Dudley's development

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 92588

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Deb" <DBoyken at a...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ghinghapuss" 
<rredordead at a...> 
> wrote:
> > Geoff Bannister wrote:
> > ..and when Professor McGonagall objects to Harry being brought to 
> > the Dursleys, she remarks.....
> > > "And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all 
the 
> > way up the street, screaming for sweets."
> > > (same chapter p.15)

Deb:
> Unless, of course, Aunt Petunia was CARRYING Dudley down the street 
> so that he was kicking her directly (though, babies usually start 
> walking around 12 months, so he COULD have been walking himself)--
and 
> who said he had to be yelling in words, to be screaming for sweets? 
> He could have just been pointing to some candy his Mom had and, 
well, 
> screaming! 

Geoff:
Looking at one or two comments made by various posters, folks, 
this /is/ Mrs.Petunia Dursley, wife of the successful director of an 
engineering company. She would not be carrying her child down the 
street. (We were fairly ordinary folk and when our flock were at that 
age and we were out, they were in pushchairs - too darned heavy to 
carry for any length of time). Also, I can't see Petunia carrying 
little Dudley (little did I say?) and a bag of sweets at the same 
time; it wouldn't be quite the right thing in Privet Drive, now would 
it?...... Can I remind you of Fiona Shaw's analysis of the Dursleys 
which I quoted in message 92491?

If he was in a pushchair, then he wouldn't be in a position to kick 
Mum.

Also, on the question of speaking, by about 16 months, our children 
were possessed of a very small vocabulary, and many words would be 
quite indistinct.

I still think there's something odd about young DD.