Gilding the Lily

[Matt]

No: HPFGUIDX 114335

While I found most of the speculation about Lily's backstory a bit
weak (at least in canon support), the bit about the Evans parents
being victims of Voldemort or his minions strikes me as likely:  

* They certainly wouldn't be expected to have died of old age when
their daughter was only 20-something.  

* We know that there were lots of fatalities in the war, some fighting
and some violence against family members of those involved (e.g.,
Arthur's story about people coming home to find the Dark Mark over
their houses).  We know that James and Lily had "defied" LV three
times, which presumably did not endear them to his heart.  We know
that by the time of Godric's Hollow they had no family left, excepting
the Dursleys.  Surely it was not by chance that *all* of their other
relations were dead.  

* Petunia appears to be terrified by the idea of Voldemort, arguably
moreso than a single murder (of her allegedly hated sister) would
explain.  By way of contrast, the Dursleys do not appear terribly
scared at the news about mass-murderer Sirius Black in PA -- Vernon is
principally indignant, while Petunia takes the suggestion that he
might be on their street somewhat in stride, peeking outside to see if
she might be the one to turn him in.

Certainly this is an area where JKR must have thought about the
backstory, and it presumably ties in in some way with the issue of
Dumbledore's bargain with Petunia and her odd behavior in OP.  Unless
Petunia's portrayed character is a complete red herring, she must be
getting something out of the arrangement other than the satisfaction
of knowing that Harry is protected.  And the simplest explanation
(yeah, I know, never a safe bet with Rowling, but...) would be that
she or Dudley or the whole family is being protected as well.  

-- Matt