In Sorcerer's Stone

[jdl3811220]

No: HPFGUIDX 177956

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Zara" <zgirnius at ...> wrote:
>
> > Amanda:
> > **Why in the world leave the child with someone who hates all he 
> > is about?  There was no guarantee at first that the Dursleys 
> > would take in Little Harry.

> zgirnius:
> In light of the revelations in "The Prince's Tale", it is not clear 
> to me that Dumbledore believes Petunia hates anything to do with 
> magic. The last time he wrote to her, he had to very kindly detach 
> her from the notion that she, a Muggle, might be permitted to 
> attend Hogwarts and learn magic with her sister.

Snip

> zgirnius:
> I think it all boils down to Petunis'a feelings about Lily. Once 
> upon a time, she was a somewhat bossy, but loving older sister to 
> Lily. But when Lily left for Hogwarts, that changed. I think the 
> ambivalence she feels towards Harry is rooted in her ambivalence 
> towards her sister. She would not leave her sister's son to starve 
> in the street; nor can she love him, especially knowing he is a 
> wizard like Lily was, and will be returning to that world.

> > Amanda:
> > **Oh before I forget why does it take so long for someone who 
> > truly cares about Harry to step up and say something on his 
> > behalf to the Dursleys?

> zgirnius:
> Does Hagrid not do this in the first book? The next time an adult 
> shows up at Harry's is GoF, and again Arthur does it (expressing 
> shock that Vernon is not even sayng good-bye to Harry).

Jenni from Alabama responds:

I truly don't believe anyone really knew the hell that Harry went 
through inside the Dursleys' walls. Ron and Hermione had more facts 
than the others because he shared more with them. But even they don't 
know it all. Harry just doesn't talk about it and it's not a 
topic up for discussion with him.

After the Weasleys find out about Harry's neglect and abuse, they 
arrange for him to stay with them as much as possible during the 
summer and during breaks from Hogwarts. They knew (from Dumbledore) 
that Harry had to return to Privet Drive to keep the protection that 
his mother's sacrifice had put in place active... all the Order did. 
Moody says so before they leave Privet Drive in DH.

I feel that Ginny may know more about Harry's abuse than anyone. I 
feel that she and Harry developed a very strong connection and when 
they started dating in HBP, that connection grew. They have both been 
possessed by Voldy and survived. It tells us at the end of HBP that 
Ginny is Harry's greatest source of comfort and peace. I think he 
talked with Ginny and shared more with her than with anyone else. 
Because she has faced some of the same things he has and is the only 
one that truly understands what he has faced with Voldy. 

I think, and this is all just my opinion, that she and Harry both saw 
inside Voldy's head when they were possessed by him... saw Voldy's 
memories and hatred... memories of him murdering, maiming and 
torturing people. I feel that Harry sees horrible images when he 
closes his eyes... memories from deaths that he has witnessed and 
images he saw in Voldemort's head. Ginny saw into Voldemort's head 
too. Images that she saw there replay in her head though the 
connection to Voldy's mind didn't remain intact with Ginny because 
she wasn't a horcrux. But IMO, she did see the images in Voldy's mind 
when she was possessed in CoS. I feel that Ginny is the only one that 
could ever really understand Harry.