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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 2257 Views
Chapters 1-3 - 19/07/2010 09:32:52 AM 1487 Views
Dobby - 19/07/2010 02:39:06 PM 1464 Views
Re: Dobby - 20/07/2010 06:42:21 AM 1643 Views
I hate Dobby. - 20/07/2010 11:32:58 AM 1587 Views
I'm not a huge Dobby fan either. *spoilers from end of book* - 20/07/2010 03:18:27 PM 1471 Views
Me too. - 20/07/2010 05:56:27 PM 1406 Views
Boo! - 21/07/2010 12:44:33 AM 1524 Views
I hate "movie Dobby." Book Dobby I'm neutral on. *NM* - 21/07/2010 03:42:29 AM 939 Views
I don't like him either. - 21/07/2010 02:26:47 PM 1493 Views
It looks like all us cool kids hate Dobby - 23/07/2010 07:13:19 PM 1477 Views
Excellent. - 23/07/2010 10:17:16 PM 1470 Views
- 24/07/2010 12:35:44 AM 1460 Views
Stuff - 20/07/2010 05:54:26 PM 1498 Views
The Dursley's and the Twins - 21/07/2010 02:22:41 PM 1417 Views
The Dursleys. - 23/07/2010 11:35:31 PM 1558 Views
Re: The Dursleys. - 26/07/2010 06:02:14 AM 1390 Views
she reminds me a bit of snape - 26/07/2010 01:01:35 PM 1499 Views
Re: The Dursleys. - 26/07/2010 02:58:31 PM 1415 Views
Chapters 4-6 - 19/07/2010 09:33:18 AM 1448 Views
Another character we love to hate! Gilderoy Lockhart. Plus Weasley vs Malfoy. - 20/07/2010 03:29:39 PM 1492 Views
Yes! - 20/07/2010 09:41:09 PM 1554 Views
Re: Yes! - 21/07/2010 07:05:13 AM 1500 Views
I can't remember how much I hated him the first read - 21/07/2010 03:44:15 AM 1590 Views
I don't think I ever truly "hated" Lockheart - 26/07/2010 06:09:20 AM 1414 Views
My problems with Dobby are very different from my problems with Lockhart - 21/07/2010 07:02:55 AM 1488 Views
I can see that and I understand completely. - 21/07/2010 02:06:27 PM 1635 Views
Exactly. - 21/07/2010 07:20:33 PM 1546 Views
More stuff - 21/07/2010 07:00:04 AM 1430 Views
I really noticed this time around - 21/07/2010 03:10:43 PM 1356 Views
Yeah. - 23/07/2010 10:15:21 PM 1467 Views
This section really brought home to me how well Rowling writes about love and relationships. - 21/07/2010 07:22:43 PM 1505 Views
That last remark made me check out the names in the French translation... - 26/07/2010 05:18:36 PM 1547 Views
Don't get me started on the Norwegian translation. - 26/07/2010 09:52:09 PM 1475 Views
Ahahahahaha! - 26/07/2010 09:55:17 PM 1327 Views
That is indeed genuinely awesome. - 27/07/2010 12:24:07 AM 1488 Views
Re: That is indeed genuinely awesome. - 27/07/2010 09:07:35 AM 1417 Views
McSnurf? MCSNURF?? WTH? *NM* - 27/07/2010 08:47:55 PM 898 Views
Nono. McSnurp. - 27/07/2010 08:48:58 PM 1466 Views
Read it wrong. - 27/07/2010 09:15:07 PM 1306 Views
Chapters 7-9 - 19/07/2010 09:33:44 AM 1422 Views
Deathday Party - seemed like filler to me. Not a big fan. - 21/07/2010 02:33:53 PM 1465 Views
Yeah, I didn't like that either. - 22/07/2010 06:56:39 PM 1404 Views
It is a plot device - 23/07/2010 10:11:45 PM 1409 Views
Heh. - 23/07/2010 10:16:48 PM 1372 Views
Colin Creevey. - 22/07/2010 06:55:17 PM 1461 Views
I don't know. He's always annoyed me. - 22/07/2010 09:23:36 PM 1433 Views
Re: Colin Creevey. - 23/07/2010 10:13:33 PM 1425 Views
Suspect I'm more patient with young people than you are. - 23/07/2010 10:18:24 PM 1438 Views
Infinitely more so, I think - 23/07/2010 10:21:09 PM 1444 Views
Even more stuff - 23/07/2010 10:10:39 PM 1496 Views
Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:13:51 PM 1531 Views
Re: Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:15:18 PM 1424 Views
Re: Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:17:41 PM 1403 Views
Chapters 10-12 - 19/07/2010 09:34:13 AM 1344 Views
Three good chapters - 22/07/2010 02:28:20 PM 1390 Views
Re: Three good chapters - 23/07/2010 10:34:40 PM 1462 Views
Yup. - 23/07/2010 11:32:03 PM 1447 Views
Re: Yup. - 26/07/2010 03:01:15 PM 1441 Views
And then some... - 23/07/2010 10:31:56 PM 1292 Views
Hermione - 23/07/2010 11:29:22 PM 1477 Views
Another example - 24/07/2010 12:56:26 AM 1362 Views
Re: Hermione - 24/07/2010 04:58:14 AM 1250 Views
Something I don't like: - 23/07/2010 11:24:59 PM 1321 Views
I disagree. - 24/07/2010 01:01:17 AM 1268 Views
Re: Something I don't like: - 26/07/2010 03:01:54 PM 1280 Views
Those students are 12 years old, though. - 26/07/2010 05:35:13 PM 1308 Views
Chapters 13-15 - 19/07/2010 09:34:50 AM 1214 Views
Heh. I'd forgotten how near the end of the book the spiders are. - 23/07/2010 11:26:43 PM 1291 Views
"Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 26/07/2010 01:58:25 PM 1308 Views
Re: "Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 27/07/2010 08:50:34 PM 1588 Views
Re: "Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 27/07/2010 09:08:24 PM 1365 Views
And... - 26/07/2010 02:54:54 PM 1409 Views
Chapters 16-18 - 19/07/2010 09:35:20 AM 1384 Views
Lockhart & Dobby get what's coming to them. - 26/07/2010 02:26:42 PM 1430 Views
Finally... - 26/07/2010 02:55:39 PM 1418 Views
He is one indeed, sort of anyway. *NM* - 26/07/2010 05:39:12 PM 882 Views
Harry was a horcrux - 27/07/2010 02:57:42 AM 1230 Views
Yes - 27/07/2010 09:09:38 AM 1384 Views
Voldemort's (sometimes) hilarious names in translation. - 26/07/2010 06:14:58 PM 3599 Views
- 26/07/2010 06:45:55 PM 1488 Views
Overall thoughts - 19/07/2010 09:36:06 AM 1476 Views
Character development - 19/07/2010 09:37:01 AM 1299 Views
Re: Character development - 20/07/2010 06:45:43 AM 1332 Views
Similar to the first, but a nice step up in complexity. - 19/07/2010 07:56:45 PM 1832 Views
I found an error i the POA preview in the back of my book - 20/07/2010 10:51:42 AM 1294 Views
Yeah i have that edition too *NM* - 21/07/2010 12:43:12 AM 801 Views
Thoughts on the movie quality - 21/07/2010 04:15:20 AM 1219 Views
I wonder if Rowling ever looks back and wishes she could change some stuff - 21/07/2010 06:44:41 PM 1310 Views
I think this book isn't as deep or as thoughtful as the first. - 23/07/2010 11:36:17 PM 1375 Views
I feel the same way. - 24/07/2010 01:04:39 AM 1250 Views
Agreed. - 26/07/2010 03:22:48 PM 1332 Views
Suggestions for the re-read? - 19/07/2010 09:37:32 AM 1280 Views
Re: Suggestions for the re-read? - 23/07/2010 10:37:37 PM 1368 Views
OK. - 23/07/2010 10:43:00 PM 1382 Views
Re: OK. - 23/07/2010 10:43:56 PM 1401 Views
Do we want a wee break before the next book? - 24/07/2010 10:47:07 AM 1268 Views
I'm indifferent 'cause I can't find my copy of POA *NM* - 26/07/2010 01:27:05 AM 884 Views
Nonononono! - 26/07/2010 03:12:56 PM 1303 Views
Nooooooooo! - 27/07/2010 02:32:56 PM 1418 Views
we need an impatient smiley that taps its foot while looking grumpy. *NM* - 27/07/2010 08:51:30 PM 786 Views
More than anything! *NM* - 27/07/2010 09:01:33 PM 805 Views
It's not Wednesday yet! *NM* - 27/07/2010 09:26:21 PM 718 Views
But it was a question: - 27/07/2010 10:25:27 PM 1287 Views
Yes, but the two possibilities in Rebekah's post were either Wednesday or next Monday. - 27/07/2010 10:33:10 PM 1623 Views
Aaaah - 27/07/2010 10:34:51 PM 1358 Views

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