Pondering Arabella Figg

[GKJPO]

No: HPFGUIDX 56656

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
<snip>
> 
> If she is polyjuicing, why would she transform into a completely
> different person when who she is is already know in the magical
> community. That is, if she is not the person that is known in the
> wizard world as Mrs. Figg then who is she? Why would this mystery
> person take on the looks and persona of a real person instead of
> making up a fake person. If she is young, then she would probably 
use
> an aging potion or if she simple wanted to look different, then
> tranfiguration instead of polyjuice. 
> 

I hadn't thought about the aging potion, but I think it's a good 
idea.  JKR tends to introduce early concepts that she plans to use 
later.  She introduced the aging potion, as we know, in GoF and went 
into detail about how much the twins needed to take.  This kind of 
detail is usually a hint that she will use the concept again later.  

Has anyone plotted out what books major plot tricks were used?

Polyjuice Potion:  CoS, GoF
Animagus: PoA, GoF
etc...

> So personally, I don't believe in the fair young maiden transformed
> into the mad old lady, regardless of what method is used. As far as
> I'm concerned Harry saw her as a Mad Old Lady because she was a 
witch,
> and that made her seem very eccentric to Harry. So instead of a mad
> old lady, she is now a mad old witch.
> 
I'm not sure about this.  Harry would have thought her a mad old lady 
because she was *acting* like one.  What else do you expect from the 
perspective of an 11 year old boy?  I wonder if he would still hold 
that opinion given his latest experiences.
> 
> So who is she? Well it's only a theory and a far fetched one at 
that,
> but why couldn't she be Sirius Black's maternal grandmother (or 
great
> aunt or whatever). That fills all the requirements that people seem 
to
> be struggling to create. It give her a personal stake in and concern
> for Harry's life. She's like family but doesn't actually qualify as
> family.
> 

This I don't agree with.  If she was Sirius's maternal grandmother 
and had a connection to Sirius, than I don't believe DD would have 
put her in charge of watching over Harry.  We have no indication that 
DD thought Sirius innocent all the time he was at Azkaban.  I think 
it more likely that she would be some distant potter relation (by 
marriage or something) or Harry's godmother.  On the other hand, I 
still love your scenario of Harry finding Sirius and Lupin at Mrs. 
Figg's house.

Kristen