Very interestin tidbit I found while checking the chat archives

[rcraigharman at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 22103

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Magda Grantwich <mgrantwich at y...> wrote:
>
> Petunia didn't blow up her sister Lily.  I believe she blew up her
> sister-in-law Aunt Marge because Aunt Marge was running down Harry's
> mother's family (that is, Petunia's side of the family).  And while
> she may not have liked Lily, Aunt Marge is making some very general
> criticisms of the Evans clan.  
> 
> And I don't think Petunia blew Marge up consciously; just like Harry
> freed the snake in the zoo, it just happened based on strong
> feelings.

Hunh?!  What do you base this on?

The text has nothing to lead you to believe that Petunia was the
cause.  Moreover, Marge wasn't criticizing the *whole* Evans' family
--she explicitly says so:

"Now I'm saying nothing /against your family/ [...] but /your sister/
was a bad egg.  They turn up in the best families.  Then she ran off
with a wastrel and here's the result right in front of us." (p.28,
American edition, emphasis mine)


Rather, before the incident, she impugned *James'* character right to
Harry's face (pp. 28-29, emphasis mine):

----
"As I expected!" said Aunt Marge, taking a huge swig of brandy and
wiping her chin on her sleeve.  "A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy
scrounger who --"

"He was not," said Harry suddenly.  The table went very quiet.  Harry
was shaking all over.  He had NEVER FELT SO ANGRY IN HIS LIFE.

[....]

"No, Vernon," hiccuped Aunt Marge, holding up a hand, her tiny
bloodshot eyes fixed on Harry's.  "Go on, boy, go on.  Proud of your
parents, are you?  They go and get themselves killed in a car crash
(drunk, I expect) --"

"They didn't die in a car crash!" said Harry, who found himself on
his feet.
----

Clearly, Marge had egged Harry on, and Harry had grown very angry.

Later, Fudge tells him (p.44) that he "will be pleased to hear that
we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie
Dursley.  [....]  She has no recollection of the incident at all.
So that's that, and no harm done."

Unless Harry did it, there would be no reason to absolve him....

....Craig