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

[quick_silver71]

No: HPFGUIDX 158013

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Magpie" <belviso at ...> wrote:
> So, as I said in response to why I did not enjoy the scene, well, 
I didn't 
> enjoy it and now I'm trying to analyze why--which is hard because 
it's a 
> feeling, not an intellectual process.  I doubt either of our 
emotional 
> reactions are about our ethical sensibilities first; I've been 
known to 
> enjoy scenes where a person is being childish or wrong or bad or 
mean as I 
> think everyone has.  If you enjoy a scene you automatically find 
reasons you 
> should enjoy it, if you don't you find reasons why you shouldn't.
> 
> I don't like the kind of thing DD is doing to begin with on a 
visceral 
> level--the knocking somebody in the heads with the mead?  That 
makes me want 
> to clonk Dumbledore on the head with the mead, and it probably 
would have no 
> matter who he was doing it to, because I hate that kind of 
teasing. 
> Seriously, I hate it.  It's like nails on a chalkboard for me, and 
it 
> doesn't seem to even say much to the Dursleys. I also don't see 
the context 
> that's being described, and trying to make this Dumbledore 
righteous 
> response to abuse years after the fact doesn't make me think 
Dumbledore's 
> just so compassionate he loses it a bit with these people.  It 
makes it seem 
> like an act to me.

Quick_Silver: Most opinions on this subject seem to be split between 
Dumbledore being filled with righteous anger at Harry's plight and 
Dumbledore being a bit off and behaving in a typical arrogant 
wizardly manner. 

When I first read this scene I didn't really find it all of that 
funny but at the same time I didn't really disapprove. I was mainly 
indifferent to what was going on and the ethics involved. So I went 
back tonight and re-read it and I personally get the impression that 
it's a bit of both. In some parts Dumbledore does seem to speak 
from "righteous" (in his eye's) anger and in other places he seems 
to enjoy himself (in Harry's opinion). However what struck me most 
about the scene was how
staged
it all seemed. 

Dumbledore walks in and starts dropping information left, right and 
center which I find quite surprising given that he's in the presence 
of Muggles. In his first few sentences to Vernon he openly mentions 
that even Privet drive might not be safe anymore. He then mentions 
in front of Harry and Vernon that he has been in correspondence with 
Petunia (although Harry thinks nothing of it at the time). 
Dumbledore then discuss the affairs of Sirius in front of the whole 
Dursley family in the process informing them at Sirius is dead 
(removing their fear of Sirius paying a visit) but also mentioning 
that Harry owns a house (removing their fear of Harry spending the 
summer that he can do magic at Privet Drive). Dumbledore then goes 
on to mention that Harry will be turning 17 next year and be capable 
of doing magic outside of school (along with losing their blood 
protection). Dumbledore then rounds it up by mentioning how damaged 
Dudley is and securing Harry one more month at their house next 
summer. 

So the impression I get on a re-read is that Dumbledore went there 
with a goal(s) in mind and everything he did in the Dursley's may 
have had a purpose. At the end of HBP Harry is returning to the 
Dursley's for one more month
why
because Dumbledore mentioned it 8 
months before. So perhaps that scene is a stick and carrot scene
the 
mead glass serve to remind the Dursleys of their fear and inability 
to counter magic (with no real lasting harm
compare that to a pigs 
tail that needed surgery) which Harry will soon be able to do in 
their presence while he also reminds them that they will probably 
only have to tolerate Harry for one more month. At the same time 
Dumbledore can at least address Harry's issues with the Dursleys 
(since Dumbledore is respect by Harry) and point out to Harry that 
Dudley has his own problems. The reason for that is it removes the 
threat of Harry causing the Dursleys any magical mayhem (or at least 
not a lot of it) when he turns 17 (because in Harry's eyes 
Dumbledore will have addressed the issue).     

Quick_Silver