How does Petunia know about Dementors?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 97151

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Eustace_Scrubb" <dk59us at y...> 
wrote:
 
> Eustace_Scrubb:

> I wonder where Lily and Petunia Evans grew up?  Little Whinging 
seems
> to be one of those suburban commuter places that no one's really 
from
> (the movie accentuates this feeling visually, but I get that from 
the
> books too).

Geoff:
Most certainly /not/ in Little Whinging.

'The Dursleys had everything they wanted but they also had a secret 
and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They 
didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the 
Potters. Mrs.Potter was Mrs.Dursley's sister but they hadn't met for 
several years; in fact, Mrs.Dursley pretended she didn't have a 
sister because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as 
unDursleyish as it was possible to be. the Dursleys shuddered to 
think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the 
street.'

(PS "The Boy Who Lived" p.7 UK edition)

So, right at the very beginning of the story, we know that there is 
an estrangement and, even in 1981, the family hadn't met for years. 
One gets the impression that the Dursleys had moved into Privet Drive 
from wherever "home" was - possibly after getting married when 
perhaps Dudley was on the way. Interesting side thought is, that if 
Vernon was busy selling drills and Petunia looking over fences, how 
long after their marriage did Boy Wonder come along.....

A second side thought is whether Godric's Hollow had anything to do 
with the old family home. It's just names; Privet Drive is the sort 
of name given to one of Pete Seegers "little boxes" built maybe as 
part of a select residential development (estate agent speak) in the 
1970s or 1980s whereas, to me, Godric's Hollow conjures up thoughts 
of a cottage somewhere rural. Perhaps because I'm surrounded by 
Hollows and Nethers and Bottoms (village names I mean!) here in 
deepest Somerset.