I think we shouldn't get to poetical about it. Harry is very specifically afraid of Dementors. It just so happens that Lupin feels that they can be seen to represent the emotion of fear - though more traditionally they represent depression.

As for the protections on Privet Drive: there are none, as far as we know. In OotP Dumbledore says that the Bond of Blood spell is on Harry himself. The other component is Petunia. The house is purely incidental - any place that Petunia resides would do. Maybe there are additional, more conventional protections on Privet Drive itself - we don't know.

 

It makes sense that the protections are on Harry and not the house (given his reaction to being touched his first year), but why did that mean that Harry had to return to Privet Drive? There were several times when it was emphasized that Harry could not spend the entire summer away from the home because of the protections.

Could not the same effects, the protections, have been accomplished by simply having Petunia visit Harry in a secure location? Or was it more that Harry's reluctant willingness indicated that no matter what, he still felt the Dursleys worthy of protection?

Unless I'm missing something that was discussed earlier.

 

Presumably, Harry would have to be in Petunia's presence for the protection to "recharge", for lack of a better word. While your secure location idea is something and does have some merit, you'd have to remember that Harry never felt at home with the Dursleys, and he never really acknowledged them as his relatives beyond calling them their respective titles as his relatives. We have no idea how this would affect the magic, but it can be assumed that that might have had an affect on the protections.

 

I doubt Petunia would have been willing to be moved to wherever Harry was every summer.

 

But it does not have to be entire summer, does it ?

I am not sure but Dumbledore took Harry from Dursleys in third chapter of HBP after TWO weeks with them and that was apparently enough to protect Harry.

I was always curious just why Voldemort´s neutralization of Harry´s personal blood protection had absolutely no impact on Bond of blood charm that has sacrificial protection as its most important and main part.

And just why Voldemort and his DEs are afraid of protection that did nothing against Pettigrew (directly in Graveyard, in animagus form at the end of PoA), Barty Crouch Jr. (polyjuiced at the end of GoF), Diary Horcrux, Locket Horcrux, Snape (but not sure if he ever touched Harry so maybe this is irrelevant), Ginny while being possessed/drained in Chamber, Quirrell in Leaky Cauldron, "Horcrux" in scar and hostile spells (with exception of one AK from Voldemort in 1981) ?

 

No it doesn't have to be the whole summer. However, I'm sure the strength of Harry's protections depends on how long he stays with them.

Harry was still alive after seven years of misfortune, so perhaps the magic does protect him in a roundabout way. We don't really know the specifics.

 

I was not suggesting that PETUNIA be moved, but that Harry be allowed his wish to stay with Weasleys, or later, with Sirius or even in his own pre-designated 'safe house' with a rotation of adult Order folk, and Petunia has to visit him periodically throughout the summer in order to keep her family safe. Nothing about forcing Harry to interact with his family or have THEM move to where HE was. I can't recall correctly how long he stayed with the Dursleys during his first three summers, but I was under the impression that usually he stayed until after his birthday and then left. (I don't have PoA with me so I don't know how long that one lasted, and I know he stayed that long after 6th year, since Dumbledore specifically states he has to stay until he becomes 'of age' at the end of HBP)

As far as the proximity to DE, you could say the same for Malfoy the entire 6th year, but I was under the impression that the protections had more to do with malevolent intent than actually bearing a Dark Mark. if proximity to Harry and simply having a Dark Mark was the issue, than he would be like some kind of living DE detector, and Pettigrew would have been exposed the instant Ron entered that compartment on the Hogwarts express.

The whole thing is very shady.

 

A Black Comedy by nonjon had an interesting take on Harry's boggart. There was a quite funny scene where

Spoiler

his greatest fear post-Voldemort was said to be a prophecy orb, because of the lack of control over his life that represented.

Though it was primarily a humor/parody fic, I thought that actually fit canon Harry's personality pretty well.

We also don't know what Harry's boggart was after he mastered the Patronus, but I'd imagine it changed throughout his life as he encountered new obstacles he hadn't yet learned to overcome.

 

He met a boggart in the Third Task in GoF, where it turned into a dementor.

 

The idea that Petunia would ever willingly enter a magical home, even for 5 minutes, is hilariously optimistic.

 

Nobody ever said anything about 'willingly'. I certainly didn't mean to imply that she would have a choice in the matter.

 

Hmm. I think Petunia's willingness is quite important to the magic. I recall a line by Dumbledore. I can't remember the exact words, but it was something like "But she took you. Reluctantly, perhaps, but she took you, and by doing so gave you a protection something something something."

 

I concede. The power of bacon compels me.

 

This is the quote, I believe.

And I think it should settle this whole discussion. The protections only existed because she took him into her home, and would only continue to exist as long that continued to do so.

 

There is much mythological and historical precedent regarding the importance and responsibilities of hospitality. Accepting Harry into the Dursley's home may have built on that.

 

LOL, yeah, "fear of fear" is a big leap, considering the more immediate consequence of having a run-in with a dementor is being left a soulless and soon-to-die Real Doll.

What do dementors mean for Harry, other than generic fear? Being confronted with forgotten memories of his parents' murders, having his soul sucked out, plain old death, and being mocked for sharing a franchise with creatures that would inevitably draw accusations of being ring wraith knock-offs.

Sounds like enough reasons to be afraid of those things, without some existential nonsense about fear as an abstract coming into play.

 

I have one question I've always wondered about - someone might have already asked this; I couldn't be bothered to search through the 65 pages. In CoS, how did they un-Petrify Nearly-Headless Nick? He couldn't exactly drink the mandrake potion, could he?

 

They never did say, but a few things about Nick come up due to his petrification- despite being dead, a ghost can be further affected by the Basilisk's eye beams. Also, one can push a ghost using a magic fan (at least when the ghost is made smoky by a basilisk). From these, one might surmise that a ghost could be cured by an aerosol or incense-based use of the potion.

Either that or Nick just needed to be told to snap out of it and stop feeling sorry for himself for having a crappy 500th Death-day party. Ask Luna- she's good with ghosts.

 

Was Fenrir Greyback a muggle or a wizard?

 

I was always under the impression that there were no muggle werewolves.