[HPforGrownups] Any guesses how old she is then? WAS Re: Petunia's birthday - February 29?

[Janet Anderson]

No: HPFGUIDX 125357

Aisbelmon at hotmail.com produced the brilliant theory:

> > This is going out on a limb, I know: I think Petunia's birthday is
>February 29th, and that she'll be receiving a Hogwart's letter when
>she reaches her eleventh birthday - which will occur when she is 44
>years old.

Valky then did the math (as did I, but she published first):

>Lily was probably 22 at the oldest when she dies, (am I correct,
>that is the accepted age by all accounts who have done the counting?)
>So that would make her 38 in HBP, assuming that there is 5 years or
>less between the girls since Petunia does seem to have been a young
>girl when Lily got her letter that would mean that Petunia will be
>no older than 43 in HBP.
>
>So there it is folks : If Petunia was 16 when Lily got her letter
>then she will be **44** in Book seven.... ALL ABOARD!!

I have always suspected that if it wasn't Mrs. Figg, it would be Petunia who 
started doing magic "late in life."

And I think I remember that JKR once said that of all her characters, she 
dislikes Vernon Dursley the most -- which was quite an eye-opener 
considering some of the competition.

And her worst villain became that way after his mother was deserted by his 
father when he found out she was a witch.

If Petunia *does* show magical tendencies, will Vernon leave her?  Will he 
take Dudley with him, deeming Petunia the witch as an unfit mother?

Alternatively, will he throw her out?  (Note that Petunia almost certainly 
has no means of support or any way of acquiring one.)  Again, what about 
Dudley?

And come to think of it, Dudley is old enough to have his own opinion 
(although possibly not old enough to choose his guardian by law).  If his 
parents split over Petunia's witchcraft, which way will he go?

And perhaps most significant, if Petunia and Dudley don't live at Privet 
Drive, it's no longer "the place where your mother's blood dwells" ... and 
if Vernon keeps Dudley but throws out Petunia, he wouldn't let Harry stay 
there anyway.


Janet Anderson
(This is, I agree, ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.)