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 think that the Dursleys werent that bad. They weren't te best, butthey were ok! They could have left Harry in somewhere, but they didnt! No mather how bad they treated him, they still let him live there!

I think that they were unnesisarily cruel. I do think that they were bad to him.

Yea I know what you mean Oja ... At least Harry didn't die in their house! If anything they only kept him unhappy and under the thumb! But wasn't Dumbledore's plan to have Harry away from harm and safe!

If the Dersley's had of done anything to harm his life than Dumbledore would have found the way to stop them! Like in Order of the Pheonix when Vernon sent him away from Privet drive. Dumbledore sent a howler almost instantly! He is watching over Harry!

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?

It seems especially cruel to Harry when we read the books. Although Dursley's did let him stay in their house, there are quite a lot of reasons. Firslty Dumbledore had asked Aunt Petunia that she must let Harry stay with her whatever the problems she and her family might face as DD knows Harry will be safe with them cuz if she kicked him out of her house theres Voldemort who'll grow into power. So its obvious that when anyone mentions about Voldy to the Dursleys as the most powerful sorcerer in the world, getting frightened is their usual reaction. So all in all, Petunia must have been frightened for her family so in that case she had to keep Harry with her.
Secondly Harry's upbringing counts most. He is a little bit reserved and that suits him best. If the Dursleys told him that he's a wizard from a very young age, he could take advantage of that (like putting spells on the Dursleys and threatening them about magic) which seems particularly wrong, as the Dursleys never threw him out of their house. This is where I agree with most of you here.
Thirdly whatever the Dursleys did, it was bad and good at the same time...I agree that they never gave him anything he wanted, provided him with poor belongings, let him sleep under the stairs, ignored him mostly, didnt give proper food, lied to him that his parents died in a car crash and so on. But actually all this was for Harry's own good. We all know how he must have felt but obvoiusly since he was a kid there are a lot of things u shudn't tell kids of Harry's age around 10 and even younger. So far their treatment was bad but after all Dumbledore did ask Harry to visit Dursleys before the start of seventh yr. As its his aunt's house and he must say goodbye to them for all the years they've kept him whatever their treatment or their behaviour was, He has to go to them as it was the safest place for him to stay alive so he cud finish Voldy in the end!

I think the Dursley's were cruel to him as far as being caring and loving. But, as for keeping him with clothes on his back, food, and a warm house, it wasn't all that bad of a situation. He could've had it alot worse. I mean I know probably all of us would hate living there, but it's better than living in a box and eating out of garbage cans.

I would have to agree with you. The Dursley's were cruel to Harry as far as being caring and loving. But your also right when you gave him clothes, some food, and a warm house to stay in. But i still don't like them for not treating Harry as a son.

Well, the Dursleys were cruel to HARRY but DD told them right, in the HBP that Dudley will be badly treated.I guess that's what DD thinks as punsihment for being cruel to HARRY POTTER.

I think he was treated very badly. All that they did to him was just plain wrong. And as for Dudley, I hate him. And uncle Vernon. But I think Petunia would have been nice to Harry had it not been for Vernon.