Identifying with Muggles - The Dursley and 'Terrifying' Abuse

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 158266

> Julie:
> An aunt has an obligation to save a nephew if he is in grave danger
> at a given moment, e.g., he is about to be run over by a truck. Or
> at least to *attempt* to save him (if jumping in to save him would 
> mean her death--she'd get run over by said truck--then I think the
> "legal" part of the obligation might be in doubt, though not the
> moral obligation in most cases). But an aunt does NOT have a legal
> obligation to provide protection for a nephew in *potential* danger,
> e.g., the Mob has taken out a hit on him because his father killed
> the big boss. That kind of protection is the legal responsibility
> of the government via the police, FBI, etc. 
>  
> I would equate the position of the Dursleys with the second example.
> They don't have any legal obligation to provide long-standing 
> protection for Harry, especially if it puts their lives in danger.
> It would be morally upstanding of them to do so, but legally I
> don't know of any country that would require it.

Alla:

And I would completely disagree. To me it is very similar to your 
example. I mean, the attempt on **Harry's** life had already been 
made. 
Yes, his parents were killed, but **his** life is already in danger  
for sure and who knows if Voldemort would not repeat the attempt?

To me the danger is very grave, not potential at all. IMO of course.


Julie:
 Equally, they have
> no legal obligation to take him in and raise him. (In fact any 
> parent can turn his/her child over to the government if he/she is
> incapable of or unwilling to raise the child for whatever reason.)
> Moral obligation again, that is something else.

Alla:

Well, yes, of course. They have no legal obligations to do so,if that 
had been RL,except that they would have been first on line as 
potential guardians, but they certainly have a right to refuse. But 
moral ones should mean something, no? 

And I completely agree with Steve, we don't know what was in that 
note, I think it is very plausible via my general assesment of 
Dumbledore character that the note may have had the instructions of 
what to do if Dursleys do not want to take Harry in.


Again, IMO 

Alla.