Why did Petunia Dursley accept Harry at the beginning?

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 99652

> <Mariofett1187 at a...> wrote:
> > Dumbledore explains to Harry at the end of OoTP the magic 
> protecting 
> > him at Privet Drive-but why did Petunia accept the baby on her 
> > doorstep, when she and Vernon wanted nothign to do with Lily's 
> > family? 


 > AmanitaMuscaria now - I've presumed Dumbledore used 
some 'persuasion' 
> on Aunt Petunia - possibly also on Vernon? I suspect that's where 
the 
> missing day went - taken up in convincing the Dursleys to take 
Harry. 
> That's not to say they would remember anything about it, only some 
> sense that they _had_ to take Harry ... I suspect obliviate might 
> have removed the memory of the convincing, but left the 
compulsion? I 
> presume just doing an imperio on them wouldn't have worked - I get 
> the sense there's more to the 'ancient magic' than what could be 
> forced.

Jen: We know Petunia accepted Harry "grudgingly, furiously, 
unwillingly, bitterly" so she seemed fully aware of the contract she 
entered into and did it anyway. It makes you wonder, what did 
she/they get in return?  Vernon isn't going to do something for 
nothing! And remember how surprised/furious they were to see the 
letters from Hogwarts? They never expected to have contact with the 
magical community again. 

I don't know how it all fits together though, without Dumbledore 
either lying or performing magic on Muggles. I hope neither was the 
case and the Dursleys requested something Dumbledore agreed to with 
a very heavy heart, but agreed to nonetheless because so many lives 
were at stake.