Harry's cupboard was Re: Theoretical boundaries

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 120552


> Alla:
> 
> Hmmm, I always thought that that exactly what happened - he 
was  stuck there since he was fifteen months old . Is there 
anything in  text that conradicts it? You are right though - we don't 
know one  way or another when it happened.<

Pippin:
I don't have all my books with me, but doesn't canon say that 
Harry spent the next few weeks after his arrival being pinched 
and prodded by Dudley? It would be hard for Dudders  to do that 
if Harry was in the cupboard all the time. In fact, locking Harry in 
seems to mean locking Dudley out -- could it be that the 
cupboard was originally meant to protect Harry from his cousin's 
predations?

Honestly, there are millions of children in the world right now 
surviving in living conditions far worse than Harry's at the 
Dursleys, who have been hungry every night of their lives and 
have no home at all, much less a heated, lighted cupboard, with 
a mattress, access to schooling and  books, glasses, television 
and newspapers. Harry is deprived only in relation to the spoiled 
and pampered Dudley.

It occurs to me that if ten year old Harry is in his cupboard all the 
time,  the only reason there are spiders in there is because 
Harry tolerates them -- otherwise he could sweep them out. 

Pippin