In defense of DD WAS musings on Dumbledore - Even Longer

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 158674

Magpie:
<snip> 
> Whether DD thought the Dursleys would be kind to Harry or not, for
instance, he put him with them and never moved to keep them from
mistreating him.  If you add in that Dumbledore thought it was up to
him to make sure Harry didn't grow up into Draco Malfoy by putting him
with the Dursleys I think it makes him look worse to people who don't
like his actions, not better. After all, it's hardly his place to
decide he's got to protect a kid from some nebulous concept of "being
spoiled" by sticking him with people who actively hate him. <snip>

Carol responds:
since draco Malfoy was only about two months older than Harry, I doubt
that Dumbledore had him in mind. However, I do think that in addition
to the blood protection, which was apparently his primary
consideration, I think he may well have had James's arrogance in mind.
Suppose that Harry, James's son, grew up being treated as the savior
of the WW without having actually done anything to earn that honor?
Wouldn't arrogance like James's only magnified by an understanding of
*why* people were bowing to him in the streets, be a very dangerous
trait in the Chosen One? If he already thought he was special, how
could he develop humility or love, the traits that seem necessary to
defeat LV? Wouldn't he think that he was already special and didn't
need to learn anything? (Look at the fate of child stars in RL. I
think he thought it was best for Harry to grow up not knowing who he
really was--and, as it turns out, he appears to be correct.

And of course that's not even considering the danger of being
recognized on the streets and having every wizard in Britain, if not
the entire WW, know that he was living with, say, the Weasleys. Even
after the arrest of Bellatrix and company, there were plenty of Death
Eaters who got off by pleading the Imperius Curse. According to Harry
(or the narrator--I forget which), there were more than thirty Death
Eaters in the graveyard in GoF.

BTW, I agree with you that giving people second chances is not a
mistake, and I expect to see that DD was right to do so with Hagrid,
Snape, Trelawney and various other people in Book 7.

Carol, who is pretty sure that neither Harry nor his guardian(s) would
have lived very long if anyone except Petunia took him in