Figgy

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 109807

> > DuffyPoo wrote:
> > "Incidentally, can Squibs see Dementors?" [Fudge] added.
> > "Yes, we can!" said Mrs Fgg indignantly.  - can't really blame her 
> for being indignant, Fudge is, after all, the M for M and he doesn't 
> know if Squibs can see Dementors?
> > 
> > With regard to her being unconvincing in her description, perhaps 
> it is down to being nervous in front of a gang of witches and 
> wizards who don't give a 'fig' about Squibs.  Whether she described 
> the appearance of Dementors well, as Madam Bones said, "She 
> certainly described the effects of a Dementor attack very 
> accurately."  
> > 
> > And while Mrs. Figg describes the Dementors as 'running' when 
> actually they 'glide' we can all remember that they 'flew' in 
> the .....oops, sorry, not supposed to mention the 'm' word!  ;-)
> > 
mhbobbin wondered:
> 
> I'm not convinced that Figgy did see the Dementors. Running, Flying 
> or Gliding. Figg says she is a Squib. we can't know yet that she 
> truly is although she seems truly frightened that the Dementors come 
> back before she gets Harry and Dudley home.
> 
> Harry himself doesn't seem to think she saw them (Scholastic Page 
> 144). He seems to think that she may have seen a picture of one some 
> time. Big guys wearing cloaks. Madame Bones' defense of Figgy's 
> uncertain testimony is that the effects were described accurately--
> something us muggles can do.
> 
> Maybe Figg is what she presents herself as, maybe she was just late 
> so didn't see the Dementors, and maybe she had never seen a Dementor 
> before. If only she wasn't so mysterious herself.
<snip>
> 
> Does anyone have any theories on the connection between Figgy and 
> Perkins (the tent, the smell of cabbage). And with that, why 
> Professor Binns calls Harry "Perkins" in the classroom scene where 
> Harry finds Hedwig injured at the window.  I've searched in the 
> archives but haven't found any posts yet.


Carol:
Whether or not Mrs. Figg saw the Dementors (and I think she did), she
certainly wouldn't lie about being a Squib. If she were a Muggle, she
wouldn't even know what a Squib was. Like Filch, she has an affinity
with cats, which spy for her and do what she tells them. Also notice
how she talks: "The cat's among the pixies again," etc. She's
throughly familiar with the WW and at home in it, even if she can't
"transfigure a teabag."  And she's part of the Order, one of the "old
crowd" that Sirius is sent to summon at the end of GoF. She's been
watching and protecting Harry for a long time as the link between
Little Whinging and the WW. No, I think there's no reason to doubt
either her truthfulness or her status as a Squib, and I think it's
quite likely that she'll surprise even herself by being the one who
performs magic late in life under dire circumstances. (Go, Mrs. Figg!)

I did notice the smell of cabbage and associate Perkins' tent with
Mrs. Figg's house (so did Harry, IIRC). Al these bits and
pieces--Binns calling Harry "Perkins," Perkins being a warlock, have
been discussed before (more than once) but no convincing conclusions
reached. IMO, Mrs. Figg will prove significant. The rest won't.

Carol