[HPforGrownups] Re: The Dursleys:

[k12listmomma]

No: HPFGUIDX 167524

> From: aceworker <aceworker at yahoo.com>
> >I always thought that JKR was always just trying to portray the
> >Dursley's as fearful and materialisitic people. JKR finds this
> >contemptable as 'courage' she has said is her highest value.
>
> Bart:
> Because the way they are portrayed, especially in the earlier books, they
actually seem to believe that keeping Harry away from magic is good for HIM.
Combine this with their obvious greed, and you get a situation that does not
make sense. They clearly don't want "normal"; they want to be better than
everybody else, their neighbors in particular. Look at what Dursley puts his
family through to impress a potential client (and note that none of the
efforts shown are an attempt to show the good points of his drills). Can you
picture such a man to be unwilling to use magic if it will make him an extra
quid or two?

Shelley:
Actually, I don't see the contrast, I see the consistency. I see Dursley
correctly assessing that anyone is his business rhelm would be scared off by
anything wizarding or magical. I don't think Dursley thinks of magic as
producing any good- Vernon's not seen good things come out of the wizarding
world- Harry's gold, for example. Harry correctly assesses that if the
Dursleys knew of his fortune, and put together magic with wealth, they'd be
having him do magic all the time just so they could get rich. He'd be USED
by them, and he doesn't want that. He might be used as a circus freak, he
might be used in other way to rob people. They might get the wrong
impression that wizards create a potion or device that turns ordinary
objects into gold. Harry would be at their becon and call, forever a slave
to them for their own gain. Harry doesn't want to be used like that, and so
he makes no effort what-so-ever to correct Vernon's misconceptions about the
Wizarding world.

Shelley