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

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 82797

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, hannahwonder at a... wrote:
> 
 
> 
> 
> 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

My two cents:

Petunia wouldn't necessarily recognize Sirius, if she were at the 
wedding party. I was at my cousin's wedding party a few weeks ago, 
and I already can't remember every single face from the groom's 
family and friends. I also can imagine, that if Petunia was at the 
wedding party (lets say to please her parents), that she would have 
stayed as far as possible from the wizards. And between James and 
Lily's wedding and Sirius' escape were over fifteen years. And Sirius 
looked a lot different than the Sirius from the wedding. Of course 
it's also possible, that she did recognize him. One of her first 
reactions after she heard of his escape was to look out of the 
window. Of course this fits with her normal behaviour, but if she 
knew that Sirius was James' friend and Harry's godfather, and maybe 
even heard that he betrayed the Potters, she really had a good reason 
to expect Sirius to appear in Little Whinging.

But I must say, that I personally don't think, that Petunia was at 
the wedding. I actually can't see Vernon forbidding anything to 
Petunia. He is always very nice to her and Dudley, and I don't think 
he ever forbid them anything. I also think that it's really Petunia, 
who has the say in the family. Vernon is always shouting and she 
remains silent, but I think it's mostly because she agrees with him 
or doesn't care either way. But as soon as the howler arrived, she 
decided what should happen with Harry. Vernon could have thrown him 
out anyway, even if Petunia doesn't agree with it. But obviously he 
doesn't want to annoy her.

Hickengruendler