Dumbledore's Magnaminity

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 143120

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "a_svirn" <a_svirn at y...> wrote:
>
>  
> > Geoff:
> > But PJ's comment isn't considering the question of Harry and 
> > Hogwarts, rather the question of whether Petunia knew that Harry 
> was 
> > a wizard or not.
> > 
> > I've already quoted canon for that, but here goes again....
> > 
> > '"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," 
> said 
> > Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"'
> > 
> > (PS "The Keeper of the Keys" pp.43-44 UK edition)
> > 
> > I think that makes it as plain as possible that the Dursleys knew 
> > what Harry was.

a_svirn:
> And how can you know whether a baby is a wizard or not, until he or 
> she shows accidental magic?  Only if you have an access to the 
> Hogwarts registry. Of course with her dratted sister being what 
> she'd been and her brother-in-law a wizard it was a safe bet, but 
> unless Dumbledore specifically mentioned it in the letter, she 
could 
> not know it FOR SURE that morning.  That's what I've been saying 
all 
> along and I don't see how it contradicts canon. Or do you think 
that 
> Harry's question meant "did you know that I was a wizard that 
> morning when you took me in?" In PS he didn't know enough of his 
own 
> history to work that one out.

Geoff:
But someone has already quoted a piece of canon I overlooked:

'"It's the best place for him,"said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and 
uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've 
written them a letter."
"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down 
on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this 
in a letter? These people will neve understand him!..."'

(PS "The Boy Who Lived" p.15 UK edition)

What is he going to explain in the letter if it isn't about Harry's 
background and who he is? How to cook an omelette? 

Enough people have presented enough canon surely for even the most 
pernickety questioner of the Dursley's knowledge to stop, scratch his 
or her head and wonder whether there is something there....

Or would it need an affadavit, signed by JKR herself?
:-))