[HPforGrownups] Re: Dumbledore the Counselor (was: Dumbledore the General)

[Magda Grantwich]

No: HPFGUIDX 124467


>>Lupinlore:
>>The only things we can ascribe Harry's so-called "good emotional 
>> health" to are:
>>1) poor writing on JKR's part,
>>2) sheer luck shining of Dumbledore's decisions.<
> 
> Betsy:
> How about, 3) A strange tendency on the part of some fans to
> grossly exaggerate Harry's treatment at the Dursleys.


Yup, works for me.

The Dursleys are jerks and were mean to Harry for over a decade. 
I'll take Vernon at his word when he says in PS/SS that they "swore
when we took him in we'd stamp it [magic stuff] out of him."  Like
Neville's loopy relatives trying to get the magic out of him, Vernon
and Petunia were trying to keep Harry's magic stuffed inside. 
Keeping him downtrodden was the strategy; if he was meek and humble,
he wouldn't be magicking.  When little incidents happened he got
punished because they probably saw it as something he did on purpose.

I really, really doubt that JKR wrote these books intending to gloss
over the issue of child abuse or to imply that child abusers are
simply comic relief.  Because that's what some posters are very close
to claiming.

If someone wants to write JKR a letter on this issue and post it back
to the list (and the entire HP fan world), that would probably be
doing everyone a huge favour.  

Magda (member in good standing of the
Dursleys-are-jerks-but-not-criminals club)

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