Snape and the "Chosen One" Was: Nice vs. Good - Compassion

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 153626

Lupinlore:
>   Would the Dursleys  have said "take him?" Is that what DD was 
afraid of?  If so, that  needs to be made clear, otherwise we have an
 epitome of goodness who  does approve, albeit tacitly, of Harry Potter 
being abused.
> 

Pippin:
Since Dumbledore and the Ministry have had to intervene at least 
three different times to make sure Harry continued to have house 
room at Privet Drive, I would say canon makes it abundantly clear 
that the Dursleys have the option of withdrawing their grudgingly
offered protection and have come close to doing so more than once. 

Throughout the series, JKR has offered contrasting views of Dumbledore.
In one he seems to be a well-meaning old duffer who is hopelessly
out of touch with what is really going on. In the other he is a ruthlessly
manipulative puppetmaster who has no values he will not
sacrifice to overcome the Dark Side. 

Canon shows us one and then the other, with the contrast most
visible between the end of OOP and the beginning of HBP. Is
JKR vacillating, or is she well aware that neither Dumbledore 
could possibly have earned all the respect and admiration he 
receives from the wizarding world, still less the accolade 
"epitome of goodness" from the author?  

If JKR and her characters are not idiots, then  Dumbledore is both 
in touch and principled. It's just that we don't yet know all he knew, or 
what his principles were. The purpose of the contrasting chapters could
simply be to have the issue fresh in the reader's mind as
Book Seven unfolds and Harry is forced to make the 
decisions that up until now Dumbledore has made for him,
such as how to regard Snape and the Dursleys. 


Pippin