Petunia's Secret

[caesian]

No: HPFGUIDX 110391

I've also posted this over at the HogsHead, so to those of you who 
follow both please forgive me for belaboring this particular subject.

The overall argument of the essay can be summarized as follows.
1) Petunia and Dumbledore have a pact, the terms of which were arranged 
in the letter Dumbledore left with Harry and were sealed when Petunia 
accepted Harry into her home.
2) Vernon is unaware of this pact, even of the protection given Harry 
by his residence at the Dursleys.
3) Dumbledore knew the pact would be sealed when he left Harry in 
Privet Drive, although he also knew Harry would suffer at the hands of 
the Dursleys.
4) Petunia accepted Harry despite her bitter resentment of him and her 
sister, and in full knowledge that Harry was in grave danger, a danger 
that could pose a threat to her own family.
5) That there is more to this "pact" than mere protection of Harry 
and/or the Dursleys.
6) That whatever Petunia is getting in return for allowing Harry 
houseroom, she has kept the deal a secret from Vernon for nearly 15 
years.
7) The pact may pertain to either magical abilities, or a secret from 
the wizarding world.



Petunia's Pact

On "the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts", while Uncle Vernon is 
plagued by visions of literate cats and the absence of collecting tins, 
"Mrs Dursley had a nice, normal day."  Late on Halloween night, the 
very night before our story starts, her sister and her brother-in-law, 
Lily and James Potter (who she "hadn't met in several years"), were 
killed by the most evil wizard of all time.   Petunia's infant nephew 
Harry was taken from the ruined house in Godric's Hollow, scarred but 
alive.  Although the first half of the opening chapter, The Boy Who 
Lived, is often told from Vernon's point-of-view, these initial 
descriptions are given by the author's own voice.  The author tells us 
that Mrs. Dursley noticed nothing unusual during her "nice, normal day" 
that Tuesday - not the owl flying past her kitchen window, or even the 
cat on the garden wall with spectacle markings.  Unlike Vernon, she 
overheard nothing, was not hugged by any strangers wearing violet 
cloaks, and was not called a "muggle, whatever that means".  She is 
blissfully unaware of shooting stars, funny looking people all over the 
place, and "a whisper, a whisper about the Potters".  She tells Vernon 
that she hasn't spoken to her sister lately, and is angered when he 
asks - because "they normally pretended she didn't have a sister".  
That night, while Vernon peaks out the window to see the map-reading 
cat still on his garden wall - as he lays fretting over the mysterious 
events of the day - "Mrs Dursley fell asleep quickly".  That Petunia 
might have had a terrible Halloween night, including any knowledge of 
the Potter's fate, seems very unlikely.

All of this is about to change for Petunia.  That night, her nephew 
Harry Potter is left on the doorstep of number 4 privet drive, 
clutching an envelope in one small hand.  The envelope contains a 
letter from Albus Dumbledore and it is Petunia Dursley who finds Harry 
and the letter the following morning, waking him with a scream as she 
puts out the milk bottles.  The letter was originally intended for the 
Dursleys: "[Harry's] aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything 
to him when he's older.  I've written them a letter."

The letter probably explained that the Potter's house had been 
destroyed, because Petunia mentions it twice:

PS, The Keeper of the Keys
"-and then, if you please, [Lily] went and got herself blown up and we 
got landed with you!"

PS, The Vanishing Glass
'You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully...
Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.
'And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.
'I won't blow up the house," said Harry....

The letter probably also explained that the Potter's house had been 
destroyed in a deadly struggle concerning her nephew and Lord 
Voldemort.   Petunia's response to his return, so different from 
Vernon's, belies that she also "had an inkling of what Lord Voldemort 
being back might mean":

OotP, A Peck of Owls
"He's back," said Harry heavily.
....
"Back?" whispered Aunt Petunia.
She was looking at Harry as she had never looked at him before.  And 
all of the sudden, for the very first time in his life, Harry fully 
appreciated that Aunt Petunia was his mother's sister. ... Her large, 
pale eyes (so unlike her sister's) were not norrowed in dislike or 
anger; They were wide and fearful.  ...
"Yes," Harry said, talking directly to Aunt Petunia now. "He came back 
a month ago. I saw him."
Her hand found Dudley's massive leather-clad shoulders and clutched 
them.

But the letter had other purposes as well.  We know, as stated by 
Dumbledore, that the letter informed Petunia that "allowing [Harry] 
houseroom may well have kept [him] alive for the past fifteen years" 
(OotP, The Lost Prophecy).  And we know that by taking Harry into her 
home, Petunia sealed a pact with Dumbledore.

OotP, The Lost Prophesy
"She doesn't love me," said Harry at once. "She doesn't give a damn - "
"But she took you," Dumbledore cut across him.  "She may have taken you 
grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, yet still she took you, 
and in doing so, SHE SEALED THE CHARM I PLACED UPON YOU.  Your mother's 
sacrifice made the bond of blood the strongest shield I could give 
you."
...
"...Your aunt knows this.  I explained what I had done in the letter I 
left, with you, on her doorstep.  She knows that allowing you houseroom 
may well have kept you alive for the past fifteen years."
....
"I thought she might need reminding of the PACT SHE HAD SEALED by 
taking you...." (my caps)

It seems that the only way she could have learned of the fate of the 
Potter's house is through Dumbledore's letter, although they have 
probably had no direct contact since that time.  Certainly, she is 
unaware of Voldemort's return until Harry tells her.  Harry has never 
seen the letter, nor does he understand why Aunt Petunia agreed to 
"grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly" seal a "pact" by taking 
him in.  By the time Harry is sitting in Privet drive on Dudley's 11th 
birthday, when Petunia scoffs that he'll reduce the house to ruins if 
left there alone, the pact has been sealed nearly 10 years, and as far 
as anyone can see "Privet Drive had hardly changed at all."

As for Vernon, he knew before Harry arrived at number 4 that Petunia's 
sister was a "freak", that her husband was a "good-for-nothing", and 
that "the Potter's were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be".  
After Harry arrived in Privet Drive, Vernon and Petunia made their own 
pact.

"I'm not having one in the house, Petunia!  Didn't we swear when we 
took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?" PS, The Vanishing 
Glass

"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish,' said 
Uncle Vernon, 'swore we'd stamp it out of him!  Wizard indeed!' PS, The 
Keeper of the Keys

But, curiously, Uncle Vernon seems to be largely unaware of the 
contents of Dumbledore's letter.  Thus far, canon evidence suggests 
that he knows nothing more than the cover story they gave to Harry, and 
that the boy was likely to take after his unDursleyish parents if not 
properly stamped upon, starved and generally bullied.

Aunt Petunia looked as though she might faint.  She sank into the chair 
beside Dudley, her face in her hands.  The remains of the envelope 
smoldered into ash in the silence.
"What is this?" Uncle Vernon said hoarsely. "What - I don't - Petunia?"
Aunt Petunia said nothing.  Dudley was staring stupidly at his mother, 
his mouth hanging open.  The silence spiraled horribly.  Harry was 
watching his aunt, utterly bewildered, his head throbbing fit to burst.
"Petunia, dear?" said Uncle Vernon timidly. "P-Petunia?"
She raised her head. She was still trembling. She swallowed.
"The boy - the boy will have to stay, Vernon," she said weakly.
"W-What?"
"He stays," she said. She was not looking at Harry.  She got to her 
feet again.
"He ... but Petunia ..."
OotP, A Peck of Owls

The scene goes on in this vein.  It is clear that Vernon hasn't the 
faintest idea what is going on.  Petunia makes the decision that Harry 
must stay, and it is to Petunia that the Howler is addressed.  Petunia 
is the on commanded to "REMEMBER MY LAST".  But what transpires 
immediately prior to the Howler is even more telling of Vernon's 
ignorance.

OotP, A Peck of Owls
"He must have sent them," Harry said quietly, more to himself than to 
Uncle Vernon.
"What's that? Who must have sent them?"
"Lord Voldemort"
He registered dimly how strange it was that the Dursleys, who flinched, 
winced, and squawked if they heard words like "wizard," "magic," or 
"wand", could hear the name of the most evil wizard of all time without 
the slightest tremor.
"Lord - hang on," said Uncle Vernon, his face screwed up, a look of 
dawning comprehension in his piggy eyes. "I've heard that name .. that 
was the one who ..."
"Murdered my parents, yes," Harry said dully.
"But he's gone," said Uncle Vernon impatiently, without the slightest 
sign that the murder of Harry's parents might be a painful topic to 
anybody. "That giant bloke said so. He's gone."
....
"He's back," said Harry heavily.
....
"Hang on," said Uncle Vernon, looking from his wife to Harry and back 
again, apparently dazed and confused by the unprecedented understanding 
that seemed to have sprung up between them. "Hang on.  This Lord 
Voldythingy's back, you say."
"Yes."
"The one who murdered your parents."
"Yes."
"And now he's sending dismembers after you?"
"Looks like it," said Harry.
"I see," said Uncle Vernon, looking from his white-faced wife to Harry 
and hitching up his trousers.  He seemed to be swelling, his great 
purple face stretching before Harry's eyes. "Well, that settles it," he 
said, his shirt straining as he inflated himself, "*you can get out of 
this house, boy!"

Vernon then rants for several paragraphs, citing previous provocations 
- Aunt Marge bobbing around on the ceiling, that flying Ford Anglia.  
He gives no indication that he has ever understood until that moment 
that Harry was in any danger from anyone in the WW.  Why does Vernon 
only now realize that allowing Harry houseroom may pose a danger to his 
family?  Furthermore, he seems completely unaware that, so long as 
Harry stays in the house, he is protected.  The basic terms of the 
sealed pact - that Harry is in danger, which is why he must stay with 
the Durlseys, because, so long as he stays in the house he is protected 
there - are evidently unknown to Vernon Dursley.

In fact, it is possible that Vernon's only source of information about 
Harry's special circumstances in the WW comes from what Hagrid said to 
Harry in the Hut on the Rock.  It certainly seems that Petunia has not 
discussed Voldemort with him.  With the sole exception that he knew 
Harry was in need of "stamping out", Vernon has never made any 
indication to suggest that he knows more than what Harry or Hagrid have 
said in his presence.  We don't even know for sure that the car-crash 
story was not also told to Vernon.  And while Petunia responds to the 
return of Lord Voldemort with an inkling of what this means, Vernon has 
to struggle to even remember who Lord Voldemort is.  It seems that 
Vernon knows only what he needs to know to behave towards Harry as he 
does.

What did Petunia tell Vernon about the sudden appearance of their 
nephew?  Probably very little.  Vernon already knew that something was 
going on because the day before Harry appeared, he had heard whispers 
of the Potters, saw strange people in cloaks and was being stalked by a 
literate cat.  Petunia certainly told him that the Potters were dead 
and that they were stuck with Harry.  If he asked why the couldn't just 
send the boy to an orphanage, I doubt Petunia would have needed to give 
much reason.  She certainly gave little explanation for Harry's 
continued residence even after the Dementor attack, and Vernon seemed 
bewildered but did not argue.  Perhaps she told him that otherwise the 
neighbors would talk.  It seems clear that Petunia and Vernon agreed 
then that Harry's magical abilities should be squashed out of him, and 
that they should keep him as downtrodden as possible in hopes of 
accomplishing this.  Petunia certainly had never feigned any affection 
for Harry.  He has never needed to understand that there is another 
reason his nephew lives at Privet Drive.

After the Howler arrives, Vernon is left stammering in confusing at the 
unexpected and inexplicable change of heart on the part of his wife.   
He evidently does not know of the pact between Petunia and Dumbledore 
because Petunia has not told him in the 14 years since it was sealed.  
Although Dumbledore originally left his letter for both of the 
Dursleys, he now seems to know that it is Petunia alone that he is 
dealing with.  It is to Petunia that he addressed his Howler, and of 
Petunia alone that he speaks when he explains the pact to Harry in 
OotP.  Why is Petunia keeping the pact a secret from Vernon?

Edinburgh festival interview, August 14 2004:
Q: Is Aunt Petunia a Squib?
A: Good question.  No, she is not, but - [Laughter].  No, she is not a 
Squib.  She is a Muggle, but - [Laughter].  You will have to read the 
other books.  You might have got the impression that there is a little 
bit more to Aunt Petunia than meets the eye, and you will find out what 
it is.  She is not a squib, although that is a very good guess. Oh, I 
am giving a lot away here.  I am being shockingly indiscreet.

But, there is another question to ask first: why did Petunia agree?  
Especially as it does seem that she was aware of the possibility of 
danger to herself, Vernon or Dudley as a consequence of doing so.  She 
knew on the morning she took Harry and sealed the pact that an evil 
wizard had killed her sister and brother-in-law, destroyed their home, 
and that their orphan son was in grave danger.  A danger so severe that 
only allowing him houseroom with her family could ensure his safety 
(Dumbledore tells Harry that this was explained in the letter).  When 
Dumbledore sends a Howler to Privet Drive ("REMEMBER MY LAST, PETUNIA" 
OotP, A Peck of Owls), he does so because he "suspected the dementor 
attack might have awoken her to the dangers of having you as a 
surrogate son."  /Awoken./  1.  To rouse from sleep; waken.  2.  To 
stir the interest of; excite.  3.  To stir up (memories, for example).  
Why, in spite of danger, and grudging, furious, unwilling and bitter 
feelings towards her nephew, does she take Harry and seal the pact?  
Why does she take him when she "doesn't give a damn -" about Harry?  
Why does she enter into an agreement that seems to terrify her, and 
into a relationship with Dumbledore, a powerful wizard, that is hardly 
amicable in nature:

OotP, A Peck of Owls
  "An awful voice filled the kitchen, echoing in the confined space, 
issuing from the burning letter on the table.
REMEMBER MY LAST, PETUNIA.
Aunt Petunia looked as though she might faint.  She sank into the chair 
beside Dudley, her face in her hands.  The remains of the envelope 
smoldered into ash in the silence.
"What is this?" Uncle Vernon said hoarsely. "What - I don't - Petunia?"
Aunt Petunia said nothing.  Dudley was staring stupidly at his mother, 
his mouth hanging open.  The silence spiraled horribly.  Harry was 
watching his aunt, utterly bewildered, his head throbbing fit to burst.
"Petunia, dear?" said Uncle Vernon timidly. "P-Petunia?"
She raised her head. She was still trembling. She swallowed.
"The boy - the boy will have to stay, Vernon," she said weakly.
"W-What?"
"He stays," she said. She was not looking at Harry.  She got to her 
feet again.
"He ... but Petunia ..."

And then, why doesn't she tell her husband, Vernon - her stalwart, 
walrus-mustachioed protector from most things magical?

If she has taken in Harry because she promised Lily, or feels obligated 
to honor her sister in death, then why keep it a secret?  (It very 
unlikely that Lily would have wanted Harry raised by Petunia and 
Vernon, or that she would have asked her sister to care for Harry in 
the event of her death. This seems instead to have been Dumbledore's 
choice, by his own recounting of events.)  Likewise, if Petunia has 
taken in Harry only because otherwise he would die, or because the 
protection placed on Harry also protects the Dursleys - why not tell 
Vernon?  Personally, I agree with Harry that Petunia doesn't give a 
damn about him.  She's not just the muggliest muggle, she's a Dursley.  
She certainly has treated him horribly, or completely ignored him, 
throughout any and all interactions in canon.  She is virtually absent 
between PS and OotP, letting Vernon do the bullying, and simply 
starving Harry and maintaining a stony silence when not pursing her 
lips and chewing her tongue.  Does she care if Harry lives or dies?  
Maybe.  Vernon is the one who is always hoping Harry will get the death 
penalty, or some such.  It is, of course, possible that Petunia took 
Harry only because otherwise he would die.  It is also possible that 
Dumbledore merely promised that the Dursleys would be protected, given 
the additional risks they were incurring by taking Harry in.  But then 
why make a "pact" and keep it a secret from Vernon?

Vernon tries to throw Harry out in OotP.  Why try to throw him out in 
the first place if there is a "pact" to keep the family safe from just 
this kind of situation?  He acts, instead, as if he has only just 
realized that Harry poses a considerable threat to the Dursley family 
by his associations with the WW, LV in particular.  He certainly does 
not act as if this eventuality was one he anticipated, had planned for, 
or had allowed Harry to live with his family for years for the reason 
of averting such a distaster.  While Petunia might have a heart of gold 
under her angry exterior - if she took Harry in to protect him - there 
is just no reason to keep it a secret from Vernon.  Vernon has always 
known that Harry is a wizard, and that Lily and James had been a witch 
and a wizard.  Why is Petunia keeping the terms of this terrifying 
agreement secret from Vernon?  Certainly not because it pertains to the 
magical world - because Vernon already knows about magic, witches and 
wizards.

There also seems to be no evidence to suggest that the Dursley's, if 
they had not taken Harry in, would have needed protection after 
Voldemort's fall, or that it had been provided prior.  And if Petunia's 
motive was the protection of the family, less secrecy and anti-wizard 
feeling might have been one expected result.

OotP, The Lost Prophecy, again:
"But she took you," Dumbledore cut across him.  "She may have taken you 
grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, yet still she took you, 
and in doing so, she sealed the charm I placed upon YOU [Harry].  Your 
mother's sacrifice made the bond of blood the strongest shield I could 
give YOU [Harry]."  - my caps

This seems to me that Lily's sacrifice was used by Dumbledore to 
protect Harry, and Harry alone.  I do not see any evidence to suggest 
that the Dursleys ever were in danger prior to Voldemort's fall.  The 
only reason they could possibly be in danger now is because they have 
taken in Harry.  If they had not taken in Harry, they would not be in 
any danger.  Further, I do not imagine that Dumbledore would fail to 
protect them, even if they did not take in Harry, if they had been in 
any independent danger after the fall of LV.

The Dursleys are protected at Privet Drive because Harry is so well 
protected at Privet Drive.  But the reason that that protection is 
necessary, because they have taken in Harry, is not a reason TO take in 
Harry, follow?

And again, if the deal is meant to keep the Dursley's safe - why is it 
a secret from Vernon?  Why do the Dursleys (even being Dursleys) 
continue to fear wizards if they are under the protection of Albus 
Dumbledore.  In fact, it seems that Vernon has never even heard of 
Albus Dumbledore prior to the Hogwarts letters and his meeting with 
Hagrid in PS.  "I will not pay to have some crack-pot old fool teach 
him magic tricks!"  Hardly a way to refer to the family protector.  
Let's look at it logically (is that Lavender Brown wailing in the 
background?): if the pact was that Dumbledore was protecting the 
family, and Vernon knew that this was why they had taken in Harry, he 
would either a) be more impressed by Dumbledore because he believed he 
was being protected or b) if he thinks Dumbledore is a crack-pot old 
fool, he wouldn't keep Harry, because the protection Dumbledore was 
providing would be considered useless.

And what is Dumbledore's "LAST"?  Why is he sending Petunia Howlers 
that mystify Vernon?  Why is Petunia so terrified by his message?  
These are not events consistent with the idea of a simple protection 
pact.

To sum up what we know already, Petunia entered into a terrifying pact 
with Dumbledore and has kept it a secret from her husband for nearly 15 
years.  She did so although she has never given any sign that she cares 
for Harry, and in spite of considerable risk to her own family.

That must have been one persuasive letter.  How else could Dumbledore 
have felt confident enough to merely leave Harry on a doorstep, with 
only a letter for persuasion?  He must have known enough to make him 
certain that his terms would be accepted.  And, we are assured he knows 
what he is doing.  When Professor McGonagall expresses shock and 
outrage on hearing the nature of Dumbledore's errand (PS, The Boy Who 
Lived), mentioning the dubious character of the inhabitants of 4 Privet 
Drive, Dumbledore does not express surprise.  He knew already what the 
Dursley's were like, and knew that he was "condemning [Harry] to ten 
dark and difficult years." (OotP, The Lost Prophecy)

"You might ask - and with good reason - why it had to be so."  What is 
the nature of the pact between Petunia and Dumbledore?  We know, 
because Dumbledore has now explained to Harry, what he gained by the 
pact.  Harry is somehow protected from physical harm (if not 
psychological abuse), by Voldemort,  his followers, and probably even 
muggles like Uncle Vernon when he is at 4 Privet Drive.  It seems that 
this facilitated protection for Harry is sufficient reason for the pact 
on Dumbledore's side, and there may be little else he expects of 
Petunia.  Clearly, kind treatment of Harry was not part of the bargain, 
as Dumbledore is keenly aware of Harry's mistreatment at the hands of 
the Dursleys, including Petunia.  Although he disapproves, he rarely 
intervenes ("Harry Potter, The Cupboard Under the Stairs/The Smallest 
Bedroom/ The Floor...").

But what is Petunia getting?

I doubt Dumbledore resorted to threats, falsehoods or deception in his 
letter (although a bit of Peter Rabbit trickery would seem fitting).  
He also seems to have intended the letter for both Dursleys, although 
Petunia keeping it a secret, and he now seems to regard it as a pact 
between himself and Petunia alone.  We can only guess at the nature of 
the pact for Petunia, but certain antecedents are available for logical 
inference.

First of all, Ms. Rowling both loves and hates the Dursleys.  She 
enjoys writing about them:

16 November 2000 Dateline Harry Pottermania in Vancouver, with J.K. 
Rowling
  `I like torturing them,` said Rowling. `You should keep an eye on 
Dudley. It’s probably too late for Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. I 
feel sorry for Dudley. I might joke about him, but I feel truly sorry 
for him because I see him as just as abused as Harry. Though, in 
possibly a less obvious way. What they are doing to him is inept, 
really. I think children recognize that. Poor Dudley. He’s not being 
prepared for the world at all, in any reasonable or compassionate way, 
so I feel sorry for him. But there’s something funny about him, also. 
The pig’s tail was irresistible.`

Q: Which character do you most enjoy writing for?
  A:Good question... Gilderoy Lockhart was loads of fun, but he was a 
bit of a one-joke character, and I think I did as much as I could with 
him. I love writing Hagrid and the Dursleys, too oh, and Fred and 
George,all of them, now I come to think of it.

And, of course, her recent comments that Petunia may be more than she 
now seems.

Edinburgh festival interview, August 14 2004:
Q: Is Aunt Petunia a Squib?
A: Good question.  No, she is not, but - [Laughter].  No, she is not a 
Squib.  She is a Muggle, but - [Laughter].  You will have to read the 
other books.  You might have got the impression that there is a little 
bit more to Aunt Petunia than meets the eye, and you will find out what 
it is.  She is not a squib, although that is a very good guess. Oh, I 
am giving a lot away here.  I am being shockingly indiscreet.

But she also singled out Uncle Vernon as the character she most 
dislikes!

J.K. Rowling's World Book Day Chat: March 4, 2004
LRGS School: Which character do you most dislike ?
JK Rowling replies -> Probably Uncle Vernon.

Although I believe Vernon is very, very nasty - I was shocked that she 
dislikes him more than, say, Lucius Malfoy, or Peter Petegrew, or even 
- as this particular chat was conducted after OotP, Dolores Umbridge.

Aside from the JKR's feelings about the Dursleys (and they are shared 
by the overwhelming majority of her readers), there is the character of 
Dumbledore to consider.  The terms of the pact must fit with 
Dumbledore's character.  While he might do many things to ensure 
Harry's safety - the man has "style".  Many things that the Dursleys 
might want, would probably be things that Dumbledore would be unwilling 
to give in this situation.  For example, could you imagine him offering 
Petunia money for the 16 years of abuse, hand-me-downs and wilted 
salads she had provided? It lacks the twinkling-eyed karmic come-upance 
I would expect from both Dumbledore and JKR.  While the Dursleys may 
want money, we don't want them to have it.  While the bargain must be 
for something Petunia deeply wants, it must also be something that the 
rest of us will find somehow just, or even sad, in ultimate reality.

In fact, it seems unlikely to me that Dumbledore has agreed to give her 
anything that he feels would be valuable (except with the possible 
exception of something that could help to redeem Petunia).  Dumbledore 
is fully aware of her treatment of Harry and does not approve of it.  
His small expressions of disapproval ("Harry Potter, The Cupboard Under 
the Stairs/The Smallest Bedroom/ The Floor...") suggest he is unlikely 
to consider her kindly.  He certainly does not bother to argue the 
point when Harry claims that Petunia doesn't give a damn about him.  
The pact between Petunia and Dumbledore does not seem to be an amicable 
one.  It may also be possible that whatever Petunia will get is some 
sort of sacrifice on Dumbledore's part.  He is clearly willing to 
sacrifice a great deal for Harry, and this pact is apparently very 
important to him.

Whatever it is must find someway to account for the Howler, "REMEMBER 
MY LAST, PETUNIA".  Whose last what?  This is so vague and impenetrable 
that this deal must be a heart-stopper.  JKR is unwilling to reveal 
even the slightest hint of what it might be in that message.
	
Finally, there is the fact that Petunia has not revealed the nature of 
the bargain to Vernon.

The proposed bargain must be consistent with all of these factors.  I 
believe there are at least two plausible possibilities for Petunia's 
end of this deal.  The first is that she is to receive something that 
she wants very badly but is also afraid to admit to Vernon.  The second 
is that the pact concerns a secret, one that she wants never discovered 
by her husband and son.

Let's consider the first possibility.  We know that very little has 
changed at Privet Drive between that dull grey Tuesday and the morning 
of Dudley's 11th birthday - nearly 10 years later.  If the deal were 
that Petunia would receive something she did not have at the time the 
pact was sealed, then she probably hasn't got it yet.  Petunia may get 
her bargained reward when Harry comes of age or if, as many have 
speculated - Dumbledore is not long for this world, then at the time of 
his death. And whatever "it" is, it must satisfy the criterion of 
seeming a fitting bargain to Dumbledore and JKR.  I would imagine this 
falling into the "be careful what you wish for" category.

My first, gut feeling was that this bargain concerns Petunia and 
magical powers.  For example, that she would be given some, or all, of 
Dumbledore's magical ability when he dies.   Would Petunia want this 
when she has professed to hate magic, and clearly fears it?  Many have 
suggested that Petunia's vociferous hatred of magic is mostly sour 
grapes, jealousy of Lily, and fear of Vernon's disapproval.  It may 
also be, in part, motivated by fear of her helplessness in the magical 
world.  Magical ability might well appeal to Petunia.

This would probably be a sacrifice on Dumbledore's part.  It would be 
consistent with keeping the pact secret from Vernon.  And while I doubt 
many of us would cheer if Aunt Petunia suddenly had or found magical 
powers, I could see this as akin to a leprechan's promise.  In other 
words, if this were the deal, Dumbledore knows that the result will not 
be what Petunia expects.  He may even know that all the magical ability 
in the world would avail her but little.  There is a slim chance, given 
the most recent comments by JKR, that Petunia already IS magical.  If 
so, she must be somehow blocked, perhaps by the sad failings of her 
character.  And, of course, he would have to be fairly certain she 
would not be able to use her powers for evil. So, there is only one way 
I could see Dumbledore making a pact with Petunia that would result in 
her having magical ability - if he knows she will either not be 
rewarded by this, or will be redeemed by it.  If there is some subtle 
trickery in their pact, it might be that Dumbledore could give her all 
of the magical ability in the world, but that for some reason Petunia 
could make little use of it.

Another possibility is that what Petunia is getting from this pact is a 
secret.  A secret that is kept from, or for, Vernon.  The Dursleys live 
on Privet Drive (i.e., private, a secret).  And "The Dursleys had 
everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest 
fear was that somebody would discover it."  If anyone knows the secret, 
it would be Aunt Petunia.  The most consistent description of her 
characteristics is that she is "the nosiest woman in the world".  So, 
it is possible that the secret Petunia is keeping from Vernon (and 
everyone else), the secret that perhaps (among the living) only 
Professor Dumbledore also knows - is her reason for agreeing to the 
pact.  By doing so, she is assured that Dumbledore will keep her 
secret.  I can only imagine what this might be.  However, there is one 
other small detail which may pertain to this secret hypothesis:

"And what the ruddy hell are dementors?"
"They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban," said Aunt Petunia.
Two seconds ringing silence followed these words and then Aunt Petunia 
clapped her hand over her mouth as though she had let slip a disgusting 
swear word.  Uncle Vernon was goggling at her.  Harry's brain reeled.  
Mrs. Figg was one thing - but Aunt Petunia?
"How d'you know that?" he asked her, astonished.
Aunt Petunia looked quite appalled with herself.  She glanced at Uncle 
Vernon in fearful apology, the lowered her hand slightly to reveal her 
horsey teeth.
"I heard - that awful boy - telling her about them - years ago," she 
said jerkily.
...
[Harry] was astounded that [Aunt Petunia] had remembered this scrap of 
information about the magical world for so long, when she usually put 
all her energies into pretending it didn't exist.
(OotP, A Peck of Owls)

Given the scarcity of information we have been given about Aunt 
Petunia, this little detail seems of import.  Perhaps the secret in 
some way involves Dementors - and Petunia has good reason to remember 
this particular detail very well.

It does not seem that she has any personal experience with a Dementor, 
as she does not seem to recognize Dudley's symptoms.  And it does not 
seem like Dumbledore's style to threaten her, or suggest that if she 
goes against her pact, she'll be sent to Azkaban.  So, here is were 
speculation begins to stretch credibility, but I'll just follow the 
logic (which, given inaccurate or incomplete antecedents, can be a sad 
sight - witness Sirius Black's fate or Hermione's midget Easter Egg).  
Petunia did something prior to Lily's death that could have been 
punishable by a sentence in Azkaban (assuming, of course, that muggles 
like Petunia may be tried according to wizard law for crimes 
within/against the magical community).  Her crime would have been 
shameful, and having to do with her nosy or spying habits, or with her 
relationship to Vernon - but probably cannot be so bad as to make her, 
for example, culpable in the death of her sister.   Dumbledore has 
promised to keep her secret, provided she keeps Harry.  This, for him - 
seems like perfect justice - we know he disapproves of Dementors anyway 
and in this way is giving her nothing that she did not already have 
(except in her own mind).  And Petunia, by living her life as she is - 
may be inflicting a punishment on herself nearly as terrible.


So, to conclude, Petunia is keeping a very big secret and it has to do 
with the pact she sealed by giving Harry the protection of her house.  
What it is can only be guessed at now, but recent comments by the 
author suggest that we will discover there is more to Petunia than it 
now seems.

Cheers,
Caesian

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