Secrets of Harry's past - Who Told Who What and When? ... and Why?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 190097


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" <dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> 
> > Margie:
> > 
> > On page 304 of Sorcerer's Stone (US paperback), Hagrid gives
> > Harry a photo book and says "Sent owls off ter all yer 
> > parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos...
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Maybe owls could have been sent out couple years before? ...
> 
> Margie:
> > Also, one thing that I think people are missing here is that
> > the characters don't know everything that we know.  ...
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Actually in OOP Dumbledore also tells Harry that I had been watching you more closely than you could have imagined, ...
> 
> So, yes I think he knew what Dursleys did to Harry,... I do 
> not think he refers to Arabella either.
> 
> JMO,
> 
> Alla
>

Steve:

Why don't you think he refers to Arabella Figg? She is someone
who observed Harry daily from the neighborhood, and occasionally
had person contact with him. Yet, while observing Harry daily
and seeing that he is not being well treated, she doesn't know
the intimate details of what go on in the Dursely household.
Certainly she can closely guess. But it is not about knowing
in general, it is about knowing in detail.

I think Dumbledore thought is wise and best to not introduce
Harry into the wizarding world too soon. Harry is something
of a hero, and it would be unwise to raise Harry with such
constant adulation. Dumbledore, by his own admission, thought
it best to raise Harry out of the limelight until the time was
right for him to re-enter the wizard world.

Also, at the Dursely's, Harry is protected from Voldemort and
the Death Eaters. Since there have been mulitple attempts to
kill Harry since he entered the wizard world, Dumbledore
was probably right to keep Harry isolated. 

However, we can not blame Dumbledore for the Dursley's failings.
What the Dursley's allowed, what they did and didn't do, what 
they did and didn't say, falls on them. 

Now, reasonably, we all wish Harry's life had been better, we
wish he had known more and sooner. But don't we all, to some
extent, wish that about our own lives? That we had made better
choices, done better things, paid more attention to what we
now know is important. 

Harry has lead a hard life, sometimes a cruel life, but we all,
to some extent, take the life we are given, take the cards as 
they are dealt to us. 

Of course, we wish Harry's life had been better. Of course, we
wish Dumbledore had intervened sooner. I've made that argument
countless times in the past. Of course, we wish Harry had known
more and had taken more comfort in that knowledge. But how could
that happen without Dumbledore tipping his hand? How could he 
reveal these secrets without putting Harry in danger; without
drawing unnecessary attention to Harry?

I think we all share your sentiment, but I think most of us, 
whether we agree or not, understand how and why things happened
within the framework and context of the story. 

Did Dumbledore always make the right and best decision? Well,
have you always made the right and best decision in your life?
I doubt it, though not casing any doubt on your character, but
we all make mistakes ... that's why they call it 'life'.

Steve/bboyminn