DD at the Dursleys: Why do people dislike the scene?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 158001

---  "phoenixgod2000" <jmrazo at ...> wrote:
>
> ...
> 
> 
> > Pippin:
> 
> > What I saw in that HBP scene was confirmation that 
> > Dumbledore  was not in denial about the way the 
> > Dursleys treated Harry. ... It was his choice and 
> > he is culpable * if he  had a  better one.*

> phoenixgod2000:
> 
> I refuse to believe that leaving Harry with the Dursleys
> was the best of all possible worlds for a wizard of 
> Dumbledore's power, skill, and age. ...
> 
>
> > Pippin:
> >   
> > But let's get some perspective here. It appears the 
> > Dursleys are unable to harm Harry physically, although
> > they've tried. He's been underfed, but not dangerously
> > so. 

> phoenixgod2000:
> 
> I would say letting Dudley chase him around and locking 
> him in cupboard under the stairs should qualify as 
> harming Harry physically.
>  
> ...
> 
> > Pippin:
> > 
> > But we're talking about DD. If it was a choice between
> > an increased susceptibility to anxiety and depression 
> > or certain death at the hands of a psychotic murderer, 
> > which would you choose for your child?

> phoenixgod2000:
> 
> Something just occured to me.  If Dumbledore could go 
> the Dursleys in book 6 and use magic on them to take 
> them to task and intimidate them slightly and not break
> the wards, why couldn't he have done the same in Harry's
> younger years?  ...


bboyminn:

Keep in mind that the gap between abuse and disipline 
changes with changing social views. What we call abuse 
today is extremely liberal compare to what was considered 
abuse in the past. Point? It is not absolute. 

Keep in mind that we are talking about a society that 
condoned the caning of errant students up until the 
mid-80's. Shaun would be able to narrow that down and 
beter put it in perspective. 

Also, let us not forget that Dudley didn't limit is 
bullying to Harry. From what the books imply, he 
generally bullied and intimidated everyone he possibly 
could. Note his beating up of Mark Evans, a little boy, 
with the help of his many friends.

Also, note that Vernon is generally disrespectful of, and
intimidating and bullying toward everyone one outside his
family. Given what we see, he is not too kind to his
employees. 

So, this isn't limted to Harry.

Now to Dumbledore, I think Dumbledore chose this 
particular time to speak to the Dursley's because their 
control over Harry was coming to an end. One month after 
Harry returns to the Durleys, he will be 17, the 
protection will end, and Harry will be free to leave and
to live his own life. Though I admit, I a big fan of
Harry now having to protect the Dursley at Grimmauld
Place; that's just too fun to pass up.

Up until that time, Dumbledore tolerated the Dursley 
treatment of Harry. He didn't approve, but he tolerated.

But why would Dumbledore tolerate it? Well, first, let us
not forget that the Dursleys have legal rights here. They
are Harry's only living relatives, and as such have a 
legal right to control Harry's future. 

Next, as Harry's only blood relatives, they represented a
level of magical protection that Harry couldn't get any 
where else. Referring of course to the Blood Protection
Charms that Dumbledore added to Harry. 

Further, Dumbledore felt it was necessary to keep Harry
isolated from the Wizard World. Even if his general where
abouts was not an absolute secret, it was still necessary
to keep him separated from the wizard world for his own
protection. 

Given all this, I think everytime Dumbledore heard of 
Harry's less than ideal living conditions, he said to 
himself, at least he is safe. Keeping Harry safe was far 
far higher priority than Harry being happy.

I suspect that Dumbledore was afraid if he put too much
pressure on an unstable lot like the Dursleys, Harry would
lose his most powerful protection. The Dursleys did have
some legal right to care for Harry, but they didn't 
necessarily have a legal obligation. They could have 
simply refuse to continue to care for Harry, and then 
Dumbledore would have lost Harry's most powerful 
protection. 

We could speculate that Harry could have been placed with
a muggle family living in Germany or Italy, and that 
would have kept him anonymous and protected him. But let
us not forget that Voldemort knows where Harry is living
(GoF -Graveyard Scene), but he also acknowledges that that 
knowledge doesn't do him any good because Dumbledore's
protections there are too powerful. Those powerful 
protections would not be in place if Harry was in Germany.

Yes, there are many other choices available to Dumbledore,
but none of them equals the superior protection of Harry
living with the Dursleys. Uncomfortable as it is in the
short term, it is the place of greatest long term safety. 

We can argue the merits and demerits of Harry living with
the Dusleys, but in the end, even if it wasn't the best
choice, it was indeed the safest choice.

Just passing it along.

Steve/bboyminn