Harry's questions/Dursley's lies(was Lupin As Volunteer Auror?)

[Cindy C.]

No: HPFGUIDX 30101

Calypso wrote:

>Why hasn't Harry 
> ever asked what his mum and dad did or were like? We know the rule 
at The 
> Dursley's was never ask questions but I would think that Harry 
would have 
> asked somebody (most likely Hagrid or Dumbledore, perhaps Lupin or 
Sirius) 
> about his parents now that he is part of the wizarding world.
> 

Actually, I think JKR is an absolute master at dribbling out facts 
about Harry's background very slowly.  Once we get to PoA, you would 
think all of this background information would come out about James 
and Lily because Harry meets all three of his dad's best friends.  
But Sirius never has time for an in-depth conversation.  Peter is 
busy begging for his life.  Lupin is so emotionally reserved that he 
volunteers almost nothing, and he practically flinches when Harry 
brings up the subject.  

When we get to GoF, Harry has the opportunity to ask questions of 
Sirius in their fireside chat and in the cave.  The chat gets 
interrupted, and Harry has bigger problems to deal with.  In the 
cave, it would be too weird for Harry to question Sirius about this 
in front of Hermione and Ron.  It is odd, though, that Harry doesn't 
just send Sirius an owl with a request for background information.  
Then again, Harry is worried that sending too many owls might cause 
Sirius to be caught.

There are two characters who could probably provide a great deal of 
additional information, but once again, JKR has set things up so that 
it seems natural that the information doesn't come out.  Harry often 
talks with Dumbledore (for the most part) under the most dire 
circumstances (the end of GoF, for example) when it would seem weird 
to suddenly bring up his parents.  

Hagrid is the only character where I think it is a little suspect 
that Harry doesn't ask more questions.  Hagrid seems to know plenty, 
and Harry's parents' background seems to be the only area where 
Hagrid is adept at keeping his mouth shut.  It does seem a little out 
of character that he'll blab things like how to subdue sleeping three-
headed dogs and blab about his own background as half-giant, but he 
is so quiet about James and Lily.

As for the Dursleys, they really shouldn't have this kind of 
background information about James and Lily.  Vernon wasn't even sure 
about Harry's name in the beginning of PS/SS, and the Dursleys didn't 
know about James' wealth, either.  Indeed, the Dursleys tell Aunt 
Marge that James Potter didn't work.  It would be odd indeed if the 
only fact the Dursleys knew about James and Lily was James' 
occupation in the wizarding world.

Cindy