The Dursleys and Harry: Neglect or abuse? /No Empathy

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 115056


> 
> Stefanie (making a reappearance!):
> "Harry paid dearly for his moment of fun. As neither Dudley nor the 
> hedge was in any way hurt, Aunt Petunia knew he hadn't really done 
> magic, but he still had to duck as she aimed a heavy blow at his 
> head with the soapy frying pan." (CoS 1 [pg 16 - Bloomsbury 
> Paperback])
> 
> In the whole beginning sequence of CoS, we see the Dursley's and 
> Harry at *breakfast* conversing about the Masons' visit, pause for 
> the obligitory back story, resume at breakfast, Harry v. Dudley 
> action, gets in trouble and is "[given] work to do, with the 
promise 
> he wouldn't eat again until finished," (CoS 1) and then we're told 
> that he finishes working at 7:30.
> 
> If this isn't abuse, I can't see what is. Here you have a twelve-
> year-old boy who is allowed a couple slices of bread at, let's 
round 
> it out at 8:30ish (Vernon *was* woken early by Hedwig), is put to 
> work that has "his back aching [and] sweat running down his face" 
> for about 11 hours and then is given a bit more bread and a lump of 
> cheese for dinner before being sent to his room to act non-
existant. 
> Not to mention the fact that Petunia seems to not think twice about 
> *aiming* at his head with a large, metal kitchen implement even 
> though she knows he's done nothing.
> 
> And this is just one book. And we're not getting into the 
disgusting 
> jail-cell he's put into later in the next chapter where he's living 
> on vegetable broth for three days with the intention of keeping it 
> up for another month.
> 
> Harry is certainly emotionally abused (can you really picture 
> Petunia hugging Harry at all as a child? comforting him when he was 
> scared or ill?), but it's clear he's physically abused, as well -- 
> The Dursley's intentionally cause Harry physical pain: back-
breaking 
> work, being used as a punching bag, intentional malnourishment... 
If 
> they simply left him to fend for himself, there may be a case for 
> neglect, but they're far too actively and deliberately invested in 
> the horrid situation for it to be left at that.

Finwitch:

Indeed. Harry is abused at and by the Dursleys. And let's not 
overlook the fact that Vernon tried to strangle him, but that somehow 
(magically) Harry became impossible to hold. Vernon Dursley has done 
*more* than just abused Harry - he tried to kill him! Still, they 
prefer ignoring Harry.

Snide remarks of Harry's parents - Vernon and Petunia *avoid* 
discussing them to the point of forbidding Harry to ask questions, 
whereas Marge insists on insulting them *to* Harry! As well as 
*literally* treating him worse than a dog! (giving him dog biscuits).

Marge is the one obliviated after Harry's uncontrolled magic turned 
her into a balloon. Vernon, Petunia and Dudley are not.

The little amount of decency from Vernon and Petunia towards Harry is 
forced by their fear of magic, because when they act *too* rashly, 
Harry will feel angry or scared and therefore, magic happens... I'd 
think they got the point before Harry was three.

Also, Dursleys have *not* taught about empathy to Harry nor to Dudley!
Quite the opposite - Vernon *encouraged* Dudley to hit Harry with his 
Smeltings stick, and is of the opinion the stick is *for* hitting 
people with! I pretty much doubt the Smeltings authorities think 
that... they're horrible. Dudley is a bully because his father made 
him to be one.

Finwitch