[HPforGrownups] Why Live With The Dursleys

[Susanna Luhtanen]

No: HPFGUIDX 28417



Susanna Luhtanen
s_luhtanen at hotmail.com



>From: Rowena Grunnion-Ffitch <rowena_grunnion_ffitch at yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com
>To: HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [HPforGrownups] Why Live With The Dursleys
>Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 16:07:24 -0800 (PST)
>
>    Frankly this has been puzzling me ever from the
>first book on. *Why* does Harry keep going back to
>those horrible people? (yes I know he's protected
>while in their care but *he* doesn't know that so why
>doesn't he take action to escape?).

But he did - early PoA, remember?

>    By PoA Harry has learned of at least two
>alternatives to the Dursleys. He could stay with the
>Weasleys who like him and might even be persuaded to
>accept a little something for room and board *or* he
>could spend his summers at the Leaky Cauldron, (he's
>got the money).

But he's not exactly aware how long the money would last (remember him 
dreaming about the Firebolt, but thinking he might not afford it?) Weasley's 
- yes well, he could, and Molly does have a lots of love to give - but 
well...

>    Yet still he goes dutifully back to Privet drive
>every summer, why? I suspect that deep down part of
>Harry still hopes someday, somehow the Dursleys will
>change. They are his only family after all, he would
>like them to care about him and he keeps hoping they
>will. As we see when he wonders if maybe Uncle Vernon
>is talking about his birthday in PoA or in GOF when he
>wonders if maybe they've come to see him do his third
>task.
>    Personally I think Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia
>are lost causes but I would like to see Dudley become
>Harry's friend.

Nice thought, but I think it's something else.

First, Vernon picks Harry up every summer when he comes out of train.
Harry would have to face him down to stay in Leaky Cauldron/Weasleys.
And, Harry is not able to do that. It's only when Marge makes Harry angry by 
contiously saying Harry is misbehaving and a no-good person (while Harry was 
being polite to her and she herself very insulting to Harry) or, worse, 
insulting Harry's parents, that Harry was able to do that. His magic was 
leaking over. He left.

He does take action. Sirius - as godfather - is what Harry considers 
legitimate one to stay with. Besides, after Harry told Vernon about Sirius - 
cleverly leaving out that Sirius was innocent - he had Sirius as back-up. 
"Be nice or my godfather comes and gets you" - with Dursleys thinking of 
Sirius as a murderer(and as wizard, double-threat at that)... it's not as 
bad anymore.

My question is, rather, if Vernon really hates Harry so much, why is he 
dutifully at Platform 9 at King's Cross each time Harry's semester has 
ended? And Vernon is not Harry's relative, Petunia and Dudley are.

Why Harry asked Vernon to sign the permission for Hogsmeade - not his Aunt 
Petunia, who's the only adult blood-relative? We always see these things 
between Vernon/Harry - and Harry/Dudley. What's with Harry and Auntie?

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp