[HPforGrownups] Re: Petunia vs. Filch

[srsiriusblack at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 49208

In a message dated 04/01/2003 15:12:28 Eastern Standard Time, 
Audra1976 at aol.com writes:


> And Petunia's statement about Mr. and Mrs. Evans being proud to have a witch 
> 
> in the family doesn't necessarily mean they had prior knowledge about the 
> WW. 
> They could have been proud after they found out what it was all about. 

I agree whole-heartedly here. Using Hermione's family as an example, JKR 
establishes that Muggle parents *can* be very proud and happy for their 
children... She also shows the trepidation of Muggles in the WW when she 
shows Hermione's parents in Diagon Alley. They are proud of Hermione, yet 
still show signs of fear of the unknown. 

This, I think, is also an analogy for anything that children become that is 
different from their parents....

Petunia is probably an example of the less understanding muggle parents. But, 
I would suspect that most muggles that were upset, horrifed, etc. over the 
discovery of a child's wizarding gifts would still send said child to a WW 
school. For many reasons... The aforemost in my mind being that an untrained 
witch or wizard would most likely be dangerous-- look at the strange things 
that happened to Harry before he began his schooling and his awareness of his 
gifts. And secondly, to compare it to something more real, it would be a way 
for the parents to dismiss a child that was frightening to them.... much like 
*some* people have abandoned/expelled from homes their children based on 
sexuality, religion, etc. 

Just my thoughts.....

-Snuffles
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty 
recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the 
dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with 
open eyes, to make it possible. This I did."  T.E. Lawrence- Seven Pillars of 
Wisdom


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