On the other hand (was Re: Disliked Uncle Vernon)

[suehpfan]

No: HPFGUIDX 92745

> <snip  of posts by Geoff and Del>
> 
> Annemehr:
snip
> When Hagrid was trying to get Harry to believe he was a wizard, he
> said "Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"  It's
> the Dursleys who've been making Harry scared and angry enough to do
> reflexive magic.
> 
>snip of Kneazy's post
> Annemehr:
> snip
> I'll give you Dursley defenders the fact that they were *afraid* of
> taking in a wizard child.  But Harry would not have been constantly
> causing catastrophes in their lives; he grew up looking normal 
enough
> that he was able to roam the neighborhood and go to school and the
> secret never got out.  Nobody ever suspected a thing.  Besides, they
> weren't afraid to let their son hit Harry, and they weren't afraid 
to
> lock Harry into a cupboard.  The Dursleys could not have been living
> in such a constant state of terror that they were *unable* to see 
the
> innocent child who was living with them.
> 
> The thing that makes me dislike the elder Dursleys is that they 
could
> live with Harry for ten *years* by the beginning of PS/SS and never
> soften toward him at all.  That is extremely cold-hearted. 
snip> 
> Annemehr
> who wishes Umbridge and Luna would have come up in the Chat

Two things about these posts:

1.  All of the spoiling, coddling and babying the Dursleys did for 
Dudley never stopped him from getting angry.  As a matter of fact, 
most children (Dudley included) who live in indulgent homes become 
very angry people.  It works, they know all they have to do is get a 
little peeved and they get their way.  They also tend to grow up very 
fearful of people who are not in their circle.  Dudley may have been 
able to scare his friends, but I promise, he would have run up 
against at least *one* formidable teacher who would not have been 
afraid to tell the little Dudykins no.  I am sure he became quite as 
angry and/or afraid as Harry on more than one occaision. If there had 
been magic to use it would have come up.  

2.   The image of the baby Harry at the Dursley's is a very painful 
one for me.  I cannot imagine the depravity of two adults in a house 
with a parentless *baby* not being willing to meet his needs (both 
physical and emotional).  There is no excuse.  No level of fear 
creates a situation which can in anyway excuse this behavior.  

IMO, the Dursleys are awful.  That said, I would not be surprised if 
Petunia and Dudley do a little bit to redeem themselves before the 
end.  Vernon? Impossible.
Sue