More on Dursleys

[addictedtobass2003]

No: HPFGUIDX 56262

>darrin_burnett:
>
> Why on earth did the Durseleys take Harry in? Why not just ship 
him 
> off to an orphanage, or call the proper authorities, pretend you 
have 
> no clue who the kid is, and send him into the system.
 
To answer that question, I believe it was partially about the 
money.  The 
muggle authorities would give them LOADS of money for taking care of 
and bringing up a child that wasn't their own (that is of course 
assuming they know about it, and don't think that Harry has 
evaporated into thin air)
I also believe that the Dursleys had faith that they could squeaze 
every drop of magical blood out of Harry's veins.
I think that Petunia was jealous of Lily's ability, but she still 
cared about her, regardless of the "freak" comment.  I think she 
wanted Harry to be looked after my family, rather than someone he 
didnt know.  (Although IMHO, i believe he may have been better off 
with someone else, although explaining the Hogwarts letters to the 
orphanage or foster family would have been difficult!)

> Dumbledore left a letter in Harry's blankets. What was in that 
letter?
> 
> My guess? Money and maybe an implied threat. Any other thoughts? 
> Surely it wasn't out of family loyalty.

I think the letter explained that the darkest wizard of the age had 
killed Lily and James, and had tried to kill Harry but failed.  
Maybe it included why they were killed.........????
I'm not sure about money being enclosed in the letter, because what 
would Dumbledore be doing with muggle money?  You never know, he 
might have put a few galleons in! You know that would have been 
funny!!!  Do wizards have cheques? Because I imagined the letter to 
be fairly thin, and you couldn't get many galleons in the space.  
I'm also not sure about the implied threat either.  What could 
Dumbledore threaten the Dursleys with?  However I do believe that in 
the letter it was also explained that on Harry's 11th birthday, he 
will be sent for, and he will go to Hogwarts, regardless of the 
thoughts of the Dursleys.

Katie
(who started her re-reads early: a few days ago in fact, and has 
already read all four books at least once, and is currently reading 
CoS for the second time)