OOP: :SPOILERS :Petunia

[beldasnoop]

No: HPFGUIDX 63713

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Missy" <missygallant2000 at y...> 
> 
> There is certainly jealousy, but I've never been convinced it 
wasn't 
> because she couldn't do magic, and she really wished she could.  
That 
> and the extra attention Lily got from her parents.

That's exactly what I think.  After I read that scene, about Petunia 
knowing what the Dementors were, and then her very short reply to 
Vernon, I got a very vivid picture of what the young Petunia may have 
been like.  I think that she was probably very excited about Lily's 
magical abilities at first, and that she followed Lily around 
listening to and remembering everything she said--that's how she 
remembered about the Dementors after so long.  She probably knows a 
lot more about the magical community than she is willing to admit, 
because it all got stored in her head when she was an eager, 
impressionable young teenager.  

Somehow, however, she eventually got disillusioned with all things 
magical, maybe because she grew so jealous of Lily because of all the 
things she got to do that Petunia couldn't directly share in, and 
also because her parents seemed to be so excited about it.  Maybe she 
went through her angst-ridden middle adolescent period and started 
growing resentful of Lily and her friends, and by the the time she 
became old enough to try to sort out these feelings, she had begun 
seeing Vernon, and his opinion swayed hers to the point where she 
wouldn't change it.  She definately seems to be harboring a lot of 
unresolved bitterness towards Lily, and toward her parents.  

It'll be interesting to see how Petunia's character develops in the 
next two books.  I didn't think I'd ever say this, but I actually 
found myself having sympathy (not just feeling sorry for her, but 
genuine sympathy) for Petunia after reading this book.

Michelle (beldasnoop)