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

[puduhepa98 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 164554

>Steve/bboyminn

<snip>
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  foresight.

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.

Nikkalmati
 
Agreed that DD did not have a better alternative at the time he made his  
decision to place Harry at the Dursleys, according to what we have been  told.  I 
do not believe that DD could have known what the reaction of  Petunia would 
be to having Harry to raise.  
 
Later, when he could have intervened, Harry still needed that blood  
protection and DD could not risk Harry losing it.  I also do not believe DD  knew what 
was going on at the Dursleys.  Most of the theories critical of  DD assume 
without any proof that DD was aware of the mistreatment Harry was  suffering.  I 
doubt that he did know.  (The statement "I have watched  you more closely 
than you could have imagined," refers only to Harry after he came to school, and 
is said to explain how DD discovered his love and  admiration for HP).  We 
have seen that wizards in general have a very  sketchy idea of Muggle life.  DD 
must have had Harry watched from the  outside and we know about Mrs. Figg, but 
I do not think there was anything  noticeably wrong from the outside, 
certainly not to a wizard.  Most of the  mistreatment of Harry is psychological.  He 
is not loved and he is made to  know that.  He is told in the way he is treated 
that he is worthless.   I don't think that kind of damage shows.  Even the 
Muggles who saw him  regularly did not notice anything wrong or they would have 
called Social  Services.  Harry was not the type to confide in Mrs. Figg.  She 
was  there primarily to watch for external enemies, I believe, but, if the 
treatment  Harry received was obviously wrong, she would have noticed.  
Therefore, I  do not hold DD responsible for placing Harry with Petunia or for not 
ensuring  his good treatment.     
 
Nikkalmati  
 
 
>Steve/bboyminn

>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"


>Alla:
<snip>

>Sorry, but it can be said just as well that Harry is the person he is  
despite being raised at the Dursleys, not **because of that**  IMO.

>I do think that keeping Harry alive was the only reason to put  him 
with Dursleys, but as I said many times I wish JKR would have shown  
blood protection in working. It would have been much more convincing 
to  me, but unfortunately I am of the opinion that JKR came up with 
blood  protection somewhere around writing GoF. IMO of  course.

>Alla,

>Who thinks that Dumbledore should thank his  lucky stars that Harry 
did not become another Tom Riddle or that he would  not have been 
badly hurt when he was apparating on the roof, etc.
 
Nikkalmati
 
Most children who are brought up in homes without love suffer some kind of  
personality distortion in compensation, develop bitterness, or even outright  
neurosis. I agree that Harry, insofar as he is a boy of strength and character, 
 has overcome his upbringing.  If DD had known Harry was being mistreated,  
he was taking a big risk that Harry would become  weak and unsure of  himself 
or evil instead of compassionate and wise beyond his years.
 
Nikkalmati 
 




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