The ancient magic of gifts

[Ersatz Harry]

No: HPFGUIDX 57019

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Pat and Jim Gruenke
<patgruenke at c...> wrote:
> Now, I'm not so sure about Arabella being a secret keeper.  I think
> there's something else entirely going on with Harry, the "ancient 
> magic" that DD talked about, and JKR hasn't explained how it works 
> yet.

I've been finding myself wondering if the Dursleys' miserable
Christmas presents to Harry are part of this same ancient magic, that
somehow the giving of a gift, even one so slight as a tissue, confers
some kind of protection on the recipient, at least if given by a
relative.  Presumably gift-giving is not something the Dursleys would
have done on their own, no more so than they would have taken care of
Harry in the first place.  But I assume Dumbledore's original letter
to them was persuasive.

And let us not that some other gifts in the story have semi-magical
powers.  I'm thinking particularly of the gift of clothing to a
house-elf, though there may be others.

Ersatz Harry