Dumbledore on the Dursleys in OotP (LONG)

[PJ]

No: HPFGUIDX 151533

Pippin:

>But Dumbledore was grieving too. He wasn't emotionally attached to
>Sirius, but he was emotionally attached to Harry, and so he too had
>suffered a dreadful blow.  He was not just lecturing here, IMO, he 
too
>had an emotional need to construct a story of what happened.

>It may be that hearing Harry's view of Sirius was just as painful 
to DD
>as hearing Dumbledore's view of Sirius was to Harry. 

PJ:

Sorry but I don't buy that for a minute because Sirius was the only 
one who, from day one, could've really upset all of Dumbledore's 
careful plans concerning Harry.   In a way I think it was a bit of a 
relief to Dumbledore when Sirius died.  

We all sort of wondered why Dumbledore hadn't gone to see Sirius in 
prison after GH to determine his guilt or innocence, but the more I 
thought about Sirius and his bull in a china shop mentality the more 
I realized that the *last* person Dumbledore would have wanted freed 
was Sirius! 

Just think about it a minute... If Dumbledore had gone to AP he'd 
have had to admit Sirius was innocent and try to get him released.  
As his Godfather, Sirius would've had every right to take Harry from 
the Dursleys and move him into his own home.   What was one of the 
first things he did when he finally did get out of prison?  He 
offered Harry a home.   

Dumbledore knew that this was inevitable and that Harry's safety was 
at stake so he left Sirius in prison, purposely not going to talk to 
him so that he could claim ignorance, and put Harry with the 
Dursleys.   Harry wasn't happy but he was *safe*.   Since no one had 
ever broken out of AP, Sirius was effectively out of Dumbledore's 
way.  Maybe he had plans to spring him after Harry's 17th, maybe not.

Dumbleore wouldn't have had a problem with Harry living with Sirius 
once he came of age but he'd have done anything he could to keep 
Harry with the Dursleys till his 17th birthday.   That includes 
making sure the Dursleys were intimidated enough to agree to one 
more year. (HBP)

Honestly, while I don't feel Dumbledore *disliked* Sirius I do think 
he was a thorn in Dumbledore's side because of his attachment to 
Harry and his immaturity.  

Sirius *knew* the Dursleys... either through talking to Lily or 
having met them in person (that awful boy?)... so he knew they 
wanted nothing to do with magic, the Wizarding World or Lily's 
offspring. There was no way Dumbledore would ever be able to 
convince Sirius that Harry would be safer in a non magical household 
that didn't want him than he'd be in his own!  The potential 
problems that Sirius brought to all Dumbledore's carefully 
constructed plans were enormous and I think that made Dumbledore 
impatient and unconcerned about Sirius's restlessness at 12 GP.  

He didn't wish him harm, he just wanted him safely tucked away and 
out of his hair... And once he died Dumbledore had to make sure that 
Harry didn't make a martyre of him and get off task.  

To me it was all pretty cold on Dumbledore's part, but he had a job 
to do and he did it well enough to where Harry quickly puts Sirius 
behind him and is soon ready to pick up the Horcrux hunt... 

PJ