Harry's summer in the 6th book

[bowlwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 100735

I think there's going to be an attack at Privet Drive this summer. 
And Vernon will die.

First, let me state some facts. I'll weave it all together after I 
list them. I apologize in advance for the length of this post.

We know a few things from JKR's chats:

1) Someone will learn magic at a late age 
2) This will be Harry's shortest stay at Privet Drive
3) We know that some of the professors have spouses

What we know from the books:

1) Harry will get his OWL's sometime during the summer
2) Dudley was able to sense the presence of the dementors 
3) Fudge was not certain that SQUIBS could see dementors
4) McGonagall was so adamant that Harry become an Auror that she said 
she would tutor him herself if he needed it
5) Snape only lets people with an O in Potions into his NEWT class
6) The Dursleys have spoiled Dudley rotton
7) A lot of child wizards first use their talents when they are 
scared and angry
8) Dumbledore has some hold over Petunia to guarantee that she will 
continue to offer Harry a home with her
9) Dementors were dispatched to Privet Drive by Umbridge to get rid 
of Harry
10) The dementors have joined VM
11) Harry must stay where his mother's sister calls home in order to 
continue to be protected

Here's the theory in a nutshell:

There will be an attack on the Dursley home during the summer by the 
Voldemort camp. VM will know where to strike because the of the 
inforamation provided from the dementors that Umbridge sent in OotP. 
During this attack, Vernon will die. We will discover that Dudley is 
a wizard, but DD and Petunia were keeping it a secret for 16 years. 
Harry will also get his OWL's and be one grade below Snape's 
acceptance criteria for NEWT Potions. Harry, Petunia and Dudley will 
go to stay with McGonagall for the duration of the summer, to protect 
Petunia and Dudley and so Harry can be tutored by her in Potions and 
join the NEWT Potions class in the fall. Because Petunia no longer 
owns a home and is a refugee with other wizards, the protection on 
Harry is no longer in effect for the following summer.

Here's my reasoning:

JKR said that someone will learn to do magic late in life. I believe 
that's Dudley. There's a lot of circumstantial evidence to back this 
up. First, Hagrid told Harry in PS/SS that he was a wizard. When 
Harry denied it, Hagrid asked if he had ever made strange things 
happen when he was scared or angry. The Dursley's have always made 
sure that Dudley was never upset or scared. During the first birthday 
of Dudley's we see, he was about to pitch a fit because he had 2 
fewer presents that the previous year. Petunia was quick to chime in 
and offer 3 more presents in order to placate him. Petunia is also 
always fawning over Dudders and trying to keep him "happy." I don't 
think Vernon has any idea, because he doesn't really fawn over 
Dudley. He just says stuff like "He's like his father, wants his 
money's worth" and spoils Dudley to make a differentiation between 
his son and Harry. He hates Harry, and what better way to abuse him 
than flaunt something under his nose.

I also think Dudley will do magic because of the Dementors scene in 
OotP. It was never stated if Dudley could SEE the dementors, and I 
think that's a very important omission on JKR's part. Dudley said 
everything went dark, he got very, very cold, he remembered awful 
things and he felt like he would never be happy again. Those are the 
exact symptoms wizards state when describing a dementor experience. 
Even Arabella Figg used almost the exact same words at Harry's 
Ministry hearing. At that time, Fudge inquired if SQUIBS could see 
dementors, to which Figg replied they could. In PoA when Lupin is 
describing the dementors to Harry, he uses the same descriptive 
phrases that Dudley uses, then says that Muggles can sense them, but 
only because they feel depressed. I think that dementors can only 
attack wizards, otherwise they would be running Muggles unable to 
protect themselves down by the droves. The fact that Dudley COULD 
describe the effects leads me to believe he's a wizard incognito.

I think hiding Dudley's ability is the reason that Petunia has been 
keeping Harry all this time. I speculate that in the letter DD left 
with Baby Harry, he stated that Dudley has the talent, gift, 
whatever. I think he struck a deal and told Petunia that if she kept 
Harry in her house, then he would not tell anyone of Dudley being a 
wizard and take him off the rolls for Hogwarts. He then proceeded to 
tell Petunia how to ensure that Dudley wouldn't spontaneously do 
magic as a child and then threatened to reveal Dudley's secret if she 
kicked Harry out. That was the point of DD's telegram in OotP, to 
remind Petunia if she broke her end of the bargain, then he would 
spill the beans about Dudley. If this is true, then it's likely that 
McGonagall knows, since she's the one in charge of the entrance 
roster.

Which leads me to the next point. There has to be some reason to 
reveal this. I think the way to do it is for VM to attack the Dursley 
home. He most likely knows where it is located because Umbridge sent 
dementors there during the summer before Harry's 5th year. Since the 
dementors have now gone over to VM, he has this information.

During this attack, I think Vernon will be killed. Vernon is one of 
JKR's least favorite characters and he is really adding nothing to 
the plot anymore. His death at the hands of VM would force Petunia to 
finally admit what she has been denying her whole adult life, that 
she can't escape from the wizarding world. With Vernon dead and her 
home destroyed, she will be forced to go into hiding because of her 
relationship with and the protection of Harry. In order to safeguard 
what's left of her family, I think Petunia will elect to hide out 
with wizards, and I believe McGonagall will be the one.

Harry will receive his OWLS this summer, and I think he will be one 
grade away from admittance to Snape's NEWT Potions class. In order to 
become an Auror, he needs NEWT Potions. McGonagall stated in OotP 
that she would tutor Harry if he needed it, and I think she'll make a 
deal with Snape to tutor Harry and if he's up to scratch by the 
beginning of school, Snape will let him in. The Snape/Harry 
relationship is too vital to the plot for Harry not to have a class 
with him, and since I doubt Snape will be teaching DADA anytime soon, 
Harry must be in the NEWT Potions class.

McGonagall will now need to tutor Harry as well as help protect 
Petunia and Dudley. McGonagall most likely knows about Dudley because 
she controlls the entrance rolls for the school. If a name was 
struck, then she probably did it. She's also a member of the OotP as 
well as Harry's Head of House, so she would be perfect for keeping 
tabs on the Dursleys. I think this will happen outside of Hogwarts, 
probably in the private residence of McGonagall. JKR stated that some 
professors have spouses, and since we've never seen/heard of them at 
Hogwarts, I assume they live off campus. This shows it's possible for 
McGonagall to have a house somewhere, and I bet that's where they'll 
wind up for the duration of the summer.

Implications for the summer before Harry's 7th year:

Because Petunia no longer has a home or husband and never had a job 
outside the home, I have a feeling she's going to be pretty 
destitute. Keeping Dudley spoiled and keeping up with the Joneses 
can't have been cheap, so I bet there's not a lot of spare cash, at 
least not enough to buy/rent a new dwelling. She may not even have 
enough to send Dudley back to school, if he even goes back after his 
5th year. I think she'll be on the run. I think the best poetic 
justice would be for she and Dudley to stay with the Weasleys during 
Harry's 6th year at Hogwarts. 

Because Petunia now has no home, Harry will no longer have the 
protection from VM. DD states, "You only need return there once a 
year, but as long as you can still call it home, there he cannot hurt 
you." If Petunia had another home of her own, then yes, Harry could 
go there and be protected. My theory is that Petunia won't, so the 
summer before Harry's 7th year will be an interesting one to say the 
least. He will have no safe house, no place of absolute refuge. Just 
in time for all heck to break loose.

bowlwoman