HBP Chapters 27 - 30 post DH look LONG SORRY

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 184521

 Alla:
> > > > 
> > > > I am no Montavilla, but I think she meant asking Petunia in 
> person  and **before** she finds a child at her house. 

Pippin:
You think that would have gone well?

Sometimes a letter is better than a face-to-face meeting -- it gives
everyone a chance to think things over and not react in a knee-jerk
way. It would be nice if Dumbledore could  "engage" with Petunia, but
they were way past that, IMO. 

 In the unlikely event that Petunia could be charmed, baby Harry would
be  better equipped to do it than that "weirdo" Albus Dumbledore. 

I see huge differences between Snape, wishing he could die with grief
and remorse, and Petunia, who had everything she wanted.

Vernon and Petunia  were  *not* sorry that Lily died.

 "the world's better off without them in my opinion -- asked for all
they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types--just what I
expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end--", 

"just as strange, just as -- as-- *abnormal*  and then, if you please,
she went and got herself blown up." 

Petunia had been waiting for years to have her say -- do you think she
could have kept from saying it to Dumbledore?

We've heard Dumbledore  react to talk like that, "You disgust me."
James and Lily were close to him. I don't think he would have been any
happier with Petunia than he was with Snape. 

Snape  took it. He was already disgusted with himself, he was
desperate, and he had some respect for Dumbledore's opinions. But as
far as the Dursleys are concerned, Albus Dumbledore is "SOME CRACKPOT
OLD FOOL". He's not *their* epitome of goodness. 
 
 Alla:
> > > > Again, not justifying Petunia at all. As far as I am concerned
 the only fact that Harry is a helpless baby who is her family  should
 have  been enough for her to welcome him. 

Pippin:
But it wasn't, more the reverse, IMO.  I think the only reason Petunia
took Harry in is that Dumbledore's letter convinced her he'd be
murdered in a heartbeat if she didn't. 

There's Petunia, wishing with all her heart that she didn't have a
sister, and then...she doesn't. Of course Lily's death wasn't remotely
her fault, but it wouldn't feel like that (funny how non-magical
people are just as prone to magical thinking) -- and she'd know that
it *would* be her fault if she could save Harry and she didn't.

 I don't think Harry's kinship to Lily was a plus at all -- she'd have
treated him far better if he hadn't been related to her "dratted
sister." She was a miserably incompetent parent, but she wasn't
intentionally cruel to children generally. 

You keep saying, Alla, that Dumbledore should have *tried*. But
it's worse than pointless to try something that you have every reason
to believe is going to make things worse. It's  possible, under
certain circumstances, to put out a fire with gasoline, IIRC. But I
wouldn't advise anyone to try it. 

Pippin