The Dursleys and the Potters

[naama_gat at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 11661

Hi,

I've been thinking quite a bit about the Dursleys vs. the Potters, especial=
ly about the 
patterns of intra-family relationships. 
I found it very interesting that there important similarities between these=
 two seemingly 
contrasting families. What I found particularly interesting is that the bot=
h Petunia and 
Vernon are extremely devoted parents. They really really care about Dudley.=
 In this sense 
they are very different from the Malfoys, who are very cold and uncaring to=
wards their own 
son. We know that's the way Lucius treats Draco this way, and from the shor=
t description of 
Draco's mother, it doesn't seem that she's very different from him.
Both mothers (Lily and Petunia) are devoted, body and soul, to their sons. =
I do get the 
impression that Petunia would also give her life to save Dudley, if necessa=
ry. 
Vernon appears to be a devoted husband, too. He is protective of Petunia (s=
tepping infront 
of her to "protect" her from Arthur Weasley, for instance) and they seem to=
 live quite 
harmoniously together. This parallels James devotion to Lily. Oh, and it ju=
st struck me – 
Vernon protecting Petunia from the terrible danger of Arthur Weasley is a k=
ind of twisted 
caricature of James' trying to fight off Voldemort to save Lilly and Harry.=

But - the similarities seem somehow only to make them more eligible to func=
tion as a 
negative picture of the Potters. We don't like them one bit more because of=
 them, right? 
So – why not? Why are we so sure that Lily and Petunia (sisters) are comple=
tely different 
persons? Is it just because we have only Harry's POV?


Naama