Blood protection/ Dumbledore and Harry

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 158510

> Betsy Hp:
> Well, I'm pretty sure Dumbledore's mother was married to his 
> father... <g>.  Seriously, this is where I think Dumbledore's 
> position as a patron weighs in.
> 
> I'm not sure JKR meant to set up her world this way. (I'm not sure 
> how much faith I put into her world building skills.  I get the 
> sense she's more a satirist than a world builder.)  But I do get 
the 
> sense that the WW works on the patron-client system.
> [see this fabulous essay here:
> http://community.livejournal.com/hp_essays/7250.html  ]
> 
> The Potters were Dumbledore's clients.  So yeah, Dumbledore had 
the 
> right to decide what to do with their son once they were killed.  
In 
> such a crisis situation it was Dumbledore's *duty* to get 
involved. 

a_svirn:
Well, patrons are supposed to have obligations as well as rights, 
you know. I'd say that a patron definitely has to take his client's 
Will into consideration. Besides, following this logic, Sirius was 
also Dumbledore's client, wasn't he? It seems like in his case 
Dumbledore didn't go out of his way protecting his client's 
interests. 

And while we on the subject, there is a salient point in the essay 
you seem to overlook. Unlike the situation in Ancient Rom, in the WW 
patron-client relationships ARE NOT LEGAL. Which casts an entirely 
different light on the whole situation, I'd say. After all, Mafia 
also functions as a patron-client network. 

> Betsy Hp:
> Is there anything anywhere within the books suggesting that there 
> was another way of keeping Harry safe?  

a_svirn:
Yes, there is. Harry could have lived with his godfather and legal 
guardian, who would have loved him and would have done everything in 
his not inconsiderable power to keep him safe.