JKR's website update - YES., YES, YES. :-)/ could be spoilers

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 145608

> > Alla:
> > Oh, and Petunia will not display the magic abilities.
> 
> Christina:
> 
> I'm so glad that she finally debunked this one.  A lot of people that
> didn't think that Merope was the one to display magic late in life
> theorized that Petunia would take this role- thoughts from the
> Petunia-has-magic camp?


Carol responds:
I was equally glad to see the rumor debunked, and I'll restate what
I've always said on this topic: The person most likely to "perform
magic *late in life* *under desperate circumstances*" is IMO Mrs.
Figg, who grew up with a knowledge of magic but unable to perform it.
She knows what a wand is for and knows the incantations for certain
spells. There's a vestige of magic in her or she couldn't communicate
with cats. So I think that a rush of adrenalin and really, really
meaning it would enable her to scream "Stupefy" at a Death Eater and
actually succeed in performing magic. Since she's an elderly woman,
she certainly meets the criterion for "late in life." She's an Order
member with the duty of keeping an eye on Harry. Who better to spot a
group of DEs lying in wait for the magical protection at 4 Privet
Drive to end as Harry turns seventeen? (It's also possible that the
magic would merely be summoning the Order members, but as I understand
it, "Stupefy" is a less difficult spell than "Expecto Patronum,"
especially when the Patronus spell is combined with a message.)

Anyway, I don't think it's Merope, who was only about twenty and whose
love potion was not performed under "desperate circumstances." In
fact, her desperation occurred when she admitted she was a witch and
*gave up* magic.

So my candidate is, as always, Mrs. Figg.

I'm also happy that the Sorting Hat is not a Horcrux, a theory I
argued against at some length months ago. Still, I understand how the
advocates of those theories feel, having once believed that Mark Evans
would show up as a Muggleborn in OoP.

Carol, thanking JKR for the well-timed updates, including a new FAQ
poll, and wishing everyone a happy Fifth Day of Christmas (or whatever
you celebrate)