Dumbledore's Magnaminity

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 142998


> a_svirn:
> Well, it's not true either. Petunia did not accept the letter from a 
> presumptuous old man. She accepted her little orphaned nephew. 

Valky:
Well in that case "Remember my last" must have meant nothing to her.
Funny how Harry still lives there. 




> 
> > Valky:
> If they really did not want to be involved
> > the first step would be to not take Harry, as I have said. 
> 
> a_svirn:
> Rowling seems to give us an entirely different view of the matter. 
> Remember in PS:
> 
>  "But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we 
> don't want --" 
>  Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down 
> the kitchen. 
>  "No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an 
> answer... Yes, that's best... we won't do anything....
> "But --" 
>  "I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we 
> took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"
> 
> Looks like they took in their nephew but did not agree to have a 
> wizard around. 

Valky:
But as I have said twice, that is their own conflict of interests,
they confuse themselves because Harry *is* a wizard. By taking in a
Wizard boy with a view to interfering in his wizardness they are
taking a hand in Wizard affairs because it suits them. 

In simple terms three facts:

Harry *IS* a Wizard 
His affairs are Wizard Affairs 
The Dursleys took him in and meddled in his affairs.

Hence The Dursleys took wizard affairs into their home and meddled
with them to suit their purposes. It all very simply comes down to
their own stubborn stupidity and hypocrisy doesn't it.

Asa much as they say they want nothing to do with it, the fact remains
they have taken plenty upon themselves.




> a_svirn:
> Very well, lets do it blow-by-blow. "It could be said that from 
> Dumbledore's point of view, Petunia was grudgingly willing to claim 
> her acquaintance with the Wizard world"  No it couldn't. 


Valky:
:) Why not? Dumbledore says exactly this in OOtP.
Paraphrase - she may have taken you grudgingly, but she took you and
sealed the pact.



a_svirn:
> "She did so 
> and therefore Dumbledore is no stranger" No, she did not and yes, he 
> is. 

Valky:
But they made a pact, I don't think two people can be strangers after
that.



a_svirn:
> "They do have something to do with the Wizard world, and it's 
> not clear exactly why they do so when they don't want to". The only 
> thing they have in common with wizards is Harry and it's not by 
> their choice they share him with them. 


Valky:
No I'm afraid that makes an assumption that contradicts canon and most
definitely is *not* otherwise given. 
firstly - canon has it that Dumbledore leaves people to their own choices.
and secondly - we are not told that Petunia had no choice, you are
assuming that and I can't buy it because of first point - it
contradicts canon.

In all, I must say that it is not clear why Petunia: took Harry -
sealed the pact - joined the Wizard World, when she seems to be saying
she never wanted to, it should be made clear, I think, by the end of
the series. If threats and choicelessness clear it up for you in the
interim, well be it, but it doesn't clear it up for me.


 
> > Valky:
> > In an attempt to wrap
> > the whole thing up I'll just say that I meant the howler was
> > frightening, but I hold short of translating that into an overt 
> threat.
> 
> a_svirn:
> Very well, it was a covert threat. Does it make it any better?
>

Valky:
No not really because I simply am not inclined to lean to the
assumption that Dumbledore was any kind of threat to the Dursleys.
There is just waaay too much contradiction to that option. 

OTOH something threatening or foreboding in the general sense I would
buy, maybe. As far as I can see anything said about the inference of
the letter other than that it was of grave significance regarding some
secret shared between Petunia and Dumbledore is purely speculative. I
take your speculation as being meritous in its own way, but I don't
take it as canon.