"You think you can explain all this in a letter?"

[MissWhizbee]

I'm worried, this being my first thread, so bear with me hear. ;)

I have decided that a huge piece to unlocking the secrets of Petunia's past, Dumbledore's involvement, and Petunia's relationship with Lily and the rest of the wizarding world is contained in the letter Dumbledore wrote and left with Harry on the Dursley's door step so many years ago.

We are led to believe, or at least I have led myself to believe, that Dumbledore's letter told of the battle between Voldemort and the Potter's, the Potter's death, Voldemort's demise, and Harry's survival. I also imagined that the letter's contents had told the Dursleys of how the old magic left by Lilly would protect Harry as long as he could call the place where his mother's blood dwells home.

Although I have belived this to be the case for quite a while, it has not set well with me. Couldn't quite put my finger on it though. Now I have it!

The Dursley's despised the Potters and magic and everything related to such things. They thoroughly feared it being discovered that they had ties to such weirdos. They show no remorse that Harry's parents have died and we have no reason to believe that they would show remorse if Harry died either. They haven't seen the Potters in years and refuse to speak about them ever. So, why did they give assylum to Harry? Why would they take in a little wizard?

Well, up to this point I had felt like they must have felt some responsibility since they were his only family and because they knew that they were his only hope for protection against the evils that might one day come after him. Essentially, I htought they must have at least one caring bone in their bodies.

BUT THEN, in OoTP we are shown that the Dursley's care nothing of Harry's safety and well being. When Vernon realizes that the Dementors were in little whigging because they were after Harry he tries to kick Harry out of the house. He doen't care if Harry could be hurt or killed by these things he just wants him out of his house so that his family is not threatened. (nope, not one caring bone in his whole body, contrary to my own beliefs).

So considering that the Dursley's are not likely to have taken Harry out of the goodness of their own hearts because they were the only family Harry had left, and considering that they wouldn't have taken Harry had they known that the world's most evil wizard was likely to come looking for Harry at some point in the future, then what persuaded them to take in Harry?

Seems like it was Dumbledore's letter to Petunia that night, and it also seems that whatever that letter said was so powerful that 13 years later just the mention of it frightened Petunia enough that she made Vernon keep Harry in spite of the present danger.

In case you are still skeptical that the letter did not contain a relation of the previous night's events and a discourse about Lilly's lingering protection, I found this passage at the very beginning of PS/SS that seemed extremely suspicious to me.

"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firnly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to expalin everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."

"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!"

"Exactly" said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head..."

What happens in this passage you ask...He tells McGonagall that he has written a letter but hasn't told her the contents of the letter and then when she questions what he could possibly say in the letter to truly convey what has happen the previous night he totally side steps the question and continues on another of her points...the good old bait and switch.

Hagrid and McGonagall both assume that Dumbledore has written about the events of the past days in the letter to the Dursley's and that it alone would be enough to get them to take Harry, but Dumbledore himself never says what is in the letter.

I fully expect that some relation of the past days events had been related in the letter, probably something along the lines of Lilly and James have been killed in the service of the Ministry of Magic. Possible even with more detail. I doubt that anything was mentioned about the possibility of Voldemort's return and I am also pretty sure that nothing about Harry needing to live with them to have protection would have been in the letter, becuase if it had that would have implied that the Dursley's could have been in danger as well, and we know they wouldn't stand for that.

I have come up with a few scenarios for what could possibly be in the letter.

1. (wild wild wild speculation) :D There is a prophecy in which Petunia is a huge player. Perhaps it goes along the lines of...Petunia is destined to be an integral part in the demise or the ultimate rise of the dark lord. her actions will ensure whether he reigns or is defeated and dumbledore has had correspondence with Petunia saying that it is going to be her responsibility whether she likes it or not to help them if she doesn't want the world taken over by the dark lord, her whole family killed, and basically the world as she knows it to end.

This would explain her reluctance to talk about the wizarding world because she doesn't want to think about he ultimate destiny and then when Dumbledore leaves Harry his letter could simply say "Petunia, the time has come for you to play your role and keep the world out of the dark lord's hands, you must take Harry Potter into your home.

2. (wild wild speculation) :) Petunia did something absolutely terrible in the past and it was in the wizarding world. (in this scenario, i think it helps, but is not neccessary for Petunia to be a witch) Whatever it was that she did it probably had somehting to do with her spite for Lilly.

As a muggle she could have tried to burn down Hogwarts on a visit to the school to see her sister, she could have tried to kill her sister, she could have tried to expose the wizarding world to the muggle public, etc.

As a witch she could have tried to perform the AK curse on her sister or someone else, or she could have done one of the things above, or somehting else I haven't thought of.

In any case, she was caught by Dumbledore. He may have threatened her with imprisonment in Azkaban (hence her knowledge of the wizard prison and the dementors), he could have taken her powers (I know there are several of us who are fond of thinking that Dumbledore has that sort of power) he could have exiled her to the muggle world with the threat that he would make sure she suffered if she didn't do as he said and she must never do anything against the magical community again.

In this scenario the letter could have been a threat to send her to Azkaban or tell Vernon about her magical past, etc. (Even if a threat to send her to Azkaban had been idle, it is safe to assume that she would not know more about Azkaban than Harry did when first encountering it. And Harry thought he would be sent there for accidently blowing up his Aunt. So Petunia probably wouldn't know whether it was a valid threat or not and she really wouldn't be in a position to ask anyone either.)

3. (boring speculation) :o Dumbledore just simply threatens the Dursley's into keeping Harry. Then when it comes time and Vernon tries to kick Harry out Dumbledore reminds them of his threat...(maybe he threatens to turn them into wizards :p hehe)

So , I'd like to know whether you guys think the letter was about the protection Lilly gave Harry and the events of the past days or whether you think there was more to it than that.

If you are convinced that the letter had more in it than meets the eye, please please post your own speculation. I want to hear everyone's thoughts!

[Boing]

Wow - quite the post! You raise some interesting points - we also have to remember that, at the very least, Dumbledore was sending Petunia other letters before this one. What is in those letters, who knows. And, we don't know if they went both ways (Petunia also sending them to Dumbledore). Dumbledore could have been keeping Petunia up on what was happening with her sister (again, why? we don't know!) or Voldemort, etc. in those letters. She seems to know all about Dementors, Voldemort, Azkaban without Harry saying anything. It seems plausible that she learned these things from the letter(s).

I like the idea of her trying to give up the magical community out of spite for her sister! Or even just being threatened with Azkaban - that would explain how she knew about the dementors in OotP and seemed absolutely terrified. Good find!!

[Tinkerbell]

QUOTE=MissWhizbee

Petunia did something absolutely terrible in the past and it was in the wizarding world. (in this scenario, i think it helps, but is not neccessary for Petunia to be a witch) Whatever it was that she did it probably had somehting to do with her spite for Lilly.

As a muggle she could have tried to burn down Hogwarts on a visit to the school to see her sister, she could have tried to kill her sister, she could have tried to expose the wizarding world to the muggle public, etc.


I like this idea - and I too am convinced that there is more than meets the eye with Petunia - her reactions throughout the books thus far have been such that I get the feeling that she is definitely hiding something that once we find it out, it will help to make sense of a lot of things.

[Alz]

Wow, first off - great, great post :D

Your dissection was really cool - I really liked the setting the scene and then busting out into speculation!

Number one is as you said - but not 'out there' with it - I love wild speculation!
Another Prophecy?
Sure - I think we are all starting to see that Sybil is capable of another sometime soon ...

Two - I dont think is that wild - in fact I really am liking that one a huge deal!
it is so consistent and yet intricate at the same time ...
We know Petunia seemed to resent Lily and that she even now she seems to have little regard for her - so yah, parents cooing over lil sis being all magical and stuff - being a young irrational person with no real idea's of consequences ....
And most of all it fits with the model we see - so yah my fav!

Three isn't without it's charms - but we are all seeing that one - face value and all ...

and as Boing said - there were more letters .... interesting ...

[Tonks]

I really like number 2 - even if it wasn't something extremely huge... anything she may have done that she finds embarassing enough or personal enough that she would not have shared with Vernon is good material for blackmail. ;) I like the suggestion of Dumbledore telling Vernon the best! :)

So if Petunia was a witch, Dumbledore could simply be threatening to tell Vernon about her past (after all, she does spend all her time pretending she doesn't have a sister and refuses to speak of the wizarding world; how interesting would it be for Vernon to find out she has a magical past herself!). If she chose to leave the wizarding world (even if it was for a good reason), then she still would probably not tell Vernon about it because she would have wanted to put all that behind her. Yet Dumbledore could use that to his advantage.

[Ploki]

I really liked your post, I think number 2 is the best. I love the idea about Petunia being a witch, never actually crossed my mind. Perhaps she wasn't as good as Lily with the magic, or maybe her powers were stripped or something, both scenarios would make her very bitter.

Then she meets Vernon and he hates all this too, even though he probably doesn't know there even are wizards and witches before he meets Petunia.

If she turned out to be a witch... Imagine Vernon finding out - the fear of it passing over to Dudley...

Anyhow, I think the second scenario is the best, I reckon we will find out soon enough what Petunias secret is.

[kashlie]

Petunia called her sister a freak. She didn't receive a Hogwart's letter either...at least not one that she is letting on to have received. I like both 1 and 2, but for two to work, then jealousy would play a huge part. "I was the only one who saw her for what she was..." Yes, Petunia could have tried to expose Lily, if not the whole wizarding world, to Muggles. BUT I don't see Dumbledore as the vindictive type. I don't believe he would make her 'pay' for what she may have tried to do. It just seems so schoolyardish to have Dumbledore say 'If you don't do as I ask, then I'll dob on you'...well, you know what I mean...
I think perhaps, Harry was in some kind of will that the Potter's had. I can imagine them asking for Harry to be protected. I daresay they knew of the prophecy. Perhaps in the letter, Dumbledore explained Lily's wishes, and not the prophecy, but the fact that the safest place for Harry is with family. That way, Petunia doesn't have to like it, but they seem to be family orientated, except for the wizard part, hence wanting to stamp it out of him.

[psychgirl83]

My theory on this is that the Dursley's were also in danger after the death of the Potters, just as much danger as Harry himself was. If the Death Eaters would go after the Longbottoms to try to find Voldemort, what would stop them from going to Lily's own sister, the most likely place to find Harry? By taking in Harry, they sealed the charm that protected not only Harry, but also protected themselves in the process. This would explain why they never seem to want him to leave the house, or even go away to school, despite the fact that they don't seem to actually want him there. Dumbledore's letter "Remember my last" was telling Petunia that not only must she keep Harry in her home in order for him to safe, but for her own family to be safe as well. So the orginal letter, left on the doorstep with baby Harry explained not only the events of the previous day, but the steps that were being taken to protect the Dursleys.

[Fortescue]

I doubt that Dumbledore threatened the Dursley's in any way to take Harry. I'm sure he explained what happened to James and Lily; maybe not all of it, but enough to give them a general idea. In OotP he told Harry, "She may have taken you grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, yet still she took you, and in doing so, she sealed the charm I placed upon you." (OotP, pg 836 US)

It's obvious that Petunia initially was against the idea - yet - "While you can still call home the place where your mother's blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort. He shed her blood, but it lives on in you and her sister. Her blood became your refuge. You need return there only once a year, but as long as you can still call it home, there he cannot hurt you. Your aunt knows this. I explained what I had done in the letter I left, with you, on her doorstep. She knows that allowing you houseroom may well have kept you alive for the past thirteen years." (pg 836)

There was enough motherly instinct in Petunia to accept Harry into her home. As Dumbledore said, once she accepted Harry into her home by taking him off the doorstep and caring for him, that's what sealed the charm. Her accepting Harry seems like a magical contract and by her accepting Harry, it meant she agreed to the contract. I think that's why the Howler Dumbledore sent was so effective on her - she knew she was obligated to keep Harry since she had agreed to take him in the first place.

Petunial knew Voldemort couldn't come after her or her family because of it. Even though she despised magic and everything to do with it, she did believe in its powers and it has not only protected Harry for the past thirteen years, but the Dursley's as well. If it weren't for the charm, the Dursley's, being defenseless Muggles, would be in danger. I guess they still are in danger from Death Eaters, but maybe they haven't thought of that - the charm only protects them from Voldemort. After all, none of us want anything bad to happen to the Dursley's :rolleyes:

I think Dumbledore was honest in the letter and told her like it was - I don't think he hoodwinked her by telling her how horrid of a sister she'd been - he simply made it clear that a small, innocent boys life was in danger if she didn't take him in. JKR has already said she isn't a Witch or a Squib, and knowing how she felt about her sister and magic in general, I doubt she was ever at Hogwarts.