Fees for Harry

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 179387

---  "a_svirn" <a_svirn at ...> wrote:
>
> > Pippin:
> 
> > The Potters trusted DD with the Invisibility Cloak, which
> > is doubtless worth more than everything in their vault, 
> > so why not trust him with the key? 
> 
> a_svirn:
> Ah, but we know that not only didn't they trust Dumbledore 
> to be their secret keeper, but they didn't trust him enough
> to disclose the identity of one. All in all it doesn't look
> like that they were full of trust as far as Dumbledore was 
> concerned. 
> 

bboyminn:

So why would you conclude they didn't trust Dumbledore? I
see no evidence of that. I suspect it was more a matter of
not wanting to involve more people. It was especially about
not wanting to involve someone with as high a profile as
Dumbledore has, and also someone who, being at the forefront
of the resistance, was as vulnerable as Dumbledore was. 

Rather than allow someone as likely and vulnerable as
Dumbledore, I suspect they thought it best to handle it
themselves and told Dumbledore as much. I can't see why
Dumbledore would have objected. Certainly he expected to 
continue to be in the loop.

At the time they told Dumbledore that Sirius was the Secret
Keeper, I suspect that actually was the plan. But I think
their conversation with Dumbledore lead Sirius to conclude
that of course HE (Sirius) was the most obvious Secret 
Keeper, and that is just what the DE's would think. So,
Sirius came up with the alternate plan of using Peter under
the assumption that the DE's would spend all their time
chasing Sirius while Peter remained quietly hidden away. The
fewer people who know about the switch, the more likely the
switch was to work. 


> > Pippin:
> > They could have made DD the trustee of their estate and the
> > executor of their will, and  given him discretion to appoint
> > another guardian if Sirius was unable to serve. 
> 
> a_svirn:
> So he needed a mere trifle – to ensure that Sirius *was* 
> unable to serve. Could be. 
> 
> > Pippin:
> > If it takes thirty days for a wizarding will to go into 
> > effect, then> possibly Sirius never became legally Harry's
> > guardian, and Vernon and Petunia were appointed quite 
> > legitimately. 
> 
> a_svirn:
> Then WHY didn't they know about, let along administer Harry's 
> fortune? Even if they were appointed only as custodians, they
> still would have been given some sort of allowance. Which they
> weren't. Ergo, either they weren't Harry's *legal* guardians 
> or custodians, or Dumbledore withheld the money from them. 
> 
> > Pippin: 
> > I see no reason not to take Dumbledore at his word that the
> > blood protection was the main reason for choosing the 
> > Dursleys as guardians.
> 
> a_svirn:
> Of course it was. I take it the Greater Good takes precedence
> over legal matters.
>

bboyminn:

Dumbledore may not have had legal authority to decide Harry's
fate, but I think he did have moral authority. Dumbledore 
was the leader of the Order of Phoenix, that gave him a degree
of authority over the members. Further, I think Dumbledore
simply realized the great danger that Harry was in and took
it upon himself to protect Harry and see to his future. 

I think all members of the Order, Sirius included, accepted
Dumbledore's judgement in the moment as the best for Harry.
If Sirius had objections, assuming he hadn't got himself
arrested, he could work those out at some point in the future
once things stabilized and the true danger could be better 
assessed. By not objecting or opposing Dumbledore, all those 
involved gave him implied permission. People trust Dumbledore,
and that trust lead them to allow  Dumbledore a free hand in 
Harry's fate. 

As to the Key, after the fact, Dumbledore would realize that
the vault key would be valuable and important, and he recovered
or had it recovered from the Godrics Hallow home. I think
Dumbledore full well understood the nature of the Dursleys
and as such, I think he simply conveniently neglected to
tell them about Harry's vault of gold. He knew Harry having
money in the future was more important that the successful
Dursleys having money in the moment. It was another way that
he protected Harry.

Further, I think Dumbledore knew he needed to act quickly to
protect Harry from the Ministry. He needed Harry carefully
placed and protected before he confronted the Ministry and
brought them around to his way of thinking. 

If the Ministy had gotten their hands on Harry first, he would
have become the Ministry Mascot. They would have constantly
paraded him around as a PR symbol of how well the Ministry
was doing, and how the had the seeming endorsement of the
brave hero Harry. 

If they had done that, they could have just as well have 
strung Harry up on the nearest tree. They would have left 
him vulnerable and exposed, and likely would have corrupted
his life in devastating ways. Dumbledore knew that the 
second greatest threat to Harry was the Ministry itself. 

So, yes, Dumbledore took it upon himself to decide Harry's
fate. He did so openly, and with no objections from any other
member of the Order, who were likely the people closest to the 
Potters. Sirius offered no objection when Hagrid took Harry
on Dumbledore's orders. Remus offered no objection. There 
were no other family members or very close friends in the
Wizard world to object. 

So, what it amounts to is that all the people who counted
trusted Dumbledore in this matter and followed his lead. 

Whether it was legal or not is another matter. Dumbledore
with the implied permission of everyone who counted, took
over control of Harry fate and disposition. If there were
legal or political matters, Dumbledore argued them out after
he had Harry safely tucked away. And notice that he must have
convinced the Ministry because he seems to have had their
cooperation most of the way up to and beyond 'Order of the
Phoenix'. Even when Harry and Scrimgeour were at odds, the
Ministry still provided cars and guards for Harry. They
still recognized the value in protecting him.

Dumbledore had control because the people who counted and
eventually the Ministry allowed him that control. 

You heard it here first...again.

Steve/bboyminn