JO, Why was Mrs Figg was a Non-Event?

[Hagrid]

No: HPFGUIDX 132584

The biggest disappointment from the books so far was Mrs Figg. We 
would have been more disappointed than her parents to find out 
Harry's babysitter with the cats was only a squib.

JKR nurtured that character, alluded to , titillated us , with just 
enough information to deliver a great punch line that Mrs Figg was 
really an animagus and the local support and protection for Harry in 
his early years.

Many fans looked forward to JKR revealing Mrs Figg as a powerful 
OOTP member, adept in the DADA. There was only one problem I can see 
that could strip Figg of her powers – we guessed the punch-line.

You know when you share tall tales around camp-fires? The story 
teller gets to the climax and says, "And you know what happened next 

?" –And then someone guess the conclusion – the story teller 
says, "No, that's not what happens. Actually, 
 " and then stalls 
for time while he tries to come up with an alternative result.

Jo, face it. Someone somewhere will pick many of the plots and 
surprises. Stay true to the story you want to tell, because even if 
we guess a line of thought, a line is just ONE dimension. You fill 
the characters out to be 3 dimensional (or 4 dimensional if time 
turners are used).

There are many characters that have been developed throughout the 
first 5 (now 6) books. Don't let others steal your preferred plots 
and twists. That includes those away from Hogwarts:-

Bill; Charlie; Percy; Fred & George; Norbert; Grindalwald; Tonks; 
Moody; Rosemerta; Fleur; Viktor; Mde. Maxime; flying carpets; ...
(anyone else care to add to that list?

I'd be disappointed if Book #7 last chapter was the only thing true 
to Jo's prefered story ... Have fun with those characters you 
planted somewhere. Don't just bury them under fertilizer.
aussie / norbertsmummy