Dudders

[Charis]

As I was rereading the 5th book, I came across the part in the beginning when Harry's aunt and uncle were interrogating Dudley about the dementors.

"What sort of things did you hear, popkin?" breathed Aunt Petunia, very white-faced and with tears in her eyes.

But Dudley seemed incapable of saying. He shuddered again and shook his large blonde head, and despite the sense of numb dread that had settled on Harry since the arrival of the first owl, he felt a certain curiosity. Dementors caused a person to relive the worst moments of their life.... What wouls spoiled, pampered, bullying Dudley have been forced to hear?

american version, chapter two, page 30

I searched the book 5 forums and couldn't find another topic on this, for which I was very surprised. If I missed it, though, forgive me mods!

But anyway, what do you think Dudley would have been forced to hear? What terrible things in his life would he have had to relive?? I think there's more to him than we think.

[gecko]

Hah, do you think it might be the diet he was forced to endure? I mean, eating was his life, his everything, and he suddenly had to live on a few vegetables (or something else, can't quite recall it!) instead of 3 cakes per hour!

Or maybe his having a pig-tail came back to him?
Or maybe something that happened at Smeltings (sp)? Maybe he is there, what Harry was at their primary school, namely bullied a lot? He was 'as wide as he was tall', so yeah he might be bullied because of it.. Oh do any of his friends in the neighbourhood attend Smeltings? Pff what happened to my memory, I knew those things once...someone must have 'obliviated' me in my sleep!

[Dink Meeker]

Perhaps it was the Ton Tongue Toffee that Fred and George gave him or even his Aunt ballooning up and floating to the ceiling. But I imagine that the sight of the Dementor's themselves and having Harry save him was probably his worst nightmare.

[zledm007]

that's true huey, that would be deathly firghtening seeing the dementor's, and then harry saving him on top of it. but i think it's something completely different that we haven't heard about yet. i think there is something more to didley and the entire dursley family that we don't know about that will play a huge role in the remaining two books. i think the dementor thing w/ dudley was a forshadow of that. kinda the same thing as when hernione didn't have to battle w/ the dementor in CoS in DADA w/ Lupin. that'll come up again too. (don't comment of that last part, there's something about it somewhere else)

[highsorcerer]

My theory is that Lily and Petunia were daughters of Squibs. And Pentunia resented the glory her sister got. It's why Pentunia knows about the magical world she so much wants to deny. And had the proper terror level about what a dementor could do.

While she doesn't love Harry, she finallly realized Harry wouldn't let his cousin suffer a horrible fate. Love or not; she now knows Harry will risk much to do what is right. She alone what fate Harry saved Dudley from. And realizes that maybe Harry's magic is something they should respect.

[Mumbleberry]

Mmn yes, at this point Harry is doing something that always turns out to be misguided - underestimating people & taking them at face value.

[Charis]

good replies, everyone!!

i agree with zledm007 ...i think what Dudley saw was something we don't know about yet. and i think Petunia had something to do with it, but not necessarily Vernon. I'm fairly sure it has something to do with the magical world, and he just seems much too out of it.
I'm not sure about the squib thing... i think maybe JK has used squibs in the plot enough, what with mrs. Figg and all. but who knows!

[Colin]

As for Dudley, I believe his worst nightmare is understanding just how jealous he is of Harry. Perhaps Dudders has a wand fixation. He is both afraid of the wand and angry with it. Yet the wand, to him represents power beyond his comprehension.

Your 50 minutes are up. That will be $500.

NEXT!

[Holly Golightly]

I don't think that he has a wand fixation as such, except that maybe it represents his greatest fear... he was totally freaking out when the Weasley's were coming over to get Harry, and when Mr Weasley was trying to fix him up...

[choki]

and the piggy tail by hagrid...
lol...all these are enough to give any sane person a cold sweat

[highsorcerer]

Dudley's attitude has changed because he realizes now that size doesn't matter. While Duddly is powerful in his own way (the leader of his gang of bullies, and now a boxer), he realizes Harry is even more powerful than he is.

Put it this way - who do you fear more - a 7 foot tall bodybuilder... or a midget with a machine gun?

[Meg Boyd]

Obviously there is more to Dudley and His Fears that meets the eye. I too wondered what could be possibly be so horible for Dudley to bear during the appearance during the Dementor attack. He seems to have a pretty good life...toughest kid on the block with doting parents! There must be something out there...jealousy of Harry is a possibility knowing that Harry is more powerful than him even with out his wand (ie Aunt Marge's Big Mistake)

and for the record, I am most afraid of the midget with the machine gun...scary

[highsorcerer]

Oh, Dudley can be scared. A 7 footer with a machine gun would scare me. So would a midget with a machine gun. Dudley knows he's less powerful than Harry. In a few years; he won't be even more. "Big D" with his fist are no match for a 17 year old Harry with a wand. Plus, the Dursley's know it. They are helpless; even know the OotP is Harry's protectors. Kicking Harry out incurres the wrath of the wizards. Keeping him means he makes the rules from now on

[Charis]

thats true, Harry's summer will probably be better for him and worse for the Dursley's now.

I still think that something that we haven't heard about yet happened to Dudley when he was young. perhaps even before Harry came to them. He didn't quite faint, like Harry, but he came pretty close to it. kind of like Ginny. What has happened to Dudley thats on the scale of even what happened to Ginny? i don't know if recieving a pig's tail or a gigantic toungue was really enough. remember, fears aren't necessarily what shake you up during a dementor attack, its experiences. Dudley may fear wands, but what horrible things have they done to him? just a thought

[pinky p]

um, well, i think that the ton tongue toffee and the pig tail are bad, but hmm... maybe he saw hisself beating someone up or something, maybe his conscience is getting to him?