The Dudley Theory

[paulaboo1013]

No: HPFGUIDX 92689

 --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, tyler maroney <tmar78 at y...> 
> That is certainly interesting! In another yahoo HP group someone
suggested that Dudley 
> would be the one to learn magic "late in life." (I believe that was
something JKR said with 
> regards the the 6th book, although I can't cite my sources. All I
know is that it was said 
> before the most recent chat.)

the actual quote is :

Barnes and Noble Interview

March 1999 

(http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/1999/0399-barnesandnoble.html)

Question: Will there be, or have there been, any "late blooming"
students in the school who come into their magic potential as adults,
rather than as children? By the way, I loved meeting you, and hearing
you speak, when you came to Anderson's in Naperville. I can hardly
wait until you tour again.

Answer: Ahhh! I loved the event at Anderson's. It was one of my
favorites. That is completely true. No, is the answer. In my books,
magic almost always shows itself in a person before age 11; however,
there is a character who does manage in desperate circumstances to do
magic quite late in life, but that is very rare in the world I am
writing about. 

I put the emphasis on _quite_ late in life.  16 doesn't seem to fit
that time frame.  I lean more towards Petunia to be the late bloomer,
in an attempt to save Dudley in some way.

I also theorize that the reason JKR dislikes Vernon the most is
because he will do something horrible when he finds out that he's
married to a *gasp* witch.

just a theory.

Paula