Abuse, Hermione and the triad, triumvirate.

[Susan McGee]

No: HPFGUIDX 2600

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Simon Branford" 
<simon.branford at h...> wrote:
> "As naive as this may sound, maybe the thought hasn't crossed 
Harry's mind.
> He's an abused child. The Dursley's admitted in the first book that 
they did
> everything they could to squash the magic out of him."
> 
> I think saying he was abused is taking it a bit far. He was 
reasonably well
> fed, had a room of his own (maybe a little small but still his), 
had plenty
> of clothes to wear (even if they were second hand and did not fit 
him) and
> did have some toys to play with.
> Yes he could have been treated a lot better, but I cannot remember 
any
> instance where we are told he was hit by Petunia or Vernon.
> 

I must take serious issue with this as someone who has
worked with abused children most of my life in my professional
capacity.

Harry was seriously abused. He never wore clothes that fit.
He was locked in a cupboard with spiders. His glasses were always
broken. Dudley bullied him, to the point that he had no friends. He 
was constantly ignored, or teased.

He was the classic scapegoated child in the abused family. He was
fed less. Dudley always took anything that he liked to eat. 
There were pictures of Dudley everywhere, but no pictures of Harry.

He never had a birthday card or birthday cake or even an 
acknowledgement of his birthday. He was told to stay at school during 
the holidays.

His identity as a wizard was taken from him. They lied about his
parents' fate.

He was constantly hit, punched, and kicked by Dudley and friends.
In the scene at the zoo, we find out that Harry has never been to the 
zoo, or to any holiday excursion. Harry (inadvertantly) causes the
glass to disappear after he once again has been knocked to the ground
by Dudley and friend.

In GoF, Vernon Dursley talks about knocking the stuffing out of him, 
and Harry cooly reminds him that that will not help in this 
particular dilemma.

JKR vividly recreates the horrible experience of a child who is
abused and neglected in the worst ways. I would suggest that Harry
has been physically abused, but worse, he has been subjected to 
severe emotional abuse. 

Susan