Redeemed!Dudley?

[jenny_ravenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 56235

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "bluesqueak" <pipdowns at e...> 
wrote:
 
> Dudley, on the other hand, shows no sign at all that his parents 
> have ever asked him to do anything for himself. He has others cook 
> for him, he doesn't do any household jobs, and if he wants something 
> enough to scream for it, his parents buy it for him. So he can't 
> cook, he can't clean, and he's been encouraged to buy whatever he 
> wants when he wants it, whether or not he can afford it.
> 
> Dudley's weight progresses throughout the four books so far.>
and 
> I doubt very much that Dudley feels safe in his parents' house. His 
> father consistently threatens his foster brother with violence, and 
> really, I think that `is he going to turn on me?' must be somewhere 
> in the back of Dudley's mind. His Aunt is also a horrific bully, and 
> his mother doesn't do anything to stop either of them.> 

I find it hard to believe that Dudley feels unsafe in any way in his 
own home.  Someone else mentioned that Dudley's parents have "lost" 
control over their son, but I feel that they never had control over 
Dudley to begin with.  Vernon and Petunia's agenda with Dudley is to 
give him what he wants.  Dudley is the one who runs that household - 
Petunia even makes the rest of the family go on a diet along with 
Dudley, including Harry who is already noticeably thin.  Aside from 
the diet, Dudley is in complete control: all the presents he wants, 
all the food he wants, all the trips he wants, all the tantrums he 
wants and all the coddling he wants.  If Dudley does have any worries 
they would have to be about Harry - after all, it is because of Harry 
he lost one of his rooms and it is because of Harry he grew a pig's 
tail and it is because of Harry that his tongue nearly suffocated him.  
Dudley may worry about Harry assuming more authority in the Dursley 
home, not Vernon turning on his own son.

When I think about the possibility of Dudley being redeemed, the only 
way I can see that is if he grows increasingly angry at his parents, 
something we are already seeing.  He may develop a hearty resentment 
of them for allowing him to get so fat and maybe even for keeping 
Harry around when he has, at least through Dudley's eyes, caused so 
many problems in their home.  I can see a situation with Dudley that 
is not so different from Draco: Dudley may (like Draco) realize that 
his parents are not the wonderful people they once were in his eyes.  
Like Draco, this may make him angry enough to turn away from them 
instead of running to them for everything.  He may begin to think 
things through on his own, but like Draco, I'd find it hard to swallow 
if Dudley does develop real sensitivity.  He may decide to not be like 
his parents, which is definitely on the road to redemption, as, IMO, 
the Dursleys are some of the worst parents around, but I'd be 
flabbergasted if Dudley ever grew nicer towards Harry, especially 
since he is so (understandably) terrified of Harry and all he 
represents.

--jenny from ravenclaw
Would Dudley's Redemption be a good name for a band? 
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