Evans a Wizarding Family? (Was: Vernon a squib??)

[katzefan <katzefan@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 52749

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Christine Acker <
hphgrwlca at y...> wrote:
> The Evans may not have known Arabella Figg was a
> witch.  Some witches and wizards (Aberforth Dumbledore
> rumored to be one of them) live like Muggles. 

*snip* 
> 
>  Another possibility is that they didn't know
> she was a witch, but Petunia found out when they got
> Harry.  

*snip*

I can't imagine the Dursleys would have let Harry stay with Mrs. 
Figg if they knew she was a witch. Petunia is very antagonistic 
towards the whole wizarding world and Vernon even more so. In 
PS/SS, when the letter from Hogwarts first arrives, he reminds 
Petunia that "I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we 
swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous 
nonsense?" When Hagrid turns up, Vernon repeatedly tries to 
stop Hagrid telling Harry anything, reminding Harry that his 
parents were (in the Dursleys' eyes) "weirdos, no denying it" and 
repeats that "We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to 
that rubbish! Swore we'd stamp it out of him!" This hardly sounds 
like someone who'd happily turned his despised wizard of a 
nephew over to a witch for babysitting. I wonder if they left
Harry  with Mrs. Figg because they considered her a "weirdo" too 
(although just a plain garden-variety of one) and therefore good 
enough for their unwanted nephew. 

But again, given their intense dislike of anything different, it's
odd they would associate with Mrs. Figg at all. Perhaps they 
were told by Dumbledore to leave Harry with her? (Although they 
seem to have done little else that Dumbledore requested them 
to do - they certainly never showed Harry the letter Dumbledore 
left.) 

Or perhaps (?) they were 'charmed' into leaving Harry with 
someone they normally wouldn't have gone within 10 feet of, but 
who Dumbledore knew to be a powerful protector when the 
Dursleys themselves weren't around.

>  I firmly believe it is very important that he stay with the
> Dursleys during the summer because charms were put on
> the house, and the whole family thing.  

* snip*
> 
>          Any other theories?
> 
>           Christine
> 
> 

I think that's dead on. There must be some protective magic 
around either the Dursleys or their house or both. In GoF, 
Voldemort talks about the powerful "ancient magic" Dumbledore 
invoked to keep Harry safe while in the care of his relations ("Not 
even I can touch him there....")
 
Katzefan