Etiquette WAS Re: polite Dumbledore?

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 142696

 
> > Valky:
> > I am under the impression that had Petunia refused with absolute
> > certainty other arrangements would be made for Harry. If that were
> > to happen though it would be highly dangerous for everyone so I
> > assume a lot of Dumbeldore's forebearance was because he didn't
> > want to force that upon them.
> 
> Jen: I hope getting more information on why Petunia agreed to take 
> Harry in the first place(and the WW intrusions as part of the 
> package) will more fully explain both the Howler and Dumbledore's 
> visit. The new light cast on these events could make Dumbledore's 
> visit more ominous, i.e. we discover he more or less forced Petunia 
> to take Harry and used fear as a weapon, or it could explain why he 
> felt the right to impose on the Dursleys, if Petunia agreed in 
> exchange for something she valued.
> 
> Valky went on to say later in her post: "The whole thing hints to me 
> that it suited Petunia no less, but I could be wrong" and this 
> echoes my thoughts. Until we know what was in the letter left on the 
> doorstep and the letters Dumbledore sent *only* to Petunia prior, I 
> won't be convinced Petunia didn't invite the WW into her home. 
> 
> Otherwise it simply doesn't fit! We have no motive for Petunia to 
> make this extraordinary move, no love for Lily or Harry or because 
> she wishes the best for the magical world, lol. The only halfway 
> decent motive we used to have was fear, yet Vernon and Petunia were 
> not at all fearful to raise Harry as an invisible & unwanted son, 
> withold his heritage and family information from him, and attempt to 
> keep him from attending Hogwarts. They did not follow the wishes 
> Dumbledore spelled out in the letter at ALL and suffered no 
> repurcussions. Fear as a motive weakened considerably for me after 
> HBP.
> 
> Jen, trying to decide if Petunia took Harry in to protect the ones 
> she does love, or because Dumbledore offered her magical cleaning 
> skills in return. ;)
>

Valky again:
I'd love to expound on these thoughts Jen! Thanks! <g>

What I think I am seeing as per Petunia's rant about *P*(spit)erfect
Lily in Philosophers stone, her recollection of wizard things, what I
see as strong hints that Vernon harbours the most anti-magic sentiment
*for* his family while his wife and son seem just to follow suit, plus
the things that you mention above Jen - is that Petunia has secreted
inside herself a hidden desire to be part of the WW all her life. 

Just speculatively I am imagining Petunia as a young girl with a
*special* sister, using my own feelings I am getting the sense that as
a girl Petunia might have been fascinated and even mildy enamoured of
the secret special society Lily belonged to. I think every girl has
the 'princess dream' when they are young, right? The Wizard World is
shrouded in mystery and intrigue, it wouldn't be strange, I'd think,
to discover that Petunia had once romanticised the Wizard World and
hoped deep down for her little part in it to come someday.

If this was the case, then it follows that taking Harry in offers
Petunia a dream come true in itself. Her own little secret to keep,
just like Lily had, a letter from the little secret world that she is
connected to, again like Lily. Although she is older now and outwardly
she presents her very diginified Muggle persona, could it be so
unusual that inside her little princess persona doesn't want her to
let go of her fantasy. 

Although this is where my thoughts are heading, I honestly wouldn't
find it surprising if Dumbledore gave her the key to a little magic of
her own into the bargain. I am sure that everything that keeps
Petunia's dream of being a part of the magic world alive would be
valuable to her, but I think that the most important thing of all
would be her secret admiration for Lily and the world Lily belonged to. 

I think this simplifies nicely the questions that are on both our
minds. Why did Petunia take Harry in, what is her personal connection
to the magic world, and what explains both these things while keeping
the visit in HBP and the Howler readable at face value? It takes us
back to the original theories we had before it was all complicated by
the OOtP Howler that Petunia was just a little jealous of Lily and
that she likes the notion of a magical world just a little more than
she lets on.

Valky