Mark Evans

[Kirstini]

No: HPFGUIDX 78951

Kirstini heaves herself once more into the (Mark Evans) breach with a 
sigh.
Steve wrote:
>>People, people... while I concede that the Mark Evans character is a
bit suspicious, we must remember that the Dursleys are the ONLY  blood
relatives that Harry has.>>

Now, I *think* (at work just now so can't check) I remember noticing 
that DD actually said to Harry that *Petunia* was his only blood 
relation. No mention of Dudley. So we can either come up with some 
wonderfully high falutin' scheme whereby Dudley is really the love 
child of Cornelius Fudge and Mrs Goyle, or we can assume that this is 
a statment along the lines of Hagrid's "there wasn't a wizard who 
went bad who wasn't in Slytherin." <pauses to wave a "MWPP WERE all 
Gryffindors, alright?" flag threateningly, and then regains her 
composure>  i.e, vague and perhaps even deliberately misleading. 
Apologies if I'm wrong about that one. Anyway, back to Steve.

>>In addition, coming up with character names is not as easy as you
might think. If you have ever written fiction then you know what I
mean; it is a very difficult task to come up with names that fit 
characters. So, JKR re-using a few first and last names is not
unreasonable and could be purely coincidental.>>

Mmm. I'll accept that there is no link between, say Ernie Prang and 
Ernie MacMillan. Even that Sturgis Podmore probably isn't the 
desendant of Sir Patrick Podmore Delany. Well, I might. 
The thing is, pre-OoP, *we* only knew that Lily's surname was Evans 
because we obsessively re-read  transcripts of JKR interviews hoping 
for new clues. Lily's surname was practically gospel on list. 
However, I would imagine it was a fact that passed the average reader 
by. (In fact, I know it did. My friends looked at me funny when I 
mentioned it while we were queueing for our copies of OoP. Then they 
began to back away slowly.) Therefore, the average reader, 
discovering in "Snape's Worst Memory" that Harry's mum's surname was 
Evans, might just make a tiny mental connection: "Evans, hang on. 
Haven't I read that name somewhere recently?"

It's a slightly different situation from the other examples of 
doubled names used. The other doubles haven't been in the same books, 
for a start <wonders vaguely about the two Ernies, but ploughs on 
relentlessly>. Lily's surname is something the reader is made to wait 
for. It's given build up in the book, presented as a small mystery. 
What does the "L.E" that James is doodling mean? Have you been paying 
attention at the back there? And while it's in character that cocky 
wee Prongs would call the girl he fancies by her surname, it's not 
essential to the plot. It's a roundabout way of letting the reader 
know her surname, and it calls too much attention to itself. 

More Steve:
>> The only way we can know for sure is to read the next two books 
and see if it is explained.>>

B_Boy! I'm ashamed of you! Call yourself a listie? When have we 
*ever* bothered to leave it up to JKR when our own speculation is so 
much more satisfying? <g>.
  
>> In closing, the Mark Evans character really is a bit suspicious, 
but at the moment, I'm thinking JKR just put him in there to drive us 
obssessed fans nuts.>> 

Well, yeah. There is that. And it's working, darn her.
Kirstini