Blood protection (was: Re: CHAPDISC: DH3, The Dursleys Departing)

[kneazlecat54]

No: HPFGUIDX 177539

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
> > > <snip>...the protective enchantment that's ending is 
Dumbledore's, which was based on Lily's blood protection. <snip> 
> > 
> > Laura wrote:
> > Really?  So the same protection wouldn't come into effect any 
time a parent sacrificed him or herself for a child in the WW?
> 
> Carol wrote:
<snip>  The blood protection that *Lily* provided came about because 
she had a chance to live but chose to die instead, apparently a 
unique occurrence in the WW until Harry's choice to sacrifice 
himself in some ways replicates it. <snip> 

Laura:
So the protection Lily gave was specifically physical?  That is, it 
protected Harry's body wherever he was?  Or, to be more accurate, it 
would protect Harry's body from LV.  Other agents, such as a 
basilisk, would still be able to kill him, right?    

Carol wrote:
> But the blood protection that *Dumbledore* placed on 4 Privet 
Drive is different, based on Lily's sacrifice but using her blood 
connection with Petunia to protect Harry. Essentially, Petunia 
sealed a magical pact by taking Harry in. As long as Harry can call 
4 Privet Drive home, *there* (and only there) he cannot be harmed. 
*That's* the protection that expires when Harry turns seventeen.

Laura:
So am I right in theorizing that DD essentially blackmailed the 
Dursleys into taking Harry by making Privet Drive a sanctuary (in 
the sense of its being a safe place, not a holy one!)?  The first 
letter would have said something like "Dear Petunia, your sister has 
been murdered by LV, and if you don't want your family to be next,  
you'd better take her child in", right?  Of course, DD would be more 
diplomatic than that, but the threat would be the essential point.

If so, that might provide some justification for Petunia's attitude 
towards Harry.  We know that she was bitter and resentful about 
Lily's magical abilities, but DH suggests that as a young adult she 
was able to control her feelings enough to maintain a civil 
relationship with her sister.  That would only work if their 
relationship was conducted at a distance, so Petunia wouldn't be 
forced to interact with any manifestations of the WW.

But suddenly she's thrust right back into it through no action of 
her own, and if she tries to stay uninvolved, her family is going to 
be in mortal danger.  That sounds like a pretty good reason to be 
angry to me.  Obviously, taking her anger out on Harry was just 
wrong, though, there's no debate about that           .  

Yet again, DD decides what's best for people without consulting 
them.  What if he had talked to Petunia himself, rather than leaving 
a baby in a basket with a letter?  Petunia might not have had any 
other good options, but at least she would have been part of the 
decision-making process, which would leave her with some sense of 
control over her life.  

Carol wrote:
<snip> "The same protection wouldn't come into effect any time a
> parent sacrificed him or herself for a child in the WW." Protection
> like *Lily's* only came about because she had a choice to live and
> chose to die instead. <snip> 

> Carol, who can find the canon if necessary to clarify the 
distinction
> between the blood protection placed by DD on Privet Drive and the
> original protection provided by Lily's sacrifice, which DD's spell
> builds on and extends

Laura:
Yes, I'd like to see it.  The distinction raises a lot of questions 
for me.  Let's imagine a scenario in which A wants to kill B, but C 
intervenes and sacrifices herself instead.  Will B then be protected 
against any further attempts by A to kill him?  Do B & C have to be 
related by blood for that protection to work?  What if Tonks had 
died to protect Remus?  What about 2 people who aren't related at 
all?  Is this protection good for the entire life of A or B, whoever 
dies first, unlike DD's, which was only good until Harry became an 
adult?  

Laura, who is beginning to wonder about the power of blood compared 
to the power of love in canon
>