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

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 142854

Jen:
> 1) Peter--For plot purposes, Peter going home with Lily could 
> explain a few things. We still don't know the reason why Dumbledore 
> suspected a spy among the Potter's friends.  If DD learned 
Voldemort 
> had knowledge of the Dursleys, that would certainly narrow down the 
> field of who was passing secrets about the Potters. In addition, it 
> could explain why Dumbledore wrote to Petunia prior to asking for 
> Harry to live with them, if he had reason to warn her of possible 
> danger.

Ceridwen:
And it would be in character with the Lily we met too briefly in the 
books.  Bring the poor, forgotten tag-along home, try to improve his 
self-esteem, etc.

It would also make his betrayal that much more horriffic, at least 
for me.  He would have taken her hospitality, then made sure she died.

Jen:
> 2) Sirius (colebiancardi's suggestion)--Hmm, never considered 
> Sirius. He probably *would* qualify as completely 'awful' to 
> Petunia! Now the question is would he try to charm her or tease her 
> for being so priggish? The downside of Sirius is he was so closely 
> tied with James, it's hard to picture him going home with Lily 
> without James attached at the hip. And if James was there, we have 
> no need for mystery, right?!?

Ceridwen:
I doubt it was Sirius as well.  Where Sirius goes, there goes James.  
Unless James had another commitment (family stuff, wedding, funeral) 
and Sirius was at loose ends?  He, and James too, I think, would be 
the type to carelessly bandy magic about, tease Petunia for any 
number of things, and devil her with his magic until she hated him 
and thought he was awful.  Something like the twins with Dudley.  Not 
mean-spirited, but awful nonetheless.

Jen:
> 3) Remus--He seems the most likely Marauder to have been friends 
> with Lily, especially if they were Gryffindor prefects together. 
> Plus he was naturally more serious than the others and it's in-
> character for him to discuss the intricacies of Azkaban and 
> dementors (already getting started on his knowledge of dark 
> creatures). A reason for the plot is harder to come by, why would 
> Harry be surprised to find out Petunia knew Lupin? If it's Lupin, 
> more likely the surprise will come about in the opposite direction, 
> Harry's shock that Petunia actually had contact with people other 
> than Lily and James. 

Ceridwen:
I'm uncomfortable with the idea of Lupin visiting a Muggle home.  
>From the limited glimpse we get into summer visiting amongst Hogwarts 
students, the visits seem to last a good part of the vacation.  
Harry, I think, spent the least amount of time at the Weasleys, 
wasn't it a couple of weeks? in GoF, and part of that was at the 
WWC?  But usually, it's a month, or six weeks, or the entire two 
months they're off school.  Lupin would have to leave for a short 
time during the full moon phase, making excuses of course, then 
return.  I can't see him accepting invitations for more than a couple 
of weeks because of his 'furry little problem'.

As boring as it is, I would have to go with James as the 'awful 
boy'.  I would love it to be Snape, and now that Sirius has been 
mentioned, he'd be great, too.  But, Lily has a reason to bring James 
home either the summer between their sixth and seventh year, or the 
summer after they graduate (or both).  She could even bring him home 
at any time during the next year, as her fiance.  She loves him, she 
wants him to meet her parents.  Petunia's use of 'awful' could just 
mean he's 'one of THEM', a magical aberration, something wholly 
unacceptable to her.  And, James and Lily could have been discussing 
a news article about Azkaban, with James acting as tour guide to the 
WW and explaining about the Dementors, with Petunia either right 
there, or overhearing.

Ceridwen.