Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. In this video we’re going to be
discussing Albus Dumbledore, Baby Harry, The Dursleys, and a letter that was left on the
front porch of 4 Privet drive addressed to Petunia Dursley.
1981 was an iconic year in the Harry Potter universe wherein massive events worthy of
celebration- like the defeat of Lord Voldemort and the end of the wizarding war, occurred.
However, 1981 was also tragically the same year that Lily and James Potter, Harry’s
parents, were murdered. This meant that their son, baby Harry, had lost his parents- and
it also meant that those who were close to Harry, the sole survivor of the attack from
Voldemort, would need to decide what was next for him. Where would he go? Who would raise
him?
The Potters were murdered on Oct 31st 1981, and just 1 day later, the 1st of November
1981, Dumbledore made the executive decision that Harry would be raised by his aunt- Lily’s
sister- Petunia Dursley. Having a magical sister, Petunia was already privvy to the
magical world, and Dumbledore, who fully understood the loving sacrifice that Lily had made for
her son, knew that the home of the Dursley’s was the safest place for him. This is explained
to Harry by Dumbledore in the Order of the Phoenix:
"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 fifteen years"
Knowing that the Dursley’s, Petunia specifically, would need some kind of rationalization for
why her estranged nephew was suddenly left at her doorstep, Dumbledore wrote her a letter.
One thing worth mentioning is that in the book the letter is addressed to Petunia specifically,
while in the film it’s addressed to both Vernon and Petunia. So, Dumbledore’s letter-
what did it say? I would imagine that they would need QUITE the explanation, as this
would heavily influence the rest of their lives. What could Dumbledore have written
to the Dursleys that would convince such awful people to take in and care for an unwanted
relative? Dumbledore’s letter to the Dursleys was
not particularly extensive or descriptive, but it did highlight a couple of the very
important events that had transpired, as well as explain what kind of action he would need
from them moving forward.
The first thing that Dumbledore explained was that James, and Petunia’s sister Lily,
had been tragically murdered. Despite the fact that Petunia had written off Lily from
her life, this must have been hard news to swallow- and truly-eye opening with regards
to the danger of the wizarding world.
Next, Dumbledore explained Lily’s loving sacrifice, and the magical protection that
would befall on 4 Privet Drive after Harry was adopted.
Lastly, Dumbledore explained the dangers of what could potentially happen to both Harry
and the Dursley family if Harry were to leave the house before his seventeenth birthday-
when the protection from the loving sacrifice would finally end.
And as if all of that wasn’t enough, Dumbledore was careful to appeal to Petunia’s deep-seeded
desire to become a witch, and longing to become a part of the magical world. This was actually
discussed by Rowling in an interview:
“He appealed to her sense of fair play to a sister that she had hated because Lily had
what she couldn't have. That's how she persuaded Petunia to keep Harry. Good question.”
So even though the Dursleys treated Harry like trash, and probably didn’t really want
him, Harry was still infinitely safer with them. It just made sense.
The letter is actually referenced once again in the Order of the Phoenix, after the Dementor’s
travelled to Little Whinging to Attack Harry Potter and Dudley. It was in this moment that
Vernon Dursley, obviously furious with what had happened to his son, attempted to throw
Harry out. However, Dumbledore, knowing that the dementor attack may have likely "awoken
her (Petunia) to the dangers of having Harry Potter as a surrogate son", sent her a howler
to remind her of their relationship with Harry.
‘You can open it if you like,’ said Harry, ‘but I’ll hear what it says anyway. That’s
a Howler. [SNIP] Open it!’ Harry urged her. ‘Get it over with! It’ll happen anyway.’
‘No.’
Aunt Petunia’s hand was trembling. She looked wildly around the kitchen as though looking
for an escape route, but too late – the envelope burst into flames. Aunt Petunia screamed
and dropped it.
An awful voice filled the kitchen, echoing in the confined space, issuing from the burning
letter on the table.
‘Remember my last, Petunia.’
And that’s it for this video! Did you guys already know all of the ins-and-outs of Dumbledores
letter, or was any of this a surprise to you? Let me know in the comment section below
Until next time
YER A WIZARD ARRY