CHAPDISC: PS/SS 1, The Boy Who Lived

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 187698


> 
> Alla:
> 
> I see your point, sure. I just think that him being there in person would have been a better safeguard in case Petunia does refuse to take Harry in rather than  him going to have to search orphanages after the fact (that is IF he learns about it soon enough).
> 

Pippin:
::shrug:: It wouldn't amount to much. Petunia could still throw Harry out as soon as Dumbledore left.

 
> Alla:
 
> No, I maintain that Dumbledore got incredibly lucky with the help of deus ex machina that no serious injury occurred to Harry in Dudley's household. 

Pippin:
Dumbledore wasn't lucky at all -- if you mean he expected that Harry wouldn't be hurt and counted on luck to make it so.  The light in Dumbledore's eyes goes right out, and he says in OOP that Harry arrived at Hogwarts in much better condition than he'd expected. He knew and accepted the risk that Harry would be damaged. He wasn't happy about it.

Trusting to luck would have been trying some  other method of  keeping Voldemort off, all of which  had failed 100% over the last ten years, and hoping that for some unknown reason one of them would work this time. That would be beyond reckless. That would be insane.

*Harry* was  lucky, of course. But if he wasn't, he'd have already been dead.

Pippin