Petunia;well adjusted Harry

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 114136

> kmc wrote:
> 
> 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. 
> 
Hannah now: What an interesting idea.  I don't know that I agree, 
though.  Vernon is always made out to be worse than Petunia, and JKR 
did make that statement about Vernon (not Petunia) being her least 
favourite character.  I think Harry asks Vernon things, such as 
about the form/ the trip to London, because Vernon is the 'head of 
the household' (bit of an old fashioned concept, but it does seem to 
be true of the Dursleys).  Petunia will normally defer to Vernon, 
and leave decisions to him.

I doubt Vernon did any 'night duty' with the babies, partly because 
they don't seem terribly enlightened about men doing 'women's jobs,' 
partly because Vernon has to go to work, whereas Petunia is a full 
time housewife, so it would make more sense for her to disrupt her 
nights to see to the babies.

I like the idea of Mrs Figg helping with Harry.  The only problem I 
have with it is why Harry doesn't have more memories of this, or a 
closer relationship with her.  And I agree the Dursleys wouldn't 
have suddenly changed their treatment of Harry.  I was thinking that 
they were never overly attentive to start with, and that their 
feelings about Harry deteriorated slowly over the ten years.

Hannah