Harry Cunning or Manipulative?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 148788

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "festuco" <vuurdame at ...> wrote:
>
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister"
> <gbannister10@> wrote:
> 
> > [Two interesting points occur which are not directly linked to this 
> > thread. It is interesting that Petunia actually vetoes Aunt Marge 
> > because she "hates the boy". Seems to run counter to some of the 
> > treatment they hand to him elsewhere.

Gerry:
> Well, I read this as that it was not fair to ask this of Marge. Or
> that it would be a lost case because she would refuse. 

Geoff:
Maybe, but we know from POA that Aunt Marge takes a sadistic pleasure 
in getting at Harry:

'Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia usually encouraged Harry to stay out of 
their way, which Harry was only too happy to do. Aunt Marge, on the 
other hand, wanted Harry under her eye at all times, so that she could 
boom out suggestions for his improvement. She delighted in comparing 
Harry with Dudley and took huge pleasure in buying Dudley expensive 
presents whilst glaring at Harry as though daring him to ask why he 
hadn't got a present too. she also kept throwing out dark hints about 
what made Harry such an unsiatisfactory person.'
(POA "Aunt Marge's Big Mistake" p.24 UK edition)

I think she would have revelled in having him under her thumb for a 
day. She might well have been safer, because he might not have been so 
able to produce such devastating wandless magic at the age of eleven as 
he did two years later...

Actually, this raises an interesting point. If Marge was close enough 
to be asked if she could take Harry while the Dursleys were at the Zoo 
for the day, why does she come to /stay/ with them for a week? Why 
doesn't she just drop over for the day?