#the dursleys

[lactosetolerantb]

Harry in his cupboard with one of Dudley’s broken toys

[that-flipping-phoenix]

remember when harry’s clothes were always too big for him because he was a stick of a child. remember when ron hit a growth spurt, ended up taller than half his siblings and realistically, all his clothes became too small. what if they just- what if they swapped

little tiny harry having clothes that were given to him by someone who loves him for the first time, having clothes that actually fit him, having clothes that feel like family.

lanky youngest son ron getting clothes that have barely be worn (because dudley got everything he ever wanted and had too many clothes to count, let alone wear regularly), trousers that don’t stop above his ankles, clothes that are only his and not bill and percy and fred’s first.

harry and ron started swapping clothes and never stopped. they are now fifty and don’t know who owns what. it is a reoccurring issue

[literally-ahammer]

I HATE it when people bash Ron in Severitus settings. I get that ha hated Snape, but like, he also loved Harry and hated the Dursleys.

This is the same guy, who knew something was up in 2nd year, got his brother's to fly a car, which was illegal, as well as into the muggle world, which was also illegal. The same guy who stood by him all those years? Who welcomed him into his home? Who Harry told about their mistreatment, even though it's not directly stated, it's evident he did. 'They were starving him, mum! They put bars on his windows.'

Ron may be firey, but he loved Harry. Whether that be platonic, familial, or even romantic, he loved Harry so much. Even in GoF, he still showed some support. It was evident that they're friendship wasn't over then, it was mostly a rough patch. He still loved Harry, they were and are so close.

He may hate Snape, he may call him a git, but if Harry got to get out of that hell hole, he would congratulate him. He would be there for him every step of the way, just like he always has, because he loves Harry more than he hates Snape.

[velvet4510]

People can say “awww Petunia was just grieving her sister all along” and “she abused Harry because he reminded her of Lily and she was just in a lot of pain and took it out on him, cut her some slack” and “she kept Harry’s baby blanket because she did love him” all the livelong day - but the fact remains that woman is an irredeemable bitch who deserved a restraining order and actual prison time for child abuse. She only kept that blanket to remember Lily, not because she gave a damn about Harry. (She and Snape aren’t that different, actually; they only “protected” Harry because they felt guilty about Lily, not because they cared about him.) Lily will NEVER forgive Petunia in the afterlife, and if Lily were to somehow come back, she would Crucio Petunia and Vernon to pulps for how they treated Harry, if not use a full Avada Kedavra on them. And so would James. Petunia may have had understandable reasons to resent Lily and fear the wizarding world, but she had NO excuse whatsoever for her mistreatment of Harry.

[hypothermiatapes]

From the moment Harry stepped foot into the Wizarding World he was met by people left and right telling him he was just like his parents.

They weren’t wrong of course, Harry did look just like his father with his mother’s eyes. However, when Harry thought about his behavior he thought about one person.

Everything from the quiet habits he possessed to the way he interacted with people all rooted in a woman with long blonde hair and pale green eyes.

When agitated Harry would run his fingers through his hair, lip biting common as he focused. As he laughed he would bring a hand up to cover his mouth as he doubled over in quiet laughter. He even tapped his foot lightly in beat with music and tilted his head towards the person he was listening to. Shoulders were set back as he walked, his eyes staring straight ahead.

Harry’s anger was often cold, his eyes sharp and icy as his expression went blank. When he did blow up he could destroy things, yelling his displeasure and even getting physical. It was well known he had a mouth, one that could cut people down in an instant, insults creative and quick. If he wanted something his words became his best weapon, the boy expertly weaving webs with them.

Most of the time Harry opted to listen instead of speaking, only putting in a word when needed. He could command a room when he needed, easily conveying confidence he didn’t feel. With a sharp eye he pays attention to the smallest of details, seeing things he shouldn’t.

All of these things reminiscent of a woman who would rant about the neighbors, words cutting and creative. A woman who had a thing for gossip and cruelty, who would cry to his teachers saying she didn’t know how to correct his behavior and turning the whole community against him.

She was well known in the neighborhood, everyone respecting her, the woman easily commanding a room. However, she much more preferred to listen instead of speaking, pale green eyes catching small details that the average person wouldn’t. When in a crowd people would move out of her way, the way she walked indicating she had somewhere to be even when she didn’t.

When doing taxes she would worry her bottom lip, a hand coming to run through hair when she was upset. Laughs elegant and quiet as she covered her mouth, body leaning forward ever so slightly.

There was nobody Harry acted more like than Petunia Dursley, and how he hated it.

But little did he know that some of those traits also belonged to a mother long past.

[ashlunes]

Yes I think Harry Potter is *gay* and not bi

as unpopular as that hc is, as I read @hollowed-theory-hall's great metas about gay! harry, I became convinced of it, and I wanted to add some points I thought as well about this

also i wanna say to everyone that says that Harry can't be gay because he dated Cho and Ginny... Do you know what homophobia is ? What heteronormality is? And how it impacts queer people? I hope you know that tons of gay men -or lesbians- have dated the opposite gender, or even married them in some cases, so how is Harry having a high school gf for a few months making it impossible for him to be gay?

Harry and the Homophobia Closet Cupboard

so, I know in fics ppl usually make Lucius homophobic, but you know who is *canonically* homophobic? The Dursleys.

(it's already kinda obvious that they are based on the fact that they're a conservative *probably christian* family in the 90s, obsessed with being seen as normal and calling harry a freak every five seconds, but it's also straight up in the text)

Vernon Dursley being homophobic:

(he also disapproves of the wizards clothing which is not in the manly standards of Muggles)

and Dudley as well :

(i doubt dudley is asking harry because he's an ally)

+The Dursleys calling Harry every variation of the word "freak" -which in that case, refers to him being a wizard, but can't you just picture a younger Harry commenting on a boy's beauty out loud -like he always does in his head in canon- and what would be the Dursleys' reaction? The Dursleys that are abusive, always calling him abnormal and beating him up and CHOKING HIM for breathing?

Harry and the repression and shame of his feelings

so ... we can all agree that Harry's uncomfortable about showing feelings, like the fact that he never let himself cry even when he's experienced smth traumatic and his eyes are burning because he wants to -i believe the ONLY time in ALL SEVEN BOOKS he LET HIMSELF CRY in front of others is when he's at his parents' grave. And he cries once when he's alone, after Sirius dies but that's it -and not letting himself weep is hardly healthy especially when his life is so hard :(( (not gonna show the quotes cus I'm too lazy to look for them but I'll link meta about that in the comments if someone wants me to). And he's also uncomfortable when others cry (see: Cho, or the fact that he likes Ginny bc "she doesn't cry" -when she just doesn't do it in front of him bc she wants him to like her).

This, to me, is once again the Dursleys' fault.

imo, Harry started to repress his feelings because he didn't want to be seen as weak or as an easy prey (he gets beat up and bullied at school AND at home).

Now, Harry may act like the Dursleys' view of him doesn't affect him, that they're stupid anyways, but there's no way it doesn't, at least deep down.

And, to me, this is the perfect ground for a repressed sexuality as well.

Harry's desire to have a family and it resulting in Hinny

Harry always wanted to be part of a family (that love and appreciate him).

To me, the fact that he starts "liking Ginny" seemingly out of nowhere is really interesting because it actually makes perfect sense in term of timing.

So. What happens at the end of the 5th book? His Godfather, Sirius -who was the only family that cared specifically about him above everyone else- dies. And the fact that it's a few chapters after that, in the 6th book that his chest monster appears is no coincidence to me (that part is soooo weird but for my argument's sake I'll say it represent Harry's intense and raw longing to belong in a family).

Since Sirius is not here anymore, his 2nd choice of family is the Weasleys, who always cared for him, but at this point there are only 2 years left in school. What if, deep down, Harry is scared that after getting jobs and not living together anymore, Ron (and the other Weasleys) and him will only see each other occasionally? Really, no shade to Ginny but I think whatever her looks or personality was like, he would still have ended up dating her at that point, based on the fact that she's the "Girl Weasley" (hence why the only things he can say he likes about her are that she's good at quidditch, smells good, has red hair and doesn't cry. we don't really know what her other interests are, or her motivations...).

So what better way to make sure he becomes entirely a part of the family he yearns for than to marry into it? btw i don't think narratively a story that has a main theme being "blood doesn't matter" making the mc have to have children with his bff's sister in order to be officially in the family is very satisfying (and yes i do think that it was JKR's reasoning and it's also one main argument from hinny shippers *from what I've seen*)

Now you could say "but he was already a part of the Weasleys family before dating Ginny" except... yes and no?

he doesn't wanna intrude. if he *felt* like he was belonging 100%, he would go with them. that is not to say he doesn't belong : molly goes after him to hug him. what I'm saying is that he doesn't NEED to date Ginny in order for him to be accepted in the family, but he may THINK he needs to, or see it as a security, albeit unconsciously.

Furthermore, even Ron hints that wants him to date her, before Harry even consider it

and it's not because they have undeniable chemistry, he most likely wants the same thing as Harry, I mean, having your BFF become your brother-in-law? Sounds awesome, no?

also, side note, but between that and the fact that Harry never thought of Ginny as particularly pretty/attractive before the slytherins said she was (not just pretty but suddenly one of the hottest girls in school apparently) , it really feels like he needs ppl to take him by the hand and point out that she's supposed to be his love interest.

(side note but am I the only one seeing Ginny as looking like Lindsay Lohan -with brown eyes and brighter hair ?)

Harry and wanting to be someone else

once again, I'll go back to the end of the 5th book, in which Harry learns that he is the one that has to defeat Voldemort because of the prophecy.

And what does Harry say in HBP?

basically, beside stalking Draco, Harry spends most of HBP pretending that his biggest problem is that his best friend could potentially be mad at him if he had it off with his sister (and that Ginny had a boyfriend already).

All Harry wants is to be a normal guy. What's more normal than a guy dating the gorgeous girl in his sport team, that's also his best mate's sister and who's biggest issue is that his bff might not approve?? Whose heteronormative relationship is the hot topic of the school (/pos), that everyone approves of/envies? Compare this to a closeted gay guy who has the weight of all the WW world on his shoulders and gets slandered every other week in the newspaper ? (+ we don't know for sure how homosexuality is seen in the WW, but based on the fact that there isn't a single mention of a queer person/couple on page, it's not unlikely that it's at least stigmatized)

but in the end, he needs to become Harry Potter again and breaks up with Ginny.

When he kisses Ginny -in front of everyone, he doesn't even look at her (which would be logical if you supposedly are very attracted to someone) but to everyone's - and specifically RON's -approval. ONLY THEN WHEN RON APPROVES does the chest monster roars, NOT as he KISSES HER (really, idk what went through JKR's head to write this metaphor, maybe it was the mold).

Anyways, that's my interpretation of Harry relating to his sexuality <3 🏳️‍🌈

[muggleauformarauders]

I love the trope of Fake Dating for Jily. Especially if it is to pretend in front of The Dursleys.

Imagine James having to pretend to be Lily's boyfriend because The Dursleys want to set her up with a cousin of theirs she despises. Or Marge (Vernon's sister) being absolutely mesmerized by James and Lily pretending to be with James to save him because she is horrid.

It starts when James goes to Lily's place to apologize for something or tell her how she feels over the summer. Then Lily introduces James as her boyfriend. And James is secretly thrilled.

"So we are dating now" James smirks.

"Don't get your hopes up, Potter. We are pretending"

Lily's family actually ends up loving James. And telling Lily he is her best boyfriend so far. James even earns the respect of Vernon's family somehow.

This goes for the whole summer, James going to Lily's place constantly for dinners and barbecues. Also Lily going to James's house a couple of times because The Potters got involved in the lie somehow.

They learn to know each other better and despite their bickering they have nice moments. People tell them they are adorable because they fight like an old married couple.

Then both of them actually start pretending it is fake but they love being around each other. They secretly want to make it real but none of them know how to say it. So they keep pretending.

Until one night when James says goodbye, Lily just kisses him.

"No one is around, Evans" James says still in shock.

"I know" Lily smiles and kisses him again.

And that's how the whole dating thing turns out to be real.

[drreidhjp]

can we talk about this part in philosopher’s stone? i remember this specifically really making me sad for harry as a kid because i think we all hated adults talking about us like we weren’t there, but the specific way that the dursleys do it is just so heartbreaking and dehumanizing to harry