"That awful boy" (Was: Comparing Lupin and Harry )

[va32h]

No: HPFGUIDX 142839

 Carol writes:
> > Why not go with the obvious: *James* as the "awful boy"? 


When I first read the passage, I assumed James was indeed the "awful 
boy" and nothing I've read in canon since has made me reconsider this. 

I know that the "party line" is that JKR is always throwing in red 
herrings and plot twists that could never have been expected and 
nothing is ever supposed to be what it seems...but my reading of the 
books shows me that JKR goes with the "obvious explanation" quite 
often as well. 

I also feel that with all the other ideas and themes going on in OotP, 
it's hard for me to believe that JKR intended her readers to agonize 
and speculate over this particular detail. The important clue in 
Petunia's outburst was, IMO, supposed to be that she knew more about 
the wizarding world than she had previously let on, not that she had 
some secret connection to Snape, Lupin, or whomever else the "awful 
boy" is presumed to be.  I just don't see Petunia as such a major 
player in the story (as compared to other characters) that she would 
warrant a "secret past" subplot. Shoe-horning in a backstory about 
Petunia knowing (or having been secretly in love with) Snape or Lupin 
would be just bizarre to me, as well as deeply distracting to the 
Horcrux hunt. 

va32h