A couple of things have been whirling around in my mind, and today they settled down and formed themselves into this theory. I think it makes a lot of sense, I wonder what anyone else thinks?
First, Dumbledore did not discuss Harry's inheritance from Sirius in front of the Dursleys by accident. He had a reason, even if we were to distracted by floating drink glasses to notice. Dumbledore had so many opportunities to speak to Harry that year, including in the Weasley's broom shed, that I just think it wasn't by chance that Vernon Dursley has now heard that Sirius is dead, Harry is his heir, the address of his ancestral home, the name of the Wizarding bank and that Harry has an account there with gold in it, and that a group calling itself the Order of the Phoenix has, and plans to again, use the aforementioned home as their headquarters. Remember, Dumbledore is the Secret-Keeper for the Order of the Phoenix. No one can find the place if they aren't told about it by Dumbledore, right? But now all three Dursleys have been told.
Second, fast forward to the end of HBP. Consider the fact that, according to formula, in every other book, we see Harry take the train all the way back to Platform 9-3/4, Harry goes through the barrier back into the Muggle part of King's Cross station and sees the Dursleys. He's always going off with them back to Number 4 Privet Drive when we last see him, right? But not so at the end of HBP. Why not?
What if Vernon has spent the year since we've last seen him trying to find out as much as he can about Harry's inheritance? What if he makes an attempt to get money from Harry, as payback for having raised him? As Harry's guardian, he'd be legally entitled to take charge of Harry's assets, even if it wouldn't be ethical. So that's one thought that I had.
Whether Vernon makes Harry take him to Number 12 Grimmauld Place, whether Vernon has already visited it during Harry's sixth year at school (and whether he'd be able to see it, given the anti-Muggle charms the Blacks may have put on it), or whether the Death Eaters just decide to attack the Dursley's house once Harry comes of age, I think it's very likely that the entire Dursley family will be in for an extended stay at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, for their own safety. Maybe their house gets blown up. Maybe one of the Death Eaters tries to kill Dudley.
Oh, to see Aunt Petunia in her rubber gloves attempting to scrub and scour the place from top to bottom! The aptness of this fate makes me laugh out loud every time I think of it!
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4 comments:
I've wondered some of the same things. I think there was much more going on in that visit that Dumbledore had with the Dursleys. And as you pointed out, now the three Dursleys know where the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix is, if the Order actually decides to use it again.
Vernon was quite interested to learn that Harry had his own gold, but I don't think that he could get into the vault--he doesn't have the key. Actually, he doesn't know the vault number either, which is probably a good thing. I do hope though, that the Dursleys try--in a book that will likely have many sad and scary scenes, it would be a nice bit of fun to see Vernon and Petunia in Diagon Alley and trying to get past the goblins in Gringotts.
I remember hearing or reading that Rowling said that book 6 and 7 are really one book, which probably accounts for the end of HBP feeling very unfinished. There was no Dumbledore to sort out what actually happened in all that confusion with the Death Eaters getting into the castle, and they hadn't even left Hogwarts, let alone having the return to muggle London. It felt like the middle of the book, when I thought about it later. And I think it's one of the reasons that I didn't like it as well as some of the others.
That feeling of comfortable-ness, of knowing the routine of the book's progression, was thrown off by Dumbledore suddenly spending so much time with Harry, by Snape teaching DADA instead of potions, by Harry acting more like James than I liked (casting jinxes and hexes just for fun), and then the missing denouement from Dumbledore. It felt so odd to have Harry giving that part, and to have everyone just accept it. And while I liked the end, with the trio making plans for the summer, and standing together, it didn't seem like the end without the train ride back.
So at the beginning of Deathly Hallows, she will either have to pick up the story with the train ride back, or have some memory or conversation about how they left Hogwarts. And that will make the beginning of the last book a departure from the first five as well. Well, we'll soon see--and I can't wait.
Pat
I think you are completely correct about the Dursleys coming to Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore would not have told them the Secret by accident.
Personally, I like the idea of an attack on 4 Privet Drive, and in the aftermath, Harry takes the Dursleys to #12 for their protection - leading to Petunia finally spilling whatever secrets she knows.
- Doug
I've gone round and round about how Vernon would find Grigotts. I picture him checking the yellow pages and calling Information to find out how to call Gringotts. I'm thinking he won't immediately realize the Wizarding bank is completely separate from Muggle financial institutions. But then maybe he'd finally break down and hire some kind of a private eye who would know of the existence of the Wizarding World.
I don't think he'd get into the vault, but he might try to legally seize the money. I've been told that, as Harry's guardian, he would be legally entitled to oversee and even dispose of any assets Harry has. He could, for example, sell the property at Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
I keep going round and round about whether he could be that mean, to try and take Harry's money when he's obviously doing okay without it, but then, we are talking about the man who kept a boy in a cupboard for 10 years.
One thing's for sure, I think Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will start off with a bang and just keep going. We're in for a wild roller coaster ride!
I've gone round and round about how Vernon would find Grigotts.
Perhaps Petunia knows enough about the Wizarding World to get them to the Leaky Cauldron and from there to Diagon Alley. *pictures Vernon trying to shout down a Gringotts goblin, and being hit with the Probity Probe in response*
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