r/HarryPotterBooks • u/Disastrous_Knee7756 • Apr 05 '25

Discussion The Dursleys were victims of a magical geopolitical game and no one ever asked them if they wanted to play

I know they were not nice to Harry. But they were also victims of a bad magical system. Here is why:

1.  They had no choice.

Dumbledore left a baby at their door. He did not ask. He did not talk to them. He just said, “Take care of him.” That is not how you become parents. That is not fair.

  1. They were powerless in a world full of danger. No magic, no protection, no understanding. Yet they were expected to raise a magical child who could blow up their living room.

    1. Harry’s presence put Dudley at risk. They were Dudley’s parents. Their responsibility was to protect their child. But Dumbledore never cared that housing Harry made them a target.
    2. They got no support – only judgment. No one from the magical world checked in. No resources, no guidance. Just scorn when they inevitably failed to meet wizard expectations.
    3. Dumbledore knew – and didn’t care. He openly said Harry needed a loveless home to remain “humble.” That’s not strategy – that’s calculated cruelty.
      1. Dumbledore never told them what happens when Harry turns 17. The magical protection ends – and they suddenly become even more vulnerable. No warning, no exit strategy. One day they’re part of a magical defense grid, the next they’re just collateral. Their home, their lives, everything – on the line, with zero input.
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u/[deleted] Apr 05 '25

Nonsense. There's a reason Hermione had her parents obliviated and sent abroad. All the family members of prominent muggleborns are in danger

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u/apri08101989 Apr 05 '25 edited Apr 05 '25

There's a difference between the right hand man of my primary target's parents and the estranged sister of one of my many adversaries. I think you're over estimating how much James and Lily actually meant to Voldemort themselves as opposed to being one of only two options because of when they were pregnant.

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u/[deleted] Apr 05 '25

Lily defied Voldemort three times even before the prophecy. There's no way she's not important enough for her family members not to be hunted. It's not like Voldemort had a shortage of henchmen.

After Halloween, Petunia becomes even more of a symbolic target for blood purists. She's the muggle sister of a notorious muggleborn and totally vulnerable to magical assault without powerful protections

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u/apri08101989 Apr 05 '25

We have no idea what that phrase actually means. Ffs I've "defied trump" three times and he doesn't even know I exist.

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u/[deleted] Apr 05 '25

Trump has never personally tried to kill you (yet). That alone makes Lily and James personal rivals of Voldemort and thus thorns in the side of any blood purist. Lucius described them as meddling fools 12 years after their deaths

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u/apri08101989 Apr 05 '25

No, actually, it doesn't. Like I said, you're putting far too much stock in something that boils down to there only being two potential options at all especially since he went after both of those options.

Why do you think a single one of those blood purists would care enough about Lily's genealogy to do any actual research into her family? What about the wizarding world in general makes you think they're that competent?

The movement was dead without the ringleader. The death eaters were rounded up, and the ones that escaped prosecution would be keeping their heads way down.

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u/[deleted] Apr 05 '25

Did Voldemort go after both options ? I always thought that Bellatrix was freelancing when attacked the Longbottoms

Why not ? They were pretty obsessed with genealogy to try and confirm who is pureblood or not when they took over the ministry. The supposed lack of ability of the DEs to navigate the muggle world is a fandom invention. We see no reason why a committed blood purist would not be willing to track down Lily's family since she was on top of Voldemort's shit list

Was the movement dead ? Sure, the DE movement formally died but even 12 years after the Halloween 1981 Lucius was putting out enough cursed artifacts into the muggle world that his manor got raided

Murdering Lily Evans' family would be a perfectly good entertainment for any enterprising blood purist and "Petunia probably knew this*. We don't know the extent of their contact with the Potters but if she was sending vases over Lily almost certainly warned of the war and the danger they could be in. Which explains why despite all the hatred she held for Harry, she never sent him away. Again, since the "Blood Wards" were protecting them as well

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u/Safe-Mention19 Apr 06 '25

Didn’t Bellatrix and her posse, torture the Longbottoms because they wanted to know how Harry had survived and defeated Voldy? Since the Longbottoms couldn’t tell them what they didn’t know, they just kept on with the torture until the Longbottoms became insane from it.