HBP Chapters 27 - 30 post DH look LONG SORRY

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 184527

Pippin:
Dumbledore did try to reach out to Petunia in his first letter, which
Lily says was very kind. But Petunia did not want to be friends with a
Dumbledore who could not teach her magic. Instead she decided that
magical people were freaks and not worth being friends with. She kept
that attitude consistently over the next ten years, AFAWK. Lily
wasn't making a secret of her problems with her sister -- why wouldn't
Dumbledore know about them? Hagrid says they were close, and he
doesn't seem to be wrong about things like that.

The ugly vase is the canon that Petunia's attitude didn't change. It's
not quite as blunt as a handful of maggots courtesy of Kreacher, but
it's the same idea, along with all the other non-presents that
Petunia would later send to Harry, or the teeny Easter Egg Hermione
would get from Molly. <SNIP>


Alla:

I am sorry, but my question was not about canon support for Lily and 
Petunia having problems, neither about Dumbledore's possible 
knowledge of those problems. 

My question was about support for the argument that Dumbledore after 
writing one letter to eleven year old girl decided that her and his 
problems were so huge, so beyond attempt of reconciliation that he 
decided that he just cannot inform her in person that her sister had 
died and to ask her to take her nephew.

And honestly nothing of what you brought up convinces me that person 
is justified in any way, shape or form to write off eleven year old 
girl after he received **one** letter from her.

Because sure, absolutely if we were discussing the situation that for 
some bizarre reason **Lily** would have needed to ask Petunia to take 
Harry in temporarily, sure I would say that conversation would not 
have worked at all, but Dumbledore?

After all, Dumbledore had no problems circumventing Potters' wishes 
as to who should be taking care of their son, so I do not see why his 
**possible** knowledge of the problems sisters had, should stop him 
from trying. After all, he can be so very convincing when he wants to 
be IMO.


Pippin:
You probably know that to cut someone out of a will, you're supposed
to leave them a dollar so that the slighted heir can't claim he was
disinherited by accident? Well, this is the same idea, IMO. Lily got a
non-present, so as to make clear it wasn't a case of Petunia
accidentally forgetting to send one. Nasty.

And before you ask, I don't think it was a case of Petunia having no
taste. Petunia's house is not full of ugly vases.

Alla:

Um, yes, of course I completely agree with you – I thought it was 
incredibly nasty. But you see, Dumbledore either knew about the 
problems or he did not. If he knew of the problems and I really do 
not see how he could have known about their problems while they were 
still school girls, I do not see signs of him and Lily being that 
close while she was still a student.

But sure, after school he could have known, I guess, although I think 
Marauders knowing is still not the same as going and tell everything 
to your former teacher, even if he lived close by.

But say he knew.  I am not sure if we want to open this particular 
can of worms. Because as far as I am concerned, if he knew, he owed 
Harry **double and triple duty of constant vigilance** and mushrooms. 
Because he is placing child in the home of someone who hated his 
mother and father.

He is placing child there as far as I am concerned by force and does 
nothing after that. Um, I am not sure if Dumbledore comes out better 
in this scenario.


Pippin:
<SNIP>
Oh my, when I think of all the characters we supposed were only faking
hatred -- but there really weren't any, were there? No one, *no one*
speaks ill in death of a person they actually loved. Snape did it,
offpage, to convince Voldemort that he was over Lily, but we aren't
shown that.

Alla:

Ok, did I say that Petunia loved Lily? (Although I think Ch 33 
supports the idea that as a kid she may have, but even if she did, I 
think jealousy overlapped love very fast). I said that I see a merit 
in the argument that she may have grieved for her and I said that I 
am not even entirely convinced, just that I see it as stronger 
argument now.

> Alla:
>
> And that's fine. If he tried and Petunia gave him that crap, I would
be totally okay with him saying you disgust me. Petunia would have
disgusted me as well. He did not try though.

Pippin:
Oh, me too. I'm glad we agree on something. <g>

But telling people they disgust you is not a good way to get them to
do favors for you, and that is why, IMO, he dared not try. <SNIP>

Alla:

And again, sorry, but we would never know. Maybe he could have 
contained himself quite well.

After all, Petunia did not go to Voldemort and sold Lily to him, he 
does not have to be disgusted with her that much **yet**

Pippin:
<SNIP>
I wonder what canon you have that Dumbledore absolutely knew that
under no circumstances would Petunia refuse to shelter Harry? It's
common practice, in the WW, for families to give their Squib children
to Muggles to raise, so why would Dumbledore think that Muggles
wouldn't behave the same way?

Alla:

If I were arguing that proposition, I would have given the canon. Of 
course he could not know and after he tried, he would have found out 
for sure and then if he still wanted to place Harry with Dursleys, I 
would say he should have been forceful. Not that I am happy with him 
placing Harry with Dursleys by all means, but to go back where it all 
started, to push on Dursleys and / or check on Harry would mean to me 
that his tough choice would have included caring about Harry.

JMO,

Alla