Suggested by our lovely Co-Sponsor Christa.

Do you really think Had it so bad with the Dursleys? Did they perhaps treat him anything as bad as the fairlytale of Cinderella? Being locked away and not being able to answer any questions as far as his parents were concerned.

What do you think of Dudley? Or do you think that it's not his fault as his parents are the ones setting the boundaries as far as Harry's concerned!

Discuss ...

I do no think that the Dursley's beat Harry but in the books he mentioned not getting enough to eat because Dudley would throw a fit and knock over the table or something. He was locked in his room in the second book and cold soup was slid through the door and he was only let out to go to the bathroom. That sounds more like a prison than a home. In the fourth or fifth book he had to diet because Dudley did. Harry was always slim and if it had not been for his friends suppling him with food parcels he would have been hungry then too. I think that the Dursley's did not know what to do with a boy like Harry so they locked him away. Once he came into his powers they feared him and gave him a bit more freedom. While they did not hit him they did neglect him and that is sad. He who had a aunt and uncle and cousin was loved more by strangers. He had never met Ron's parents until the second book and when Molly hugged him you wondered if that was the first time any one showed the boy affection. The Dursley's I believe will change for the better because they can certainly not get any worse.

Ya i so agree they never done nothing bad to him and left him forn othing. but he did not seem to be well nerished cause of Dudley. But all in all its like Dumbldore said as long as harry can call it home then the spell remains with in. so he can still call it a home even though the Duersley do what they do. But Dumbledore is whathing over harry. but i think he had an okay child hood you hear about some things with those lesson from snape and stuff like that but nothing to dramatic

I don't think that they ever hit him like they do in many FanFictions. Dumbledore has a way of knowing things just as they happen and he would have never allowed that.

I agree with most of what was said above - it wasn't a true home for him, but just a place where he lived, where he got some food and had a roof above his head.

Absolutely right. They never abused him or threatened to kill him - they kept him alive when he was in danger of being found and killed by Death Eaters still on the loose. But they hardly did anything more than keeping him alive.

The book does tell us something about how the Dursley's treated Harry and why....they were afraid! They thought if they kept him "downtrodden" as possible, they would be able to quash the wizard out of him and make him "normal". Of course, they couldn't do this, and as they grew into the realization that Harry indeed was a wizard, even before he knew himself, they treated him even more poorly due to it. After Harry began school at Hogwarts, it was their fear that took over, especially in those cases where Harry had the upper hand - eg. Before they found out he could not do magic outside of school, Sirius etc.

You mention this life being more of a prison for Harry ... This is neglect and is compleatly serious! I'm pretty sure Harry was always starved like this whenever he has (supposedly) done something wrong or bad, or even spoke up! Two weeks in the cupboard under the stairs seems like an easy escape for the Dursleys! Cowards!

Because Petiuna hated her witch sister Lily and James, she hated Harry and treated him as a servent not her sister's son. And I think she would throw him out but DD who had stood aganist it. Actually, I don't like Petuina at all. Uncle Vernon is funny but He hated Harry cause Petuina hated him.

That's one reason they treated him badly. The other is, I think, because they were afraid of him. They knew that he's a wizard and they were scared of his powers. Petunia probably knew about accidental magic - so if they locked him away and kept him away from them he wouldn't be able to hurt them with magic.

i think they treated like he was nothing all because lily was a witch and petunia didnt like and treated him like dirt so thats why i think he was treated they he was

Yep! That too! If anything after the incident in PoA when Harry had sent Aunt Marge into the skies above Privet Drive! That is one of the things which will make the Dursleys feel even more scared of Harry!

That's definately the root of the problem!

*cracks knuckles*

I have to say that I am truly glad Harry stayed with the Dursley's. Though I would like to treat them the same way as they treated Harry (Dudley needs it to lighten around the belt a little), I have to say that it kept Harry pure and true and he did not take advantage of the things that he would have if he were brought up in the wizarding world. I think this is one reason why Dumbledore brought him to the Dursley's so that Harry could appreciate things a little more than any other child and to me, it kept him pure and true (as I said before).

Poor Harry is all I can say *Cries*

I think that the Dursleys treated Harry terribly. They might not have hit him, but they neglected him. I know that the reason behind their behaviour towards him was due to a combination of Petunia's fear of Lily, and fear of the fact that he has magical powers, but I don't think that that is a good enough excuse-neglect is neglect. And Harry could have turned out the same good person he is now in a nice loving family like the Weasleys-he wouldn't necessarilly turn into another Draco.

I know! I don't think Harry got harmed as badly as that! It was more verbal and negect!

That's right. Dumbledore wouldn't have let that happen. He would have known if they had hit him.

I think that verbal neglect can be much worse than physical neglect, especially for a young child, who needs someone to be there for him and talk to. And I'd say that's just what the Dursleys did - lock him in the cupboard and leave him alone.

Yep! He so woul dof known if they laid a finger on him to do him serious harm!

You got it!! That's exactly whats so horrible about it!

Even though the Dursley's didn't do much more than they had to where Harry was concerned, it is good that they did not treat him like Dudley! Can you imagine how spoiled and selfish he would have been? Also, remember what Dumbledore said to Vernon and Petunia about Dudley in Book 6! It at least kept Harry grounded! Also, what would Harry have been like if he had known all his life that he was famous! How would that have changed his character?