Petunia;well adjusted Harry

[kmcbears1]

No: HPFGUIDX 114133

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Hannah" <hannahmarder at y...> 
wrote:
> > > Leah wrote:
> > > 
> > > Judging by Petunia's treatment of Dudley, or Mummy's diddikins, 
> > > Petunia may well be one of those women who love the baby stage 
> but can't cope effectively with rearing children.  We also know 
that 
> >Vernon is Managing Director of the drill firm (can't remember its 
> > > name) and therefore presumably spent the early days of their 
> > marriage  concentrating on climbing the slippery pole at work.  
> This would give 
> > > Petunia plenty of opportunities to, as you say, do her baby 
care 
> bit with Harry (adding to Dudley's jealousy).  I suspect things got 
> > worse when Harry ceased to be a cute baby and therefore 
attractive 
> to Petunia, looked more  like James, impacted more on Vernon and of 
> > > course, started showing signs of that thing they didn't talk 
> about. 
> > 
> > Finwitch rplied:
> > Let's not forget that Harry probably got lots of love from his 
> > *parents* (being born on Last of July, 1980 and the Night 
> happening on the last of October 1981). That's a year and a half... 
> So he'd have the necessary touch-experience without Petunia.
> > 
> > Secondly, Petunia *screamed* when she saw Harry for the first 
> time. Not exactly a reaction of someone who'd actually care for 
> Harry!
> > 
> > Harry's magic could have cleaned/banished the nappie instead of 
> > Petunia changing him, and summoned food to Harry... (Dunno what 
> > Dudley saw with the Dementor, but his food flying to Harry's 
mouth 
> > from the spoon... I think that would upset Dudley?)
> 
> Hannah now: I agree with Leah on this one.  I'm not exactly 
standing 
> up for Petunia - it is undeniable that the Dursleys treated Harry 
> badly - but they must have provided at least some care for Harry, 
> for him to have survived.  Bear in mind that Petunia is obsessed 
> with appearances and what the neighbours think.  She isn't going to 
> be too cruel to a baby in her care.
> 
> To answer Finwitch, I would say that I would scream if I opened my 
> door in the morning and found a baby on my doorstep - from shock 
> rather than from any malice towards the child.  I think most people 
> would!
> 
> I doubt that Harry's magic was responsible for banishing any 
> nappies, or being his only means of getting food.  
> Harry's 'hysterical magic' seems to kick in when he is very 
> emotional or in danger, not for routine things like needing 
> changing.  And it does say in PS/SS (p92, UK paperback) that the 
> Dursley's had never starved Harry.  Never let him have as much as 
he 
> wanted, given his share of treats to Dudley, but not actually 
> starved him.
> 
> I agree that Petunia took in Harry as a baby, when he was at least 
> quite cute.  She probably had some sort of vicious pleasure in 
> thinking that she was taking over her sister's role, and that she 
> could bring the boy up, squashing the magic out of him. As he grew 
> up, she realised that it wasn't going to be as easy as all that.
> 
> She's a lot like Snape, in that she seems unable to put aside her 
> feelings about someone long dead (in her case Lily) and behave in 
an 
> adult way towards that person's child.  She hasn't moved on from 
her 
> childhood and adolescent emotions about her sister and magic. 
> Whatever else we find out about Lily and James, they must have been 
> very strong personalities to have such an influence on those who 
> knew them.

kmc adds:

IMO Petunia ignored Harry from day 1.  You just don't start treating 
a child like the Dursley's treated Harry at say age 3 or 4.  Don't 
forget the memories of the red bike and the fact that there have 
never been picuters of the other boy who lived in the house.

We have cannon that Harry was left with Arabella Figg when the 
Dursely's took Dudley out for his birthday treat.  IMO Mrs Figg came 
over and was sympathic about Petunia having two babies to care for 
and did Petunia want some assistance with caring for these babies.  
It is only as Harry became more self-sufficient that Petunia would 
need Mrs Figg less and less.  I have no cannon for this than the fact 
that Arabella was in the original Order and see made Harry look at 
pictures of her cats.  One of her cats was watching Harry in the 
beginning of OotP.  I think DD knew at lot about Harry's early 

At night, I think Vernon was the one who cared for Harry.  My cannon 
for this opinion is:
Vernon is the one who talks to Harry about behaving at the Zoo. 
(PS/SS)
Vernon is the one Harry asks to take him to Platform 9 3/4 (PS/SS)
Vernon is the person Harry goes to when he needs his form signed. 
(POA)
Vernon is the person who wakes up when there are noises in Harry's 
room. 

- kmc