Petunia and Dumbledore (was: SPOILERS. Re: JKR site update)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 115029


RedLena wrote:
> As intriguing as some people's theories have been to read, I 
> don't think Petunia's going to turn out to have any magic powers.  
> My support for this opinion comes from JKR's talk at the 
> Edinburgh Book Festival this August (find full transcript here: 
> http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/news_view.cfm?id=80).
> 
> In answer to the question, "Is Aunt Petunia a Squib?" JKR says 
> "No, she is not, but—[Laughter]. No, she is not a Squib. She is a 
> Muggle, but—[Laughter]. You will have to read the other books. 
> You might have got the impression that there is a little bit more to 
> Aunt Petunia than meets the eye, and you will find out what it is. 
> She is not a squib, although that is a very good guess. Oh, I am 
> giving a lot away here. I am being shockingly indiscreet." 
> 
> Granted she does cloud the issue with all the "but--" business 
> but she does explicitly say "[Petunia] is a Muggle."  And, afaik, 
> that by definition means she's not magical.
> 
> > Dungrollin:
> > PS what odds are you giving on Petunia's house?  I can't see
> > how she'd fit anywhere, perhaps the hat spat her out again.
> 
> RedLena responded:
> My above opinion about Muggle Petunia aside, *if* she *were* a 
> witch and sorted into a Hogwarts house, I'd expect her to be put 
> into Hufflepuff.  Here's why... she's not brave enough to be a 
> Gryffindor, she's not smart enough to be a Ravenclaw, and she's 
> clearly not a pureblood which seems to cut Slytherin out of the 
> running.  Though I'd expect she'd be unlikely to be very popular in 
> any case.
> 
> -- RedLena, who likes to hypothesize even when she doesn't 
> believe a theory

Carol adds:
Like RedLena, I firmly believe that Petunia is a mere common Muggle
who happens to have had a witch for a sister. But *if* she had been a
Muggleborn witch yet still had all the personality traits she has now,
she wouldn't have fit into any house, including Hufflepuff ("those
loyal Hufflepuffs are true," etc.). Remember Harry's fear in SS/PS
that he'd sit for a long time under the Sorting Hat and then be sent
home on the next train because he didn't belong at Hogwarts? That's
what would have happened to the magic-fearing, nosey, mean-natured
Petunia, IMO. But since she's a Muggle, it's all hypothetical anyway.

Carol