[HPforGrownups] interesting thought re: Mrs. Figg (cabbage smell)

[Neil Ward]

No: HPFGUIDX 24913

Steve wrote:


<<Someone emailed this little tidbit to me about Arabella Figg. I have to
admit that I never made this connection. What do you all think of it?

<<"Also, isn't it peculiar that the smell of her house is described as
cabbage? And in the CS the finished Polyjuice potion smells like overcooked
cabbage. Could Arabella really be someone else in disguise?">>

Interesting idea, I agree.  There does seem to be a suggestion that Mrs Figg
is a pivotal character in some way, and her association with the Dursleys
places her unnervingly close to Harry.  At first thought, it seems
inconceivable that Dumbledore could be so fooled by a fake Arabella Figg,
but he was so fooled by a fake Alastor Moody... the old fool!

The cabbage smell also cropped up in the World Cup camping scene in GoF,
when one of the tents was described as having that cabbage smell reminiscent
of Mrs Figg's place.  Was this because the tent was really an all-mod-cons
room made to look like a tent, and had therefore required a spell related to
the Polyjuice Potion to achieve the illusion?

The smell of cooked cabbage being associated with witchcraft is not unique
to JKR, IIRC.  I'm sure I've read similar references in Diana Wynne Jones'
books, and I gathered that it was something that was accepted outside the
Potterverse.  I remember doing an internet search when this issue first came
up, but I found nothing to support an involvement of cabbage in making
spells.  If anyone knows what the significance is, I'd love to know - I'm
very fond of cabbage and hopeful that this is an indicator of as yet
undiscovered magical abilities.

Neil
________________________________________

Flying Ford Anglia

"The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely
a bit bow-legged and its face looked grumpy and oddly
squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall"
["The Leaky Cauldron", PoA]