HBP Chapters 27 - 30 post DH look LONG SORRY

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 184486

> > Alla:
> 
> If he did not want to bully Dursleys, he IMO should 
> > not have given them Harry in the first place.
> 
> Pippin:
> It's not a question of caring about the Dursleys, it's a question of
> whether  bullying is an effective way to deal with people. It doesn't
> work  for Severus or James or Vernon or Dudley, it robs Sirius of his
> life and Voldemort of his soul, so why should it work for Dumbledore?
> And why should Petunia put up with it? Out of her so great love for
> Harry that she cannot even bring herself to wish him luck?
> 
>  I think the glass bouncing shows that Dumbledore was angry, and not
> above showing it once there's no chance that Vernon and Petunia can
> take it out on Harry once he is gone.  But he knows that bullying the
> Dursleys would make them behave better only for a short time, and in
> the long run would make them worse. 

Montavilla47:
You're setting up a false choice.  It's not either/or.  (Either Dumbledore
ignores the Dursleys or he bullies them.)  As Alla pointed out a long 
time ago, all it really took for the Dursleys to get Harry out of the 
cupboard was a letter delivered by an owl.  Just the thought that they
were being contacted by the wizards was enough for them to shape
up.

Did Dumbledore need to bully the Dursleys?  How about simply
talking to them?  Dumbledore didn't even tell Petunia in person
that her sister was dead.  He wrote her a note.

How about providing them a bit of gold in return for taking care
of Harry?  How about a little felix felicis potion to help Vernon
get those all-important drill contracts?  Maybe they wouldn't be
so anti-magic if they could see some its advantages.