The Dursleys (was many other subjects) long

[Tonks]

No: HPFGUIDX 124607


I am really getting tired of all of these discussions about the 
Dursleys, but since it is never going to die, I would like to 
suggest that we try a new approach. Not please understand me I am 
not arguing in their defense, but let's put ourselves in their shoes 
and try to understand them. When I was a little girl my mother told 
me to imagine how the other person would feel and I think that this 
ability has helped me understand some otherwise nasty people. So 
let's have a go at this:

You are a Muggle woman with a husband that hates magic and is afraid 
of magic. Maybe you have seen terrible things and you husband has 
heard the stories. He wants to protect you and his son. As a husband 
and father it is his duty to protect you both and he takes this very 
seriously.  Your sister and her husband die young, a terrible death 
at the hands of the most evil person known. LV is not your usual 
criminal, he is a 
 a
   you can't even say the word it is sooooo 
scary
  he is a Wizzz
  wizzz
 wizard.  Magic is scary and dangerous 
and now your only sister has been murdered by magic.  

Some of *her kind* bring your nephew to your home and place him on 
your doorstep.  You find him in the morning with a note.  The note 
tell you that little Harry is in danger and he must stay with you to 
be safe. (Perhaps it even says how important he is to the world, or 
at least that the wizards want him to grow up in a humble 
environment.) You are scared for yourself and your own child and for 
your husband too. If the really bad wizards are looking for Harry, 
they will find you too. And a bad wizard is worse than a vengeful 
god. Very, very scary indeed!! But being a moral woman you accept 
your duty to your sister and take Harry in.  

Your husband wants to put him out, but you insist that you can't do 
that. You can't let a child, your own flesh and blood die. Maybe the 
wizard that left the note promised some kind of protection for you 
and your family for taking Harry in.  Anyway, here you have this 
child. A magical child. You must hide his magic to keep him safe and 
help him to live like something other that a freak in the Muggle 
world. 

Where is the safest place to hide him?  Humm
  the cupboard under 
the stairs. If they come for him they will not think to look there. 
No one would put anything *special* and valuable there. And as a 
little kid he would have his bed and a quite place to play. 
(Cupboards under the stairs are rather large, really folks, and fun 
for little kids.)

The boy grows up a bit. Maybe when he is really happy he does some 
sort of involuntary magic so you try to keep that from happening. 
You and your husband, especially your husband, try to keep the magic 
in him from coming out. You do not want to draw attention. You do 
not want the neighbors to start talking about the *usual* Potter 
boy. The wrong (dangerous) people might find out where he was.

If you keep him quiet, low key, almost invisible you will keep him 
and your family safe.  Also the boy must grow up to live as a 
Muggle. You have to stamp the magic out of him so he can fit into 
the world in which he will now have to live. You are doing what you 
believe to be the right thing. You think that sometimes your husband 
is a bit hard on the boy, but he is just doing his best under the 
cirmstances so you say nothing.  Nothing that is until something 
happens to put the boy's live in danger again. Then you tell your 
husband *the boy must stay*.  You are very, very afraid for your own 
family as well. That wizard that wrote the Holler is scary too, so 
you do what you are told.  Magic is a very, very dangerous thing. 
What is a poor, simple, defenseless Muggle woman to do??  

Now really I don't want an answer to that. Just look at it through 
Petunia's eyes. Think of your own family. Think of scary people that 
are like the Nazis, and then add the element of magic to that.  Who 
among you would risk your own family to take little Harry in?  It is 
easy to criticize the Dursleys when you are not in their shoes. But 
what if you *really* were??  Again I don't want an answer here.  I 
just want people to really, really think about this. Put yourself in 
Petunia or Vernon's place for a day. ;-)

Tonks_op