Why did Petunia Dursley accept Harry at the beginning?

[amanitamuscaria1]

No: HPFGUIDX 99683

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
> 
> bboy_mn:
> 
> As others have pointed out, I think 'what the neighbors would think'
> had a lot to do with it. Not to mention how difficult it would be to
> explain why the baby was there one day then gone the next.

AmanitaMuscaria now:
Harry was left on the Dursleys' doorstep wrapped up - unless he 
started squalling, I doubt anyone except Petunia initially knew it 
was a baby that had been left - '...he would be woken in a few hours' 
time by Mrs Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out 
the milk bottles ... '. My guess is that Petunia would have grabbed 
the bundle and shut the door quick, then looked to see what it was. 
The neighbours wouldn't have got a look in unless they were really 
dedicated curtain-twitchers.
> 
> But more importantly, I think it was a small degree of human
> compassion; alright, a very very small degree. It's one thing to say
> you don't want anything to do with that Potter family, but quite
> another to send a baby boy away to certain death.
> 

AmanitaMuscaria again : 
'... my dratted sister being what she was ... and then, if you 
please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!'
Doesn't sound like a lot of compassion there, does it? She's talking 
about her sister and nephew when she's under stress; I can't see that 
her response would have been any different if DD turned up on the 
doorstep to explain they should give Harry houseroom. I reckon 
Dumbledore used threats and bribery in large measure to get Harry in 
the door. 

> Logically, Dumbeldore would have explained the Blood Protection 
Spell
> to Petunia. She would have know that as long as Harry lived with 
her,
> he would be protected, and that the Dursley's, by association, would
> also be protected. Presented with this need to protect Harry's life,
> not just his comfort and general well-being, it would have been 
pretty
> cold hearted to send Harry away. 
> 
> If it we just a matter of comfort or discomfort, convinience or
> inconvinience, the Dursley's would have certainly sent him away, but
> would they be equally willing knowing that their decision would mean
> Harry's certain death? Quite a moral dilemma for the Dursley's.
> 
> Just a thought.
> 
> bboy_mn

AmanitaMuscaria again :
Well, Vernon certainly had no thought for Harry's safety after the 
Dementor episode. And I had the impression Petunia wasn't so much 
worried about Harry being killed, as responding to some sort of 
compulsion (no, not the neighbours talking - that was just an excuse 
to shut Vernon up). She wouldn't look at Harry while she told Vernon 
he had to stay, and it didn't seem to me, anyways, from that scene, 
that her concern was for Harry. I wonder if there was something about 
Vernon or Dudley, that Dumbledore pledged to do, that was the trade-
off?
Cheers. AmanitaMuscaria