Dursleys' Fears (WAS: Redeeming the Dursleys

[naamagatus]

No: HPFGUIDX 53637

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, elfundeb <elfundeb at c...> wrote:

<snip> 

> However, I agree that Vernon at least, and more probably he and 
Petunia together, were been victims - possibly on multiple occasions -
- of the sort of magic that humiliated Vernon, and at least 
momentarily, made him fear for his life - just as the Ton-Tongue 
Toffee episode must have momentarily terrified Dudley. I will also 
propose that the perpetrators of the magic tricks played on Vernon 
were none other than "that double act, Sirius Black and James 
Potter . . . such a pair of troublemakers" that only the Twins could 
compare in terms of magical mischief.  It seems right in character, 
knowing how they treated Snape.
> 
> Possibly, every time Vernon has come into contact with wizards in 
his life, except Harry, someone performed an ugly magic trick on him. 
That is, in fact, what we see happening to Dudley. For someone such 
as Vernon who seems to need to feel powerful (why else would one 
derive pleasure from yelling at his subordinates?), the idea that 
there are people about with powers he doesn't share targeting him 
must be quite terrifying.
> 

There are several small points that, for me, don't agree with this 
theory. 

First, there is a question of time. When did James and Sirius have 
the *time* to play magical tricks on Vernon? Petunia is Lily's 
younger sister, and Lily married early in life. Therefore, it's 
almost certain that Petunia married after Lily did. Now, James and 
Sirius wouldn't play magical tricks on Vernon before he and Petunia 
were married, because of the secrecy rules (once they were married, 
he would be considered family and can be allowed to know everything 
that Petunia knows). But PS makes it clear that Petunia and Vernon 
were never in touch with Lily and James. Besides, James wouldn't be 
playing tricks on his brother in law at that stage. He is no longer a 
kid, he is fighting ultimate evil, and I'm sure that Lily wouldn't 
have wanted her sister to be further alienated from her. 

Secondly, I don't think that Vernon is scared enough of magic and 
magical people to make it reasonable for him to have encountered 
magic before - certainly not directed against him. His fear is mainly 
one of social shame - he can't bear the thought of being known to 
have a link with these "freaks." Do you really think he would have 
threatened Hagrid with a gun if he had had previous encounteres with 
powerful wizards? If he had, he must know how futile a gun is in such 
circumstances. 

Thirdly, I don't *want* Vernon to have a reasonable reason to hate 
magic <g>. I think it would dim a) the burlesque and b) the moral 
point that JKR is making (I think) through the Dursleys about bigotry 
and prejudice. 



Naama