[HPforGrownups] Re: The Opening Chapter of Book 6

[James Lawlor]

No: HPFGUIDX 104947

> > Eustace_Scrubb wrote:
> > I think JKR said the person who finds he/she can do magic late in
> >life will do so under "desperate circumstances." (sorry don't have the
> > exact citation but I'm certain she used a phrase close to this) While
> > Dudley may feel that being threatened by Harry fits that phrase, I
> > doubt that JKR would have termed it so--unless Harry has truly lost it
> > and is really going to try an Unforgiveable on his cousin, which I
> > can't see happening.

justcarol67 <justcarol67 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Carol, wondering why people don't see Mrs. Figg as the obvious
> candidate for the position


That's true then? Excellent. Being a rather new HP fan I had heard
this, but couldn't remember if it was just a rumor or had actually
been stated by JKR. I agree that Dudley would be too young to count as
"late in life" (unless JKR is being exceptionally forboding there) and
Arabella Figg is the obvious candidate for the position.

Which, of course, is why I'm holding out for Aunt Petunia. *grin* It
would be fun to discover that Mrs. Figg is indeed a witch after all,
but not nearly as exciting and interesting as having Petunia grab a
wand and shout out a spell in desperation.

Also, as a Squib, Arabella would have been trying all her life to do
magic, but so far she clearly "couldn't so much as transfigure a
teabag". From what we've seen of the powers of young witches and
wizards so far, they all seem to be able to do "strange things"
happen. Even an almost-Sqib like Neville is at the very least able to
bounce. So it seems that Figg would have noticed anything, *anything*
that could possibly mean that she wasn't a Sqib (because even as
well-adjusted as she seems to be, it can't be an easy thing to be a
Squib).

But who wouldn't have tried to do magic? Who loathed and hated it so
much that they would have removed thought from every moment of their
life? Who would have blocked from memory any bizarre little
occurrences? Or blamed them on that freak sister or her boy? Petunia
Evans Dursley, of course.

Or maybe I just really like the idea of Petunia showing a crucial
blaze of devotion towards Harry at a tense moment.

- James Lawlor, who really *must* start doing something else now
jlawlor at hiwaay.net