Petunia/Lilly Wedding Parties (WAS Re: New Poll for HPforGrownups)

[hannahwonder at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 82784


<<Donna said: 
(unfortunate snip of wonderful post)
Lily and James are married. Was Petunia in the wedding party? I 
cannot see Lily excluding her sister. We have no canon to show that 
Lily was as resentful of Petunia as Petunia was of Lily. I can see 
Petunia in the wedding party. Perhaps not Maid of Honor, but being 
Lily's sister, surely she was included. ***Perhaps, Petunia is 
Harry's godmother? (Whoa, even as I write that I find it a little bit 
of a stretch.)* *** 

I think it is after Petunia and Vernon get together that Petunia's 
resentment and jealousy come to a head. Vernon is the ultimate 
Muggle. Now Petunia has a comrade in her resentment. She lets it flow 
from Vernon. 

Yes, Petunia finds Lily strange and unnatural, but she never says she 
hated her sister. She was the one who let Harry stay. Vernon would 
have sent him off to an orphanage. (I infer this from Aunt Marge. 
Seems to me she shares Vernon's opinions.) 

Petunia still has a very important role to play. She will be the one 
who keeps Harry safe during the summers despite Vernon. I think there 
will definitely be conflict in the Dursley family. 

(more unfortunate snipping)

If Petunia were in the wedding party, then why didn't she recognize 
Sirius when he was presented on the Muggle news? Even Harry, when 
looking back at the pictures of his parent's wedding day, admitted to 
himself it would have been difficult to tell the difference between 
the happy, healthy Sirius and the gaunt, vampire-like appearance 
after twelve years in Azkaban. >>


Now me (Hannah):

I think this is very interesting; Lily seems to be a more accepting person 
than Petunia, given her willingness to defend (if you'd call it that) Snape to 
James, et al's teasing. I agree that Lily would want her sister to be in the 
wedding party, in which case Petunia would recognize Sirius later. 

However, if Petunia married Vernon before Lily and James were married, Vernon 
may have forbid her to go, or she may, by that time, feel too 
resentful/superior/etc. to want to go herself. Just a thought.

Hannah