OOP: Harry's Reward (was: the Good-Bye Scene (spoilerish))

Diana dianasdolls at yahoo.com
Fri Jun 27 08:53:01 UTC 2003


No: HPFGUIDX 64798


stardreams04 wrote:
> [snip]
> 
> > The Weasleys, however, are fully aware of Harry's home life 
> > AND would do anything they could to make it better. Mr. and Mrs. 
> > Weasley could have told the Order about what Harry has to put up 
> with 
> > at the Dursley's. I think the ending farewell was a gesture of 
> > support to Harry. It acknowledges that Harry has just lost the 
> last 
> > member of his true family, but it shows him that there are still 
> > plenty of people out there who care for him.

Joe replied:
> But also...it is important to The Order for the Dursleys to treat 
> Harry better. Why? Because more than once (and against all 
> exhortations) Harry has, as the saying goes, "taken a powder" from 
> #4 Privet Drive. Having the Dursleys treat Harry in a nicer way 
> (whether they end up doing so is another matter) goes a long way 
> towards having HP stay put.


I now reply:
You're both right, of course, plus, at this point, Harry *deserves* 
to have summers free of grief and misery at the hands of the 
Dursleys, doesn't he?  Harry knows EXACTLY why he can't leave the 
Dursleys; it's for his own safety.  No matter how angry he gets at 
the Dursleys, he can't run away on his own or he'll be vulnerable to 
Voldemort.  Harry's summer with the Dursleys before his sixth year 
at Hogwarts is going to be extremely interesting (come on, JKR, 
write faster! :) since Harry now KNOWS exactly why he has to go back 
to Privet Drive every summer and he also knows that Petunia KNOWS 
why as well, and that no matter how angry Vernon gets at Harry, 
Petunia WON'T throw him out of the house (I shudder at what 
Dumbledore would do to Petunia and Vernon if she did allow Harry to 
be thrown out.)  
  So, the Order members threatening the Dursleys to treat Harry more 
nicely or they'll pay the consequences will keep Harry and Dursleys 
from tearing each other to pieces (emotionally, if not literally) 
over the summer.  Harry and Petunia know he MUST stay there, but I'd 
guess that Vernon may try everything to get Harry mad enough to run 
away, regardless of Petunia's sealing of that charm when she took 
him in as a baby.  So, poor Harry would end up in a vicious cold war 
with the Dursleys even worse than before.  The Order was wise to 
head off that huge battle before it even began.   Right now, I'm 
thinking of the age old question, what happens when an unstoppable 
force meets and immovable object?   ;)
  Whether the Dursleys are wise enough to admit defeat and soften 
enough towards Harry just to save themselves embarassment, injury or 
who knows what else at the hands of the Order, well...I guess that 
remains to be seen...
   

Diana L.





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