Lily,James and Azkaban.

[KathyK]

No: HPFGUIDX 112131

Neha wrote:

>I have been wondering about this ever since I've read the 
fifth book. Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't get what.       
In Book Five, Aunt Petunia says she knows of the Dementors 
and about the wizards' prison Azkaban because she had once heard 
James Potter talking about it with Lily. How is this possible if, 
according to Book Four, the dementors joined the Ministry's side 
after Voldemort's regime ceased, and that this happened after the 
death of James and Lily 
Potter.<                                                  


Hi Neha, everyone!

As far as I know, nowhere in book four does it say specifically the 
dementors joined the Ministry after LV's fall.  Dumbledore tells 
Fudge the dementors won't stay loyal to him and the Ministry with 
LV's return.  He says the *giants* will rejoin Voldemort.  I believe 
the dementors were guarding Azkaban since before Lily and James' 
death.  

I'm going to throw one of my own posts in here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/109517

Rather than requote the whole thing, I'll just briefly summarize and 
then quote.

The Pensieve trials in Goblet of Fire all take place after LV's 
fall.  Dementors appear in the Pensieve.  So we know the dementors 
were with the Ministry after Godric's Hollow but before Fudge 
becomes Minister.  However, I think there's reason to believe they 
were guarding Azkaban before Voldeomrt's fall from power.  

from 109517:

"2. Dumbledore's comment to Moody in the pensieve: "I have long felt
the Ministry is wrong to ally itself with such creatures." (GoF Ch
30, US ed. p 588) This sounds like the dementors have been around
for a while, at least for a part of the first war. Now, I don't
know why the dementors would choose to ally with the Ministry over
LV considering their nature and Dumbledore's comment at the end of
GoF that they wouldn't remain loyal to Fudge (Ch 36, US ed. p 707)
but it does seem likely they were Azkaban guards during the first
war."

So I don't think there's any problem with saying Petunia could 
actually have heard about dementors guarding Azkaban from Lily and 
James.  Whether this is truly where she got her information and 
if "her" and "that boy" are really Lily and James is questionable.  
But given Petunia's nosy nature, I have no trouble beleivng she 
learned all sorts of things about the WW from eavesdropping or 
spying on her sister.

KathyK