OOP: Lily and Petunia's family

[Cohen, Meg]

No: HPFGUIDX 65121

OK, first a disclaimer.  I'm home sick and running a fever.  This theory
seems good to me right now, but I may be delusional....




(spoiler space)



We've all wondered about Lily and Petunia, their birth order, the
magical-ness (or lack thereof) of their parents, etc.  I don't think anyone
else has come up with this theory, but I don't pretend to have read every
post, so if I'm swiping someone else's idea here, please forgive me.

OK, once upon a time there was a young witch.  She was pure blood, her
entire family was pure blood, and they were, in fact, the type of wizards
that felt that blood most certainly DOES matter.  Well, this witch doesn't
subscribe to that theory, and goes out and gets herself involved with a
muggle, and not only that, but has a child with him.  The first child is a
daughter and then several years later they have another daughter.  Now, the
first daughter has, up until this point, shown no signs of magical ability,
but it's obvious from the beginning that the second daughter is a witch, so
the mother is forced to tell her muggle husband, who's been in the dark up
till now, her true background.  He's not enlightened, and kicks her out, so
she has no choice but to return to her own family.  They agree to take her
back in, but only on the condition that she give up both girls, as they're
half-bloods, and make a 'suitable' marriage.  Well, she's feeling misused by
her muggle experience, so she agrees.

The girls, named Petunia (elder) and Lily are given to a pair of Squibs who
are unable to have children of their own (maybe Squibs are like mules and
can't reproduce?).  Lily is so young that she's not really aware of what's
happening, but Petunia was old enough to realize what went on, to remember
her parents (perhaps she was her father's favorite?), and to resent and hate
her sister specifically and magic in general for forcing her out of her
happy home.  Growing up in a family of Sqiubs who desperately want to be
brought back into the magical world, only heightens her resentment.
Eventually, the younger sister reaches 11, gets a letter from Hogwarts, and
goes off to study witchcraft and wizardry.  This is more than Petunia can
bear, and she leaves home as soon as she can and marries as normal a muggle
as she can find (perhaps one who reminds her of her witch-hating father).

And, of course, we all know that after Lily finishes school, she marries
James, has Harry, and LV eventually kills Lilly and James leaving Harry an
orphan to be brought up by Petunia.

But in the meantime, their birth mother has, after several years, eventually
made a suitable marriage, and has a daughter the same year Harry is born
(yes, I know that's a big gap between kids, but I think she was very young
when the two older girs were born, and we know that witches and wizards seem
to operate on a different time continuum than Muggles.  Heck, even in my
Dad's Muggle family there's 23 years between the oldest and the youngest).
She's firmly in the Pure-blood camp now, but still remembers the two girls
she gave up. Remembering the names she gave her first two daughters, the new
Mrs. Parkinson names the third daughter Pansy.  Pansy is  raised with the
same loathing for half-bloods, Mudbloods and Muggles that her parents have,
and has no clue that she has two half-sisters anywhere.  Eventually, she
goes off to Hogwarts the same year Harry does, unaware that she's actually
his aunt (or half-aunt?).

BUT

Dumbledore, of course, knows everything.  He's the one who convinces Petunia
to take in Harry when he's a baby, by telling her he'll tell Vernon all
about her birth mother if she doesn't.  That's what he's referring to in the
beginning of OOP when he says "Remember my last".  It was indeed the last
letter he sent her where he convinces (OK, blackmails) her to take Harry.

Since Dumbledore knows the truth, eventually he'll tell Pansy and Harry
(perhaps they'll be Head Boy and Girl together?), and Pansy will become the
good Slytherin needed for the Houses to unite.

Back to my fever dreams.....
Meg Cohen