The Dursleys

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 145744

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Bart Lidofsky <bartl at s...> wrote:
>
> Steve wrote:
> > bboyminn:
> > According to Ron, Ron and Hermione are going to be with Harry
> > at the Dursley's house. Please, you must see the comic 
> > come-uppance potential in that? 
> 
> Bart:
> Consider the fact that part of the entire series is based on the 
> Wizarding Community's rather unusual conclusion not to take over
> the Muggle world, and a group within who disagree with this. For 
> Harry & crew to take magical revenge on the Dursleys would be to 
> become followers of Lord Voldemort.
> 
> The Dursleys are so miserable anyway that, frankly, the best 
> revenge would be to leave them alone.
> 
> Bart
>

bboyminn:

I'm not necessarly proposing 'magical revenge', what I am proposing is
karmic come-uppence. As I said, Ron and Hermione will certainly
understand that they are imposing and forcing their presence on the
Dursley who clear would not desire their presence in their house, and
because of this, they will try to be cooperative, undemanding, and
unobtrusive house guests. But that only goes just so far, when the
Dursleys make the transition from indifference and somewhat impolite
to very impolite bordering on insulting and perhaps drifting into the
realm of abusiveness, then I think Ron and Hermione will draw the line.

I don't think it will be necessary for Ron and Hermione to physically
or magically assault the Dursley unless they are actively engage in
physically assaulting someone else. But, I have no doubt that Ron and
Hermione will verbally put the Dursley in their place, much as
Dumbledore did, when the Dursleys level of incivility reaches an
intolerable level.

Harry has grown use to the Dursleys level of incivility, and he mostly
ignores them and stays out of the way. Ron and Hermione on the other
hand are used to being treated like intelligent human beings, and they
will only tolerate just so much of the Dursleys ill behavior before
they reach their limit. 

So, in conclusion, while some magic may (or may not) be involved, I
don't think Ron or Hermione will extract anything that we would likely
call 'revenge', but I do think they will take the Dursleys to task and
demand the level of civility that should be afforded to even a
stranger. And, they will certainly draw the line should the Dursley
start thinking they can treat them the way they treat Harry.

It's not about extracting 'vengence', it's about being treated with
the basic minimum level of respect do to anyone.

Oh yes, by the way, I agree the Dursleys are their own worse punishment.

Steve/bboyminn