Ok. So we know why Harry has to return back to the Dursleys house each summer. But why did the Dursleys agree to keep Harry in the first place? Aunt Marge says straight up that had it been her Harry would have went straight to the orphanage. The Dursleys "seem" to hate Harry's very existence. So why then did they agree to keep him in the first place? Why did they not send him straight to an orphanage?

Does/did Dumbledore influence their decision in any way. Does this influence have anything to do with the continued owls to Petunia from Dumbledore?

Just because they loave him, dosen't mean they want him dead.

I agree with Aragon, I sometimes loathe my sister but I never want to see them dead

maybe they got threatened or something...besides the "remember my last" that dd reminded her of. Or mayby Petunia found her heart at that moment and really felt sorry for the helpless little boy who lived.

It is possible that beneath all that hatred for wizards, their is some heart.

The Dursleys..........having heart? Hardly. But I do agree that HermyOneGranger and reeta are on to something here about the owls and reminder from Dumbledore; not that he threatened them (I can't imagine Dumbledore ever resorting to threats to influence anyone), but there's clearly something that Petunia and Dumbledore both know and that we don't. What that is exactly I really have no idea, but I'm sure that whether they like it or not there is an important reason that the Dursleys must agree to allow Harry to live with them and that Dumbledore's owls are a reminder of that fact, but not a threat.

I also believe that there is more about Petunia's past that we don't know about yet. Something that she intends to keep a secret, and that perhaps Vernon may not even know about. I think that Dumbledore knows this also and that it has something to do with why Dumbledore specifically sends owls to Petunia and not to Vernon, and that somehow it is also connected or at least partially connected to the reason for allowing Harry to live with them. This is not to say that Vernon is being completely influenced by Petunia in regard to Harry, and that he doesn't have knowledge of the reason they must allow Harry to live with them, however I do believe that he does not know everything there is to know about this situation, or at least not everything there is to know about Petunia herself.

I think it's also that, no matter how much the Dursley's didn't want some strange child in their house, I mean, this is still her sister's son. Petunia might have been deathly jealous of Lily, or maybe just plain resented her, but even so, they were still sisters, and through all the dislike she held against Lily, Harry was all she would ever have to remind her of her sister. I do believe, though, that Vernon has no heart.

I think that they kept Harry becuase then they had an extra worker around the house. You read in all of the books that Harry does everything around the house just about. They only other person that works around the house is Aunt Petunia. The only reason that Dudley and Uncle Veron don't do any work is because they are too fat to lift or really do anything around the house.

Well, in Dudley's case it it because he is to spoiled to do any work. I agree that in his older years Harry did become a slave to the Dursleys, which only makes me think even more that they dislike him soo much that there must be some OTHER reason that they agreed to take him. Petunia thought Lily was a "freak." They wanted absolutely nothing to do with her and her magic life. So then why agree to take in their "freakish" son?

I was under the impresion that Dumbledore kinda made them somehow...We dont know much about this though...

they don`t want him as a house slave, that is ridiculous. & technically, they didn`t "agree" to anything. if someone leaves a child on your doorstep, you don`t exactly have a choice in the matter eh? plus the note dumbledore left was clearly telling them that they had to do so. they kept him out of fear. no matter how much they may despise harry and his "kind" then still fear that they will do harm to them. &didn`t you guys read order of the phoneix? it`s explained in there.

I welcome your input. However, when a child is dropped on your doorstep you do have a choice as to whether you choose to keep the child or turn the child over to CPS (Child Protective Services ) that is what it is called here in the US. And I read OotP very thoroughly. The reasons that have been explained to us about Harry being at the Dursleys all involve why he has to go back each summer and how Lily's blood protected Harry. But you see, each of us as an individual have what is called "free choice." Dumbledore left a note explaining James and Lily's death and that in order to protect Harry the Dursley's need to take him in. But here's the thing, if the Durlseys' despised Lily and her magic sooo much, why agree to take Harry in? The whole situation goes against what we know of the Durlseys extreme hatred of "magic".

It's doubtful that they wanted Harry as a slave...they hated magic and everything to do with it, so why would they take in Lily's son? Also, there's no evidence that they kept recieving constant reminders from Dumbledore.

Dumbledore probably worded the note that he left with Harry on the doorstep very carefully so it would leave the Dursleys no choice but to keep Harry. It's very probable that he threatened them, or perhaps warned them that something horrible would happen to the world if they handed him over to CPS.

The howler DD sent to Petunia said "Remember my last," which reminded her of the consequences that he had laid out for her in that letter fourteen years ago.

Well it could be that deep down they care but I think that they clearly, no matter how much hate, are scared of magic and the fear and Dumbledore makes them keep Harry. Plus it may also be the fact that they like having him around to show off to, slave, speak horribly to etc.

Or maybe it just hasn't occured to the half wits that they can actually dump Harry in an orphanage.

I think that there is more to the Durlseys knowledge of magic than what is perceived at first glance. I think that they put a huge facade for the rest of the world, because they know what they know, the more hidden they keep their knowledge. Based on this knowledge, they decided to keep Harry. After all he is blood to them, and you just don't turn your back on your family no matter what.

Petunia might feel that she was denied the closure for Lily's death, so to sort of make up for it she agreed to take Harry in.

I imagine that Lily and Petunia did get along once in their life...

I imagine that they got along before Lily got her acceptance letter to Hogwarts and that is possibly where their relationship went bad. It is plausible that she agreed to take in Harry as a means to get closure with Lily's death. I just don't think that is the real reason. I believe it stems deeper and there is a secret left to be revealed about this whole situation.

I agree, I think there's something funny about Petunia that we haven't been told yet. I think whatever is "funny" about her is why she took in Harry. I think she probably had more of a say in the matter than Vernon. Look how she over-ruled him after the dementors in OoTP.

[QUOTE=muggles_are_underrated] I think whatever is "funny" about her is why she took in Harry. /QUOTE]


Yup. I think she may develop magical poers or have magical powers that she has been hiding these past few years. She may have realized late in life that she could do magic and has been hiding it.

[QUOTE=All_about_HP] That's my thought too - I think she keeps her house so clean with some form of magic (possibly she doesn't even know she's doing it).

Anyways, JKR when interviewed at the Edinburg Book Festival was asked whether Petunia was a Squib and her answer was "no, she's a muggle, but - "
I think she has some magical powers but chooses to live as a muggle.

Still though, I don't know if that would be a reason in itself to take Harry in.

I agree. I don't think that in itself is reason enough to take Harry in. But there is more there...arrggghhh what is it? This is driving me crazy. There has to be SOME reason. And I think it has to do with Voldemort and Lily. But I just can't put a good theory together.

Me neither! And I can't stand waiting for the book!! Well about 5 more months to go! *groans*

Perhaps it is only the reason Justin said to Harry: they wanted a full trained wizard in the family, even they pretend not to say so. I mean, they can't ignore the wizard world, they know how powerfull and dangerous is. Just pretending not to mention anything about it, they can't be freed out of it. So, as a mecanism of defence, they want to ignore, but inside of them, all they wanted is to feel safe, and Harry can help them because he's the boy who lived.

for me the reason why petunia kept harry is becasue of the letter dumbledore wrote...petunia having a sister as a witch must of heard dumbledores name more than we can imagine!!! although she says she hated her sister for being a witch there is still trust petunia gives for her sister...she must know that dumbledore is a great and powerful wizard and she agrees to kep him...i think i am teriibly wrong but oh well thats my opinion...we'll just have to find out in books six and seven why petunia accepted harry!!!