Arabella Figg, Winky

[Linda C. McCabe]

No: HPFGUIDX 36899



I've been meaning to jump into the fray on this topic, but haven't had the
time to until now.  So please bear with me as I try to summarize the best
bits from recent discussions.

Arabella Figg has got to be the number one character that is driving my
imagination in regards to Book 5.  And we know so little about her - that's
part of what makes me ascribe all kinds of things to her.  Kitty had
mentioned several theories in her posting 36711 as well as Laura in 36802.
I must say that several of them I had also thought of.  The smell of cabbage
in her house is probably a clue that goes along with Harry tasting the
Polyjuice Potion and saying it tasted of cabbage.  However, I hope that his
guardian (which I think we can all safely say is what the consensus is for
Mrs. Figg's role), has not had to slug down Polyjuice potion continually for
fourteen years to live amongst the muggles.  Of course she wouldn't have to
drink it every hour on the hour if she were safely inside her house.
However, to answer the door...I'll Be There in Just a Minute...(glug, glug,
glug)...transforms into the old lady.

Instead, I am hoping that she is indeed one of those characters that is not
who they appear to be and instead used a simple Aging Potion that was used
by the Weasley twins and others in hopes to fool the Goblet of Fire.  I'd
like her to be younger, but at least a decade older than
Sirius-Severus-Remus-James-Lily cohorts.  I guess I'd just like it if there
were someone that had a little more life under their belt guarding Harry.

My backstory for her includes her being an freelance Auror working for
Dumbledore and not the MoM.  She's also a widow.  Her late husband was
killed by Voldemort and the DEs.  In her grief mixed with rage, it caused
her to miscarry...so when Dumbledore reassigned her to watch over Harry, it
was something that was a welcome change for her.  She was able to grieve the
loss of her husband in solitude and be responsible for a child's security.
It would have been difficult to get the Dursley's to trust someone young
with their family's embarrassment.  So, she took an aging potion to appear
like a harmless little old lady who's just a tad off, which would give the
Dursleys enough reassurances that she wouldn't sense anything strange about
Harry.  I'd also like that if you take an aging potion that it has the
effect of enhancing your abilities and that if you take an anti-aging potion
(not mentioned in canon, but it sounds good to me) that it diminishes your
powers.  Can you say Gilderoy Lockhart?

Mrs. Figg was also there on Privet Drive the morning that Aunt Petunia
discovered Harry on the front steps.  She might have been walking by and
then rushed to help Petunia as she fell in her fit on the doorstep.
Unfortunately Mrs. Figg was unable to forge a closer relationship where
they'd lean on her to babysit regularly so she had to take her once a year
visits to use to familiarize Harry with her cats.  These are her sentries
throughout the neighborhood.  Heck, if they weren't normal cats and didn't
annoy neighbors by using their gardens as litter boxes and killing songbirds
in their trees - then no one would mind them prowling everywhere.  And Harry
would certainly enjoy having some company when he was stuck up in the trees
hiding from Dudley's gang.  If he confided in the cats while he was petting
them, then they'd report back to Mrs. Figg what was going on inside the
Dursley Household.

As for the broken leg, I think she actually broke her leg tripping over a
cat as was mentioned in SS/PS.  This would have been in front of a neighbor
who may have distracted her.  Since she had eighty year old bones, falling
down would be hazardous.  Any neighbor witnessing this would have insisted
on taking an elderly woman who lived alone to the hospital.  It's not
something she could refuse to do without risking her cover being blown.  Of
course, after it was set in a cast she could have contacted someone to come
and help mend her leg quickly and only then need to use the crutches and
cast when she was outside the house.

I think Arabella is an Animagus also.  A cat, of course.  That should allow
her the ability to converse with her sentries with ease.  (Since Wormtail
can talk with rats and Sirius could communicate with Crookshanks it follows
canon logic.)

She's my guess as to who will be the next DADA instructor.  I'm hoping that
Sirius will take over the watch duties for Privet Drive while Arabella is at
Hogwarts.  This would allow him to sleep in a bed and no longer subsist on
rats.  Contrary to Cindy's comment that Sirius is Dead Sexy - I think he has
the *potential* to be just that.  He just needs to lose the
convict-on-the-run look.  You know...shave, shower, get rid of any fleas
you've picked up in the Forbidden Forest.  Maybe get some new clothes and
have some square meals so he's no longer emaciated.  I think if he cleans
himself up and takes an aging potion enough for twenty years that he could
pass himself off and not attract undue attention either in the Wizarding
community or amongst the Muggles.

And yes, my personal wish for a SHIP is with Arabella Figg and Sirius Black.
Heck both were kept confined and isolated for the last fourteen years due to
Voldemort.  I'd like to see them find some form of happiness.  That's really
why I don't want her to be in an octagenarian.  Someone in her forties and
dating a man in his thirties - that I can see.

And Tex in message 36849 thinks that Winky going to the Weasleys.  I agree
with that.  He didn't think there was any canon to support it.  However,
when Harry first told Ron, Fred and George about Dobby's warning, George
said that "Mum's always wishing we had a house-elf to do the ironing.  But
all we've got is a lousy old ghoul in the attic and gnomes all over the
garden.  House-elves come with big old manors and castles and places like
that; you wouldn't catch one in our house..."  then in GoF we saw how the
other elves were upset with Winky as she kept wailing about drunk in the
kitchens.  I'm sure that after she saw Barty, Jr. that she became totally
unhinged.  I think the other elves would complain to Dumbledore to give her
the sack (or sock!)  Then he might just ask Molly to take Winky in thinking
that a new family is just what she needs.

I'm working on some fanfic along these lines.  If anyone wants to help
critique it before I submit it anywhere, please contact me offlist.

Athena