Many sleepless nights

[stickbook41]

No: HPFGUIDX 124940


Salit wrote:
<snip>
As for Harry, they [the Dursleys] clearly do not love it, are scared
to death that his true heritage and abilities will come to the surface
and believe that keeping him downtrodden will snuff his magical
ability. So from their perspective they are doing it for his own good.
I believe their attitude towards him is abusive but keeping him with
them is the lesser of two evils (the other being the risk to his life).


Carol adds:
Notice that they're afraid to leave Harry alone in the car or the
house. Petunia (IIRC) actually says, "And have him blow up the house?"
She, at least, is aware that the house at Godric's Hollow blew up, and
I think she's aware (through DD) that baby Harry somehow defeated
Voldemort at the age of fifteen months. They're quite literally
terrified of his power, afraid that they'll meet the same fate as
Harry's parents if Harry's magic is allowed to develop. No wonder they
want to squash it out of him.


stickbook, delurking:
I'm a big fan of the idea that Petunia knows way more than she lets
on, and was thrilled when she answered Vernon's question about the
dementors at the beginning of OotP.

Just to play devil's advocate, what if Petunia has another reasoning
behind her want to squash the magic out of Harry?  This is a woman who
watched her only sister disappear into the Wizarding World, which
eventually claimed her life in a violent and horrific way. Perhaps
there is something in Petunia that wants to *protect* Harry.  But why?

And what stopped the Dursleys from shuttling Harry off to the
orphanage?  They clearly won't keep anything near them that they don't
like.  My hypothesis: Petunia put her foot down.


-stickbook, who apologizes for not responding in a timely manner.