses.  (unless they are Lockhart).  But Harry still learns from all 
of them. 

Beatrice