Acceptable Abuses?

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 96292

I vmonte wrote:

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.


S. Hately responds:

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.


vmonte responds:

I don't think that Petunia is siding with Harry, I think the 
expression of helplessness in her face is due to the fact that she is 
being forced to face that the WW, which she has tried to shut out of 
her life, family, home, will no longer remain something that she can 
avoid and live in denial about.  She is afraid!  Her attitude is of 
someone who has been slapped in the face -- she was given a rude 
awakening!  IMO she is not feeling compassion for Harry.  Also, 
Harry's reaction to Petunia is of compassion. He was able to see her 
in a different light. It just shows that Harry is a good person.