When Petunia met James

[Indigo]

No: HPFGUIDX 70299

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "darrin_burnett" 
<bard7696 at a...> wrote:
> No, this isn't the beginning of a SHIP - yeeeeech.
> 
> I'm trying to get opinions and ideas on when Petunia was able to 
hear 
> from "that awful boy" about Azkaban. For the moment, let's assume 
the 
> awful boy is James, although I realize Petunia doesn't confirm this 
> when Harry asks her.
> 
> The actual phrasing is - (page 34, UK) "I heard -- that awful boy --
 
> telling HER about them - years ago."
> 
> We know James and Lily weren't dating until at least seventh year, 
> which would be 1977-78. That is the earliest, presumably, that he 
> would have gone to meet her family. 
> 
> The events at the beginning of Philosopher's Stone, the Lexicon 
tells 
> us, takes place on November 1, 1981. 
> 
> On the very first page of PS/SS, we are told that Lily and Petunia 
> have "not met for several years."
> 
> We know she has information on Lily -- she knows that Lily had a 
baby 
> roughly the same time she had Dudley and the baby's name is Harry - 
> but that could have been relayed by another relation, or through a 
> letter that Petunia gave a cursory response, or no response, to.
> 
> Now, it is possible Petunia overheard something when the family 
went 
> to drop off or pick up Lily at the station prior to Lily and James 
> dating -- and if James was being an arrogant berk, maybe the "awful 
> boy" was more truth than Petunia's hatred of magic.
> 
> It is possible James was bragging to Lily about not being scared 
> of "Dementors in Azkaban" or something and Petunia overheard him, 
and 
> asked Lily what the deal was.
> 
> Still, that is an astonishing thing to remember, based on 
overhearing 
> something. Not only does Petunia remember Dementors, but SHE 
> volunteers the name of the prison.
> 
> How to resolve this?
> 
> 1) Petunia and Lily were a lot closer and Petunia never approved of 
> James. It wasn't Lily's magic that drove them apart, but her choice 
> in men. So, she would have been concerned about things like Wizard 
> Prison (if only to know where she thought James would end up.)
> 
> 2) They may not have met in several years, but they've been 
> corresponding actively, behind Vernon's back. And for that matter, 
if 
> Chapter One of PS/SS is Harry's dream, who is to say they haven't 
> met? Again, it's what Harry knows.
> 
> 3) OK, the awful boy is someone else Lily brought home. Maybe 
Snape, 
> maybe Sirius, maybe someone else entirely.
> 
> Darrin
> -- Petunia-James Ship? Gahhh... MY EYES!

I think it's more like Unrequited!Petunia.

Maybe she had The Dig On for James and since he had The Dig On for 
Lily,  she got all bitter.

But that whole, "Isn't it wonderful -- we have a WITCH in the 
family..." thing leads me to believe she was also Envious!Petunia 
from when Lily got her first Hogwarts letter.

But why would James tell Lily's magic-hating sister anything, unless 
it was more teenaged cruelty to mess with her mind?