Blood Protection/Dumbledore and Harry

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 158926

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at ...> wrote:
>
> > Alla:
> > 
> > ... I believe that the point she (a_svirn) is making
> > is that if Harry is just as vulnerable outdoors, 
> > while living at Privet Drive, then it really does not
> > matter where he  is living. ....
> 
> Pippin:
> With one exception, all of Voldemort's attacks on Harry
> have taken place at night. If this is not just a 
> coincidence, then Harry needs protection most when it is
> dark. 
> 


bboyminn:

I'm chosing to respond to Pippin not because I disagree 
with her (it is 'her' right?) but because she has 
touched on several points I'm interested in.

First, on the issue of Harry's protection at the Dursleys.
You can't just view that in the perspective of the moment;
you have to view it in the perspective of Dumbledore at 
the time he made the decision. True, NOW Harry wanders 
around the neighborhood on his own, but, realistically,
how long has that been going on? 

In the beginning Harry was a infant(near toddler), meaning
he was pretty much confined to the house, not likely to go
wandering off on his own. Later as a toddler and very 
young child, he was probably confined to the house and the
yard which I think define the boundaries of the peak 
protection offerred by 'Dumbledore's' /enhanced/ Blood
Protection Spells. Only later, approximately six years 
later, was Harry vulnerable when he went to school. Even 
then though, it was probably straight to school and 
straight back home. He was unlikely to socialize with 
friends he didn't have. So that gave Dumbledore a 
guarantee of six years of total protection for Harry. 
Even after Harry started school, it still offerred 
roughly two thirds absolute protection on the assumption
that Harry was there at the Dursley's for 16 out of ever 
24 hours.

Now that Harry is older, has several years of magical 
education under his belt, and has proven himself capable
of defending himself and reacting well in dangerous
situations, does Harry wander the neighborhood, and note
when this was brought up in the books, Harry was suppose
to have a guard with him at all times while he was out of
the house. 

I suspect the boundaries of Dumbledore's absolute 'can not
touch him there' Enhanced Blood Protection Spells include 
the Dursley house and yard. For the first several years
(6 to 10 years) of Harry's life, while the danger 
assessment was being made, and while stray DE's were 
being rounded up, and while the likelihood of Voldemort's
return was being assessed, Harry's protection was pretty 
absolute, and 'pretty absolute' sound pretty darn good under
the circumstances.


> > 
> > > a_svirn
> > >  If Umbridge could come up with such a plan,
> > > > why couldn't, say, Lucius?
> > > 
> > > Pippin:
> > > If Lucius wanted to harm Harry for reasons totally 
> > > unrelated to his service to Voldemort, you mean? 
> > > Why would he?
> > 
> > Alla:
> > 
> > No, actually, I am not sure if anything in canon 
> > contradicts the  premise that DE indeed could touch 
> > Harry there (the Dursleys) .... Voldemort says that 
> > he could not touch Harry  there, not his DE.
> > 
> > ...
> 
> Pippin:
> Voldemort says, "Not even I can touch him there." 
> Dumbledore says that he had to see to Harry's 
> protection with regard to the surviving DE's, not just
> Voldemort himself. So while we haven't seen it 
> demonstrated, both Voldemort and Dumbledore seem to
> believe it will work against DE's.
> 

bboyminn:

When Dumbledore finally explains /his/ enhanced blood-
protection to Harry, he specifically mentions Voldemort's
supporters who are just as dangerous as Voldemort himself.
It seems clear from Dumbledore's own explanation that DE's
are definitely included. 

I believe that section was recently quoted in this or a
related thread. 

I wonder if the protection doesn't cover /anyone/ intent
on doing Harry harm or aiding another person in doing 
Harry harm. That is why other wizards like Mr. Weasley 
and the Group that comes to get Harry in OotP are able to 
enter without problem. Their intent is benevolent and 
therefore doesn't trigger the Charm. Perhaps in OotP when
Vernon is trying to choke Harry, his intent became 
sufficient to trigger the Charm thereby producing the 
electric shock that force him to let go of Harry.


> > > Pippin:
> > > For your premises to be valid, a less flawed means 
> > > of protection must exist. Dumbledore maintains in 
> > > canon that it does not. ...
> > <SNIP>
> > 
> > 
> > Alla:
> > 
> > ... if you could 
> > refer me to the quote that says that blood protection
> > is the **only** mean by which Harry could be 
> > protected. ...
> 
> Pippin:
> "Your mother's sacrifice made the bond of blood the 
> strongest shield I could give you." 
> 
> Of course there are other means of protection -- there
> had better be because the bond of blood protection runs
> out when Harry turns seventeen. But none of them are as
> strong as the bond of blood.
> 
> ...
> 
> Pippin
>

bboyminn:

In this case, I agree with Pippin completely. It is never 
said or implied in the books that Dumbledore Enhanced
Blood Protection was the /only/ choice, in fact, he 
conversationally mentions others when he is explaining it
to McGonagall, only that it was absolutely the best choice
under the circumstances and all things considered. This 
particular plan had certain drawbacks, the Dusley's 
themselves being the biggest. But the available protection
so overwhelmed all the other choices as to render /this 
choice/ as /the only choice/. That is, the most effective
and therefore the only reasonable choice given 
Dumbledore's goals.

As I mentioned above, /this choice/ give Harry 6 years of
absolute protection, and four more years of extremely good
protection. After that Harry became more able to defend 
himself. Yet, note even after Harry had escaped Voldemort
in the graveyard, Dumbledore is still assigning Harry a 
guard knowing that now that Harry is older and more
experienced, he is less likely to stay as close to home.

It all seems very reasonable and very consistent to me.

Steve/bboyminn