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Re: The Dursleys. Seriana Sedai Send a noteboard - 26/07/2010 06:02:14 AM
Another, related, thing that struck me was that the Dursleys' preoccupation with keeping Harry from Hogwarts seems to suggest they actually care for him, in a warped, twisted way -- if not they would just leave him to magical life, surely? It would be less of a liability for them to have him at Hogwarts 10 months out of the year, than locked up in his room in their house (where he might suddenly lose control and start magicking the neighbours?


I don't think they want to keep him away from Hogwarts as a way of caring for him. I think it's all about themselves. What if people found out that the boy who has lived with them for 11 years was one of Those Weird People? It's (strangely) better for people to think that he's just a wild, disturbed child than someone who is part of a world so outside their understanding. And I think there's some malice in it as well: trying to prevent Harry from doing something he enjoys.

Petunia's a bit more complex than that. I think there is some love for Harry deep (deep) down. (Of course, we do see a glimpse of that later in the series.) But any love she does have for him is only because he's her sister's child.

I agree with all. I just wonder about Petunia. I don't know why she is so at war with herself about caring for Harry. I know she was very conflicted about her sister being a witch. I wonder if Petunia was going to mend the rift with Lily "one of these days" and then Lily died and Petunia was left with all that guilt or something like that.
I know I'm rambling, but I've always wanted to understand her better. I understand Vernon's motivations for why he treats Harry badly and I agree totally that he is trying to keep Harry from Hogwarts because it is something he enjoys, but Petunia I just don't understand.
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The Great Harry Potter re-read: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - 19/07/2010 09:32:22 AM 2701 Views
Chapters 1-3 - 19/07/2010 09:32:52 AM 1793 Views
Dobby - 19/07/2010 02:39:06 PM 1743 Views
Re: Dobby - 20/07/2010 06:42:21 AM 1911 Views
I hate Dobby. - 20/07/2010 11:32:58 AM 1862 Views
I'm not a huge Dobby fan either. *spoilers from end of book* - 20/07/2010 03:18:27 PM 1756 Views
Me too. - 20/07/2010 05:56:27 PM 1675 Views
Boo! - 21/07/2010 12:44:33 AM 1803 Views
I hate "movie Dobby." Book Dobby I'm neutral on. *NM* - 21/07/2010 03:42:29 AM 1115 Views
I don't like him either. - 21/07/2010 02:26:47 PM 1758 Views
It looks like all us cool kids hate Dobby - 23/07/2010 07:13:19 PM 1757 Views
Excellent. - 23/07/2010 10:17:16 PM 1782 Views
- 24/07/2010 12:35:44 AM 1747 Views
Stuff - 20/07/2010 05:54:26 PM 1792 Views
The Dursley's and the Twins - 21/07/2010 02:22:41 PM 1703 Views
The Dursleys. - 23/07/2010 11:35:31 PM 1832 Views
Re: The Dursleys. - 26/07/2010 06:02:14 AM 1663 Views
she reminds me a bit of snape - 26/07/2010 01:01:35 PM 1735 Views
Re: The Dursleys. - 26/07/2010 02:58:31 PM 1705 Views
Chapters 4-6 - 19/07/2010 09:33:18 AM 1731 Views
Another character we love to hate! Gilderoy Lockhart. Plus Weasley vs Malfoy. - 20/07/2010 03:29:39 PM 1788 Views
Yes! - 20/07/2010 09:41:09 PM 1851 Views
Re: Yes! - 21/07/2010 07:05:13 AM 1794 Views
I can't remember how much I hated him the first read - 21/07/2010 03:44:15 AM 1869 Views
I don't think I ever truly "hated" Lockheart - 26/07/2010 06:09:20 AM 1686 Views
My problems with Dobby are very different from my problems with Lockhart - 21/07/2010 07:02:55 AM 1775 Views
I can see that and I understand completely. - 21/07/2010 02:06:27 PM 1929 Views
Exactly. - 21/07/2010 07:20:33 PM 1841 Views
More stuff - 21/07/2010 07:00:04 AM 1712 Views
I really noticed this time around - 21/07/2010 03:10:43 PM 1638 Views
Yeah. - 23/07/2010 10:15:21 PM 1764 Views
This section really brought home to me how well Rowling writes about love and relationships. - 21/07/2010 07:22:43 PM 1789 Views
That last remark made me check out the names in the French translation... - 26/07/2010 05:18:36 PM 1824 Views
Don't get me started on the Norwegian translation. - 26/07/2010 09:52:09 PM 1733 Views
Ahahahahaha! - 26/07/2010 09:55:17 PM 1611 Views
That is indeed genuinely awesome. - 27/07/2010 12:24:07 AM 1746 Views
Re: That is indeed genuinely awesome. - 27/07/2010 09:07:35 AM 1740 Views
McSnurf? MCSNURF?? WTH? *NM* - 27/07/2010 08:47:55 PM 1065 Views
Nono. McSnurp. - 27/07/2010 08:48:58 PM 1718 Views
Read it wrong. - 27/07/2010 09:15:07 PM 1576 Views
Chapters 7-9 - 19/07/2010 09:33:44 AM 1694 Views
Deathday Party - seemed like filler to me. Not a big fan. - 21/07/2010 02:33:53 PM 1758 Views
Yeah, I didn't like that either. - 22/07/2010 06:56:39 PM 1700 Views
It is a plot device - 23/07/2010 10:11:45 PM 1673 Views
Heh. - 23/07/2010 10:16:48 PM 1648 Views
Colin Creevey. - 22/07/2010 06:55:17 PM 1760 Views
I don't know. He's always annoyed me. - 22/07/2010 09:23:36 PM 1719 Views
Re: Colin Creevey. - 23/07/2010 10:13:33 PM 1725 Views
Suspect I'm more patient with young people than you are. - 23/07/2010 10:18:24 PM 1732 Views
Infinitely more so, I think - 23/07/2010 10:21:09 PM 1719 Views
Even more stuff - 23/07/2010 10:10:39 PM 1773 Views
Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:13:51 PM 1806 Views
Re: Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:15:18 PM 1726 Views
Re: Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:17:41 PM 1677 Views
Chapters 10-12 - 19/07/2010 09:34:13 AM 1603 Views
Three good chapters - 22/07/2010 02:28:20 PM 1681 Views
Re: Three good chapters - 23/07/2010 10:34:40 PM 1775 Views
Yup. - 23/07/2010 11:32:03 PM 1728 Views
Re: Yup. - 26/07/2010 03:01:15 PM 1709 Views
And then some... - 23/07/2010 10:31:56 PM 1566 Views
Hermione - 23/07/2010 11:29:22 PM 1766 Views
Another example - 24/07/2010 12:56:26 AM 1624 Views
Re: Hermione - 24/07/2010 04:58:14 AM 1530 Views
Something I don't like: - 23/07/2010 11:24:59 PM 1601 Views
I disagree. - 24/07/2010 01:01:17 AM 1554 Views
Re: Something I don't like: - 26/07/2010 03:01:54 PM 1558 Views
Those students are 12 years old, though. - 26/07/2010 05:35:13 PM 1592 Views
Chapters 13-15 - 19/07/2010 09:34:50 AM 1490 Views
Heh. I'd forgotten how near the end of the book the spiders are. - 23/07/2010 11:26:43 PM 1569 Views
"Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 26/07/2010 01:58:25 PM 1581 Views
Re: "Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 27/07/2010 08:50:34 PM 1857 Views
Re: "Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 27/07/2010 09:08:24 PM 1643 Views
And... - 26/07/2010 02:54:54 PM 1704 Views
Chapters 16-18 - 19/07/2010 09:35:20 AM 1656 Views
Lockhart & Dobby get what's coming to them. - 26/07/2010 02:26:42 PM 1697 Views
Finally... - 26/07/2010 02:55:39 PM 1682 Views
He is one indeed, sort of anyway. *NM* - 26/07/2010 05:39:12 PM 1046 Views
Harry was a horcrux - 27/07/2010 02:57:42 AM 1512 Views
Yes - 27/07/2010 09:09:38 AM 1655 Views
Voldemort's (sometimes) hilarious names in translation. - 26/07/2010 06:14:58 PM 3897 Views
- 26/07/2010 06:45:55 PM 1758 Views
Overall thoughts - 19/07/2010 09:36:06 AM 1740 Views
Character development - 19/07/2010 09:37:01 AM 1571 Views
Re: Character development - 20/07/2010 06:45:43 AM 1591 Views
Similar to the first, but a nice step up in complexity. - 19/07/2010 07:56:45 PM 2102 Views
I found an error i the POA preview in the back of my book - 20/07/2010 10:51:42 AM 1569 Views
Yeah i have that edition too *NM* - 21/07/2010 12:43:12 AM 962 Views
Thoughts on the movie quality - 21/07/2010 04:15:20 AM 1497 Views
I wonder if Rowling ever looks back and wishes she could change some stuff - 21/07/2010 06:44:41 PM 1604 Views
I think this book isn't as deep or as thoughtful as the first. - 23/07/2010 11:36:17 PM 1646 Views
I feel the same way. - 24/07/2010 01:04:39 AM 1521 Views
Agreed. - 26/07/2010 03:22:48 PM 1612 Views
Suggestions for the re-read? - 19/07/2010 09:37:32 AM 1554 Views
Re: Suggestions for the re-read? - 23/07/2010 10:37:37 PM 1664 Views
OK. - 23/07/2010 10:43:00 PM 1662 Views
Re: OK. - 23/07/2010 10:43:56 PM 1687 Views
Do we want a wee break before the next book? - 24/07/2010 10:47:07 AM 1538 Views
I'm indifferent 'cause I can't find my copy of POA *NM* - 26/07/2010 01:27:05 AM 1054 Views
Nonononono! - 26/07/2010 03:12:56 PM 1586 Views
Nooooooooo! - 27/07/2010 02:32:56 PM 1698 Views
we need an impatient smiley that taps its foot while looking grumpy. *NM* - 27/07/2010 08:51:30 PM 962 Views
More than anything! *NM* - 27/07/2010 09:01:33 PM 969 Views
It's not Wednesday yet! *NM* - 27/07/2010 09:26:21 PM 879 Views
But it was a question: - 27/07/2010 10:25:27 PM 1549 Views
Yes, but the two possibilities in Rebekah's post were either Wednesday or next Monday. - 27/07/2010 10:33:10 PM 1905 Views
Aaaah - 27/07/2010 10:34:51 PM 1626 Views

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