Dursleys or Death (was:Re: Christian Forgiveness and Snape...

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 164470

---  "horridporrid03" <horridporrid03 at ...> wrote:
>
> > >>Jen:
> > <snip>...what parent could choose blood protection 
> > over love, warmth and real home?
> > <snip>
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Um...me?  This is the other side of the argument I 
> really don't get.  I can only assume that the 
> assumption is that Harry wasn't in all that much danger.
> But if I were given the choice between a warm and 
> loving home for a few years, then my son in Bellatrix's
> hands ...  then death, I'd take the blood protection ...
>
> My heart aches for them, but I totally understand and 
> agree with their thinking.
> 
> Betsy Hp
>

bboyminn:

Once again I think we are trapped in the swirling vortex
of reader vs character point-of-view. As readers we know
things that the characters don't. We can analyse things
in a way that is logical to us, but somewhat illogical
to the characters.

When Dumbledore made his judgement to place Harry under
the Blood Protection at the Dursley, it was minutes 
after Voldemort's defeat. How could he predict the level
of danger Harry would face? For all he knew the DE's 
could attack the Dursley's in force the very next day. 
It would have been irrational of Dumbledore to /assume 
the best/, reasonable logic would have him assume and 
plan for the worst possible case and do his best to 
guard against it.

It is unfair of us to take our reader's knowledge of
15 years of accumulated events and push that back in
time demanding that Dumbledore weigh it all when he 
made his decision. It's just not possible for 
Dumbledore or anyone to have that level of forsight.

Dumbledore made his decision based on his knowledge of
past and current events that were available to him at
the time. AT THE TIME, keeping Harry alive AT ANY COST
was his number one priority. I say that each time he
heard a report of the Dursley's /unpleasantness/
Dumbledore just kept reminding himself that Harry was 
safe and alive, and that soon enough he would be at
Hogwarts, and the opportunity would exist to try to
undo some of the damage that might have been done at
the Dursleys.

Note that Harry has his character flaws that can be
attributed to having been raised at the Dursley, but
overal, that experience has made him the selfless,
courageous, and compassionate person he is today. 

What is that old sports saying...?

"No harm, no foul"

Steve/bboyminn