Aunt Petunia (Was:spells: hard not to think like a Muggle)

[prefectmarcus at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 24569

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Steve Vander Ark" <vderark at b...> wrote:
> 
> Just to stir your thinking up a little, consider this...I am 
> wondering if the wineglass incident might not have been the work of 
> another person instead of Harry. After all, Petunia's family was 
> getting trashed pretty thoroughly by someone who she doesn't really 
> like all that much. Was that Petunia's version of the vanishing 
glass 
> syndrome? 
> 
> Probably not, okay, I realize, but it's an interesting thought...
> 
> Steve

I agree.  There is nothing concrete to base it on, but I have always 
thought Aunt Petunia wasn't quite as anti-magical as she made herself 
out to be.  She always seemed to be more anti-Lily than anti-magic.

Consider the following:

(1) In SS Ch1, she resented the mention of Lily's name.

(2) In SS CH3, when Vernon was going crazy trying to avoid the 
letters, she timidly suggested that this wasn't going to work, 
implying that they should just let things happen.  

(3) In SS Ch4, when the flood gates opened in the hut, her complaints 
were more along the lines of a jealous, resentful sibling rather than 
anti-magic per se.  "It was always Lily this, and Lily that!", I 
believe she said.

(4) If memory serves, just before she got blown up, Aunt Marge had 
just finished referring to Harry's mother as a b**** in Petunia's 
hearing.  I don't care how much you resent your sister.  Them's 
fight'n words!

(5) It was Aunt Petunia who found the letter from Dumbledore.  What if 
she didn't show all the letter to Vernon.  A certain part about 
protections set up around their house and a certain nearby magical 
person named Figg, perhaps?  I've often wondered how Mrs. Figg got the 
Dursleys to trust her enough to take Harry and not to talk about 
strange things.

Would it not be interesting if Petunia finally admits to Vernon that 
she's been hiding from him and herself for all these years the fact 
she can do magic?  Since Rowling is not leaving Snape as a 
cardboard-cutout bad-guy, maybe she is not going to leave Aunt Petunia 
as a cardboard-cutout bad-gal.

Yes, this is all speculation, but it certainly would explain a whole 
lot and not take too much of a stretch to accept.

Marcus