Dumbledore & Dursleys- "Unwillingly" & Threat

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 123937


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Magda Grantwich
<mgrantwich at y...> wrote:
> 
> --- lupinlore <bob.oliver at c...> wrote:
> > 
> > And yet in your own quote, Magda, Dumbledore says, "she may
> > have....UNWILLINGLY...."
> > 
> > Do you think DD is using the word "willing" in a different sense
> > than what you mean?  Not being sarcastic, just asking.


> Yes, I do.  The question on this thread was whether Dumbledore had
> bribed or threatened the Dursleys in some way to make them take
> infant Harry into their home.  I meant "willing" in the sense that
> Petunia didn't have to be bribed or threatened.  She accepted the
> responsibility and wasn't happy about it one damn bit.
> 
> But she still did it willingly - in an unwilling way, of course.
> 
> Magda


bboyminn:

If my Mom makes me clean my room, I do so unwillingly, but I, none the
less, choose to do what she said.

I think that illustrates the nature of 'unwilling' in Dumbledore's
statement. Petunia preferred not to have anything to do with Harry.
She had a profound lack of interest in and desire to help Harry, she
was reluctant and hesitant, but finally chose to take Harry in.

un·will·ing - adj. 1. Not willing; hesitant or loath: unwilling to
face facts. 2. Done, given, or said reluctantly: unwilling consent.

will·ing - adj. 1. Disposed or inclined; prepared: I am willing to
overlook your mistakes. 2. Acting or ready to act gladly; eagerly
compliant 3. Done, given, accepted, or borne voluntarily or ungrudgingly.

Notice that in neither the definition of /willing/ or /unwilling/ is
there the implication of refusal; it's all about eagerness and
reluctance. 

In a sense, as others have tried to imply, we have a context shift
between Petunia /unwillingly/ taking Harry in, and her being
/unwilling/ to take him in. Again, the first implies a hesitance or
reluctants, the second implies a refusal.

 So, it is perfectly reasonable and logical to unwillingly willingly
do something; in other words, willingly do it with great reluctance.


On a separate but related issue, I think there was an implied threat
in the letter explaining to Petunia what happened at Godric's Hollow,
and why she needed to take Harry in.

But I don't think it was Dumbledore who was outwardly threatening
Petunia. In otherwords, Dumbledore wasn't saying, 'do this for me, or
else, I will do that to you'. I think the threat was more of an
implied general danger. In other words, it was a combination of the
Voldemort, Harry's parents death, and the general state of the world
that was the implied threat to Petunia.

Since, it appeared that someone was trying to wipe out the Potter
clan, and was likely to take the Evan clan out with it, Petunia had
ample reason to be afraid; ample reason to feel threatened. I will
admit, it may have been more paranoia than actual, but under the
circumstances, a little paranoia is a prefectly reasonable response.

I do think, that, while in the Dursley's house and on the Dursley's
grounds (yard, garden, lawn,...) the umbrella of Harry's protection
covers the Durselys, and that reasonable assumption could have been
part of what swayed the Dursleys to take Harry in. 

Knowing that there was this Dark Wizard out there who had kill
Petunia's sister, and knowing that taking Harry in would make the
Dursley's a protected place, it's reasonable to extent that to the
Dursleys thinking the protection of place would extent to them.

It may or may not be true, but I can easily see the Dursleys reaching
that logical conclusion.


I'm really hoping in the next book, Harry forces Petunia to sit down
and talk with him. I futher hope that Harry brow-beats her into
showing him the original letter from Dumbledore. At least, once we see
that letter, we'll have a better foundation to speculate from.

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn