Molto Alesato
*Sigh* This'll take awhile. Lets start when Harry's a baby. Dumbles convinced Lily and James to go into hideing under the Fidelus Charm, a charm that reiles on trust to be effective. Why didn't he just send the Potters, and Longbottems to their ansestrial home, like how Malfoy's have Malfoy Manor. Since they were created long ago they must have had enough protection, more than Godric's hollo.(Which don't forget was a cottage) Lily and James got killed.
Hagrid then meets Sirius at the wreakage. Sirius currently has baby Potter, by Dumbles orders Hagrid brings Harry to the Dursleys while Sirius goes after Peter. After they all met at privte Drive. After completely ignoring Minerva, he drops a ONE year old on a DOOR step in OCTOBER, with no protection. Then leaves for ten years, of course the Dursley's most likely think that someone is watching them so they don't send him to an orphanage. He, by dropping Harry on the Dursley's door step made it so the Dursley's had not choice but to take him in. (Not even asking about the Dursley's opinion, if they wanted Harry or not.) In the sense of blood wards. Most likely to make sure Harry was alive for future manipulations, he placed charms to moneter his heath. (Probably his office trinkets) They would have shown his less than pleasent childhood, such as lack of food, rest and such. There is more than that but let's skip ten years.
Give me a couple minute break.
You know what? The Potters were pursued, not the Longbottoms. Neville was born the day before Harry, making Harry the first in line for the prophecy. Dumbledore didn't know that Lily and James would put their trust in the wrong person. There's nowhere in the book saying that the Potters had an ancestrial home, therefore making Godric's Hollow the safest place.
Sirius willingly gave Harry to Hagrid because he TRUSTED Dumbledore, not because Dumbledore was manipulative. Harry would have been completely safe on the doorstep because the ward his mother placed on him protected Harry. Dumbledore knew that it was better that Harry be raised by Muggles because if he'd dropped him on ,say, the Weasley's doorstep, he'd have been spoiled rotten just because he was famous. Would you rather have had a spoiled prat like Draco be the hero? Dumbledore knew that if Lily's only living relative(Aunt Petunia) lived in the same house as Harry, there was a better chance of him being protected by the charm.
Top that, Molto.
biggrin