What's with the tissue?

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 95052

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ladyramkin2000" <ladyramkin2000 at y...> 
wrote:
> What exactly is going on with the "gifts" the Dursleys send Harry at 
> Christmas e.g. a single tissue, a 50p coin? Why do they bother to 
> send him anything?  Is it part of the contract Petunia has 
> reluctantly agreed to, to protect Harry, that some token must be sent 
> and is she sending the very least she can get away with?  Come to 
> that, how do they actually send the tokens, since owls are not 
> available to them, and the Royal Mail presumably doesn't deliver at
> Hogwarts.  Sorry if this has been asked before, but that tissue is 
> really worrying me!
> Sylvia (who also wonders what would be the consequence of wilfully 
> reneging on a life-debt.)


The tissue is purely symbolic.
It's a reminder that she still thinks Harry's a little snot.

The 50p is more problematic; perhaps the entrance fee to the zoo - 
where he so obviously belongs? 

I seem to recall that JKR explained the ins and outs of Owl Post as it
applied to Muggles; it'll be in the Qwik-quotes somewhere but 
exactly where eludes me just now.

Life debt and magical contracts I can't help you with, though  the
latter seem a bit one-sided. Harry was bound by one in GoF even
though he had no real intention of doing so. Crouch!Moody put
his name in the Goblet and that was that according to DD - Harry 
was committed and bound once the paper came out. Though I 
wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't another of DD's devious ploys.
He knew damn well that Harry  couldn't have put his name in
himself. Harry never did get to read the small print. Story of his
life, when you think about it.

BTW - tried twice to answer your mail - both times it was bounced
back.

Kneasy