What's in it for Petunia?

[greatelderone]

No: HPFGUIDX 93094

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Sean Dwyer <ewe2 at c...> wrote:
> I'm still bugged by Petunia's insistence that Harry stays. It 
doesn't
> make sense. Dumbledore as usual does NOT explain properly why she 
would
> - he doesn't REALLY say what his 'last' was, but I seriously doubt 
an
> explaination of a magic blood pact fits the picture. Vernon did 
what we
> would expect, Petunia should have even more reason to be rid of 
Harry.

And you are forgetting we are dealing with well rounded characters in 
the instance of Petunia while Vernon and Dudley are parodies and 
caricatures. Most likely she doesn't want him to die since Harry is 
his sister's son and secondly she raised him from a toddler to the 
age when he went to hogwarts so there must have been some motherly 
instinct within her in regards to Harry.

> Obviously she knows more than she's saying. There is nothing 
explicit
> about her being forced by the pact to act. She's in more danger with
> Harry around than not - Dudley may well be a Squib, as some have
> suggested, but that hardly gives her a motive to protect Harry.

Dudley isn't a squib. Squibs are non-magical children born of a 
magical parent. Neither Petunia or Vernon are magical. 

> What did Dumbledore REALLY threaten her with?
> 
> "Sean"

That she would have a hand in Harry's death if she threw him out? 
Really the woman isn't as cold blooded or evil compared to Vernon and 
Dudley. She actually has her redeeming qualities despite being weak.