What did Dudley see with the Dementors? (WAS: Theory on Petunia)

[snow15145]

No: HPFGUIDX 156627



Abergoat:

Abergoat suggests:
What about Dudley's worst memory being the day he realized he was no
longer an 'only child'? At 15 months I think he would have been old
enough to realize the significance of another baby...but perhaps
someone with experience in childrearing can tell us more.

I understand that parents are encouraged to handle a toddler's
transition from only child to 'older sibling' carefully. Dudley
wouldn't have had that preparation - he would have woken up to sharing
the house with another toddler...and a 15 months his understanding
would be sufficiently limited that no matter what his parents said to
him the fact that he couldn't scream and get rid of the 'unwanted
competition' must have been the first time in his young life that
screaming didn't get him what he wanted. It must have been a horrible
shock...one that it seems his parents are still trying to make up for.

Just a guess, but I think it fits with all the Dursleys' 
personalities.

Snow:

Let's go one further and say that Petunia put the two children 
together to make it easier on herself. Harry was a young talented 
magical child who portrayed magical tendencies when he was angry or 
scared. (Just look at little Kevin from the Quidditch World Cup who 
enlarged a slug with his father's wand at two) Harry got his 
attention so-much-so that it scared their poor darling enough to land 
Harry a space under the stairs so he and his magical ways, that 
needed to be squashed, would not affect their precious. 

Snow