Theory on Petunia

[Ken Hutchinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 156638

> > Ken earlier:
> >
> > Dudley has given some testimony on what he experienced when the
> dementor attacked him. In general he describes feeling horrible, cold,
> really cold, and as if, as if , as if you'd never be happy again?, the
> last with help from Harry. A little more specifically he says it was
> dark, everything was dark and then I heard *things* inside my head
> (emphasis Dudley's). When prompted to describe what the things said he
> is unable to. If you can pull a toffee out of that scene my hat's off
> to you. I don't think the toffee was that big a deal to him and he
> certainly would be able to talk about the toffee incident. Whatever he
> saw was horrible, not being the butt of a practical joke. <snip>
> 
> Carol responds:
> Dudley didn't really provide "testimony" regarding that memory, but I
> agree that it was something horrible because we know that Dementors
> force you to relive your worst memories. And the only really horrible
> thing that has happened to Dudley in canon is nearly choking on his
> own tongue and having it tugged on by his mother, which must have been
> extremely painful. The only other possibilities I can think of are the
> snake incident and being given a pig's tail by Hagrid, neither of
> which seems to me as terrible as thinking that you're going to
> suffocate *and* have your tongue ripped out and being absolutely
> powerless to do anything about it. Of the three canonical incidents,
> I'd say that fearing that you'll choke on your own tongue is the most
> terrifying.

Ken: 

If we are the court that intends to convict the twins we have to consider
Dudley's comments, however imperfect, as testimony. ;-)

Significantly Harry also wonders what Dudley heard and he witnessed
all those incidents. Apparently he doesn't think Dudley heard talking
toffees. Also significantly Petunia did try to pull Dudleys tongue out
and nearly suffocated him by sitting on him. His mother caused about
2/3rds of whatever psychic harm you insist on ascribing to this 
event. Could Petunia be Dudley's worst nightmare? If she isn't she
should be. She may be well intentioned but she and Vernon are
the source of Dudley's problems, not the wizarding world. And that 
includes his fear of the wizarding world.

> Carol:

> Notice that before the ton-tongue toffee incident, Dudley clasps his
> hands over his bottom, obviously trying to protect it from attack. In
> the Dementor incident, he clasps his hands firmly over his mouth. Yes,
> Harry has told him to do so, but why would Dudley obey Harry unless he
> believes him? He knows from the toffee incident that his mouth is
> vulnerable to magic, his tongue having turned into "a great slimy
> python" that nearly choked him, and he clamps it firmly shut.

Ken:

This illustrates wonderfully the concept that we go into every new 
battle totally prepared to fight the previous one. I'm not sure what
else it has to do with dementors. They don't care, they know what 
your worst memories are. We don't have canon on Dudley, it is not
his story. I can't really imagine that Dudders would describe his 
parents as "things" speaking inside his head. His father and mother
have certainly given him enough phobias. Maybe the "things" were
his 39 broken birthday presents. I could easily imagine that his
worst memory is going to his new school and finding out that he
is no longer the biggest bully. There are a lot of possibilities in 
the little canon we have but the only thing I like about the talking
ton tongue toffee terrors theory is the alliteration. Sometimes a 
prank is just a prank.

Ken