[HPforGrownups] Re: OoP Dudley

[Melissa Worcester]

No: HPFGUIDX 67094

Riki wrote:

>I kept waiting for Harry to offer the chocolate antidote too, or at 
>least acknowledge that he *could* offer it and then decide not to.  
>I'm a little suprised Rowling didn't choose one of these options.  
>Maybe she forgot?  Not likely.  I guess Harry did just forget, though 
>that's not the most dramatic choice, IMHO.

No, I don't think JKR forgot, but here are some possibilities:

Harry did just forget, or was overwhelmed.

The fact that Dudley got physically sick seems to me that he might have been beyond chocolate's power to really help. Imagine trying to choke down chocolate when you're in that kind of a state.

Maybe they didn't have any chocolate in the house. Dudley's supposed to be on a diet, after all, though this is only very briefly mentioned. Or Harry might have been afraid to suggest chocolate because of the big deal that had been previously made about Dudley and his weight, thinking he'd get himself in worse trouble if he did. Maybe this was even mentioned in the book and JKR's editors cut it out, as one of the things that could go, not really affecting anything else.

Melissa

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