Remember my Last Petunia

[Amon Rê]

I agree I don't think Dumbledore would have threatened the Dursley's, I think someone else may have or will in the future, but I think Dumbledore just stated plainly how much danger both Harry and the Dursley's could be in if Harry were to be kicked out.

[Athena Appleton]

then again, in a way, the dursleys bear the weight of the safety of mankind on their shoulders... neither wizards nor muggles are safe, and I think at least Petunia realizes that the only way to get rid of Voldemort is to keep Harry alive and healthy long enough to kill him... so if she doesn't take decent care of Harry, she's putting the world at risk...

[ReDDragoN]

1) I don't think that it was the letter.
Remember McGonagall

“A letter?” repeated Pr. McGonagall …”Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter?”

And she is right of course. So Dumbledore meet Petunia after the letter's leaving. I said AFTER because we know that Petunia was surprising when she have found Harry.
2) About dementors and Azkaban.
This is a more interesting question, I think.
When did he heard about them? She didn't say any names only "boy" and "she". So, we don't know anything about this moment. What happend if even Petunia knew about dementors? May be the same situation as Dudley's?
3) Is Petunia as far from the wizards' world as she always shows? We didn't speak about those strange understanding between Harry and Petunia when he said that LV was coming back. Oh, she knew who LV is and she was very scared.

Edited to correct simple mis spelling errors and to delete previous post: it said the same.

[hbic3]

If you all remember, In Chamber of Secrets, Harry Tells Dobby that he must go back to Hogwarts, because Hogwarts is his HOME.

It struck me as rather odd that Dumbledore would tell Harry that as long as he can call the Dursley's home, he will be protected. Harry certainly did not consider the Dursley's home. He made that clear in CoS.

Petunia Loves Harry. That will come out in the end. I'm sure of it. But also, remember that Molly tells Harry that they will get him out of there as soon as possible(don't remember her exact words.) Wouldn't Molly know that Harry would NOT be safe with them because he is Not at home?

I'm with alot of people here. I think we are going to be told about some shocking family connections in the coming episodes of HP. I Can Not Wait. 31 years old, and I can't get enough Harry Potter.

[Amon Rê]

Yes, but it also says in one of the books, not to sure. Dumbledore says that as long as he returns to Privett Dr. each summer the protection is renewed. So as long as he is WELCOME, as much as the Dursley's will welcome him, he has some protection. It might have been Molly or Arthur that says this, but someone states that he MUST return every year even if it is for only a short time...

[Alice I]

It was DD who told Harry this at the end of OotP

[Athena Appleton]

I know this sounds weird, but I think Harry feels like the wizarding world, Hogwarts, the Burrow, Grimmauld Place... he feels at home... but he knows that his home is at Privet Drive. When he's talking about vacation, he would refer to "going home" from Hogwarts to be Privet Drive, and "going back to school" as returning to Hogwarts. So, even though he prefers somewhere else, and he feels more at home there, his true home is still Privet Drive.

Wouldn't Molly know that Harry would NOT be safe with them because he is Not at home?

First off, until OotP, or maybe the end of GoF, I don't think Molly knew that Harry truly had to go back to Privet Drive to protect him (she asks Dumbledore at some point if he can go home with the Weasleys, and he says no). But even still, Harry doesn't have to spend the whole summer break at Privet Drive, he just kinda has to make a pit stop to keep the charm going, then he can get back with his friends and loved ones. Molly's not putting him in danger by shortening his stay with the Dursleys, because the length of the stay isnt as important as the actual stay itself.

[hbic3]

I don't thinks so. I still refer back to Harry telling Dobby in CoS, that Hogwarts is his home.

[Evil Wizard Petting Zoo]

Yeah, I remember Harry saying Hogwarts is his real home. Correct me if I'm wrong b/c I'm just pulling out what I remember off the top of my head but, DD says that Harry's home is the place where his mother's blood resides. And he only has to go there once a year. (I think that's right)

[Athena Appleton]

I never said he didn't say that... I know he did, I just think that while he "feels" at home at Hogwarts, he would still off the top of his head refer to Privet Drive as "home". He would hate going "home" for the holidays.

[hbic3]

Wait, Wait, Wait....

We are forgetting about the Dementors in the beginning of OotP.

I don't think I really ever understood why these dementors came after Harry. And he was "home" with the Dursley's. Albeit, not in the house. Is that the reason why he wasn't safe from them? He wasn't in the house?

And wasn't there something somewhere in one of the books that said Harry was safest at Hogwarts? Maybe it was one of the kids who said that because they are niave. Or maybe I'm just not remembering right.

HEY!!!! Wait!!! Hogwarts is only safe when DD is there, right? And am I remembering wrong, that When DD isn't around, that's when Voldy gets in? Isn't that the way it's been going? Ok, stick with me. I could be wrong here...

1st book, Dumbledore goes somewhere, I don't remember where, The kids run to see DD to tell them Snape is after the stone, and Minerva tells them He's not there...

2nd book, Malfoy gets the "governors" I think it was, 12 or 13 of them to sign an order for DD's removal...

I don't remember if Dumbledore is around when it all hits the fan in book 3 and 4. Maybe somebody can remind me.

But if he wasn't...wouldn't that draw your attention to DD statement of "where your mother's blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort." ?????

I could be wrong. I'll have to read the series again to be sure of what I'm talking about.

[Alice I]

We are forgetting about the Dementors in the beginning of OotP.

I don't think I really ever understood why these dementors came after Harry. And he was "home" with the Dursley's. Albeit, not in the house. Is that the reason why he wasn't safe from them? He wasn't in the house?

My theory on this is that those pesky dementors were able to go after Harry because they were sent by Ministry personell namely that horrible Umbridge woman.

Isn't that charm supposed to protect Harry from Voldemort? Well Voldemort didn't send the dementors.

[hbic3]

I hadn't thought of that.

Could you clarify this too? Why would the Ministry be so afraid to admit that Voldemort was back. Especially with all the evidence of it over the last 5 books? Is that ever explained?

[Alice I]

The problem with all the evidence of it over the last 5 books is that that evidence is based largely on hearsay.

PS/SS Harry sees Voldemort hanging out of the back of Quirrels head but no one else saw any of it not even Ron and Hermione.

CoS Voldemorts memory is vanquished by Harry and there is no evidence that he can return in that fasion.

PoA Voldemort doesn'y appear in this one, but no one will believe the threesome about Sirius being innocent and Peter being alive because Snape's version of events is so much easier to believe. (Hmmm, I wonder...)

GoF Again no one besides Harry saw Voldemort return, and Barty/Moody can give testamoney because Fudge let the dementors suck out his soul. (Hmmm, I wonder again)

The problem is actually explained by DD in the end of GoF in chapter 32 The Parting of The Ways:

"You are blinded," said DD, his voice rising now, the aura of power around him palpable, his eyes blazing once more, "by love of the office you hold Cornelius! "

It was easier and safer for the MoM to ignore this to wiosh it away if you will. Again every shred of evidence was on Harry's word alone or that of his best friends, all children in the eyes of the Ministry.

[hbic3]

That's true.

Man, what has JK got in mind????

Hurry up with book 6. I can't take the suspense!