Chapter Discussions - Chapter Two Questions, "A Peck of Owls"

[amanitamuscaria1]

No: HPFGUIDX 72035

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Kelley" <kelleythompson at g...> 
wrote:
> Q5: Petunia says that she overheard James telling Lily about 
> Dementors years ago -- do we believe this? What might the 
> circumstances have been that Petunia was able to overhear this; 
were 
> they at Lily and Petunia's home where they lived with their 
parents? 
> Why was James telling Lily about Dementors and Azkaban? Harry 
> assumes Petunia just happens to remember this scrap of info from 
> years ago, but how likely is it that Petunia only knows "scraps" of 
> information about the Wizarding World?
ME - we don't actually know that it's James - all Petunia says is 
that it was 'that awful boy' - could be any wizard who, I'd imagine, 
came to visit - unless we imagine Petunia accompanied Lily into the 
Magic World - Diagon Alley, maybe, like Hermione's parents? In which 
case, it certainly wouldn't be just snippets of information.

> Q8: We now know this "awful" voice is Dumbledore's; when he 
says "my 
> last", is it the letter he left for the Dursleys when delivering 
baby 
> Harry to them the night of November 1st, 1981? Or has there been 
> further contact between them? Perhaps regular ongoing contact all 
> this time?
> 
ME - I didn't think we DID know it was Dumbledore - Dumbledore 
implies that the howler was from him, but I didn't think he actually 
said it was unambiguously. I think it's very likely, though.


> Extra Petunia questions:
> 
> She's often described as 'nosy', keen to know what the neighbors 
are 
> up to. We learn this from Harry's perspective; is this actually JKR 
> derailing us? Is Petunia really not watching the neighbors, but 
> keeping watch for something or someone else?


ME - Or is this a reflection of Bertha Jorkins, who also was very 
nosy? And got into so very much trouble and finally death through her 
nosiness?
 
> Dudley has his father's temper; when Vernon blows his top, Petunia 
> doesn't seem overly concerned. However, when Dudley had his 
childish 
> tantrums, Petunia scrambled to placate and soothe him. Is she 
> worried he might exhibit some magical tendencies? 

ME - What a fascinating idea. I never considered the link between her 
spoiling Dudley and the possible suppression of magic.
Cheers. AmanitaMuscaria