[HPforGrownups] Re: Acceptable Abuses?

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 96287

On 18 Apr 2004 at 11:07, vmonte wrote:

> She does not care for Harry, Lily, her parents, or anyone involved 
> with the wizarding world. She fears what she cannot control. 
> Obsessive cleaning is a sign of compulsive behavior (in almost every 
> book someone mentions how clean her house is). In OOTP Tonks says 
> that the cleanliness is unnatural:
> 
> Page 51 OOTP, U.S. version: She followed Harry back into the hall and 
> up the stairs, looking around with much curiosity and 
> interest. "Funny place," she said, "it's a bit too clean, d'you know 
> what I mean? Bit unnatural."

Yes, but bear in mind that Tonks regards Harry's room as a good 
thing - as 'better'.

A teenage boys rooms which hasn't been tidied at all for four days, 
which has nearly every book he owns strewn about the floor, clothes 
spilling onto the floor from an open trunk and an owl cahe that has 
actually started to smell.

I think Tonks standard as to what level of cleanliness is 
acceptable, and hence what level is 'unnatural' may be rather 
rudimentary.
 
> Remember that before the howler came Petunia and her husband were 
> about to throw out Harry. After the howler came Petunia changed her 
> mind and announced that Harry had to stay.

There's no evidence to say Petunia intended to throw Harry out. 
Vernon goes ballistic and tells Harry to leave - Petunia says 
nothing one way or the other, until after the howler arrives.

Could she have changed her mind because of the howler? Yes - but 
there's no reason in the canon to suppose she did.
 
> I do not think that Petunia was siding with Harry during the dementor 
> attack at all. The only reason Harry wasn't thrown out of the house 
> was because Petunia received a Howler. As soon as the Howler came she 
> completely changed her attitude and stated that Harry must stay. 

I disagree - her attitude changed before the Howler arrived.

"'Back?' whispered Aunt Petunia.

She was looking at Harry as she had never looked at him before. And 
all of s sudden, for the very first time in his life, Harry fully 
appreciated that Aunt Petunia was his mother's sister. He could not 
have said why this hit him so powerfully at this moment. All he 
knew was that he was not the only person in the room who had an 
inkling of what Lord Voldemort being back might mean. Aunt Petunia 
had never in her life looked at him like that before. Her large, 
pale eyes (so unlike her sister's) were not narrowed in dislike or 
anger, they were wide and fearful. The furious pretence that Aunt 
Petunia had maintained all Harry's life - that there was no magic 
and no world other than the world she inhabited with Uncle Vernon - 
seemed to have fallen away."

Order of the Phoenix, page 38 (British edition) just over a page 
before the Howler arrives, just before Vernon makes himself the 
centre of attention until the Howler arrives.

I think it's pretty clear her attitude had changed before the 
Howler arrived - precisely what it had changed to is certainly 
arguable - it's possible the Howler did change her actions, 
certainly - but the change in attitude was there.

> What if Voldemort got to Petunia before he received word from Peter 
> about James and Lily? What if Petunia sold out her sister in order to 
> save her own family? Did Voldemort's followers threaten her? 

This one is interesting, even though I don't agree. Assuming the 
possibility you are suggesting is true, though, perhaps she sold 
out Harry and James in exchange for Lily's life - might explain why 
Voldemort didn't want to kill Lily. He doesn't seem the type to 
spare someone for sentimental reasons - but perhaps as part of a 
deal - if there's still advantage in the deal.


Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia