Mrs. Figg (Was: Dursleys)

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 146266

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Bart Lidofsky <bartl at s...> wrote:
>
> potioncat wrote:
> > Potioncat:
> > I vote for Figgy. Wouldn't be surprised if she isn't someone's 
> > sister...heck it would be funny if she was Eileen Prince's 
> > sister...OK..erm...
> 
> Bart:
> 	Let's list all the non-magical people we have met:
> 
> 	1) Filch
> 	2) Mrs. Figg
> 	3) The Dursleys
> 	4) Dr. & Mrs. Granger
> 	5) Ummmm.... uh..... hmmmmm.....
>

bboyminn:

First, the Dursleys are THREE people, not one, and four people if you
count Aunt Marge, and the Grangers are TWO people. And to an even more
minor point, it's Mr.-Dr. Granger and Mrs.-Dr. Granger. Both
Hermione's parents are Dentists.

Next, as others have mentioned a long and obscure list of Muggles, I
think it is most likely to be a latent magical person who is
significant in the story. It's not likely that in the heat of battle
Mrs. Number 7 - Privet Drive will come scurrying out of her house
casting Stunning Curses. Nor is Mark Evans likely to come riding by on
his bicycle, discover a battle in progress, and start curing every DE
in sight. These are much too obscure characters to play a significant
role.

JKR has flat out said it will not be Petunia. She has also said that
Dudley is just Dudley, what you see is what you get, so it is not
likely to be him. I personally don't think it is likely to be Uncle
Vernon. He seems too set in his character. Though anything could
happen if his family is attacked, but I still think it is unlikely.

I also can't imagine any circumstance in which Aunt Marge would get
involved. If Ron and Hermione are really going to stay at the
Dursleys, then the spare bedroom will be occupied, and it is unlikely
that Aunt Marge will be able to visit. 

That really only leaves two characters that I can think of; Filch and
Figg. Now we have to conceive of the likelihood of a situation
occuring in which one of these characters could be prompted into
magical action. We have already had an attack on Hogwarts and Filch
was no where to be seen. He doesn't seem the type to go charging into
battle. Nor does he seem to care about anyone enough to be prompted to
come to their defense. 

Now Figgy, on the other hand, seems very feisty. She came to Harry's
aid quick enough in OotP, though she didn't arrive early enough to be
pushed into any magical action. She has been in the Order since the
beginning which again indicates a willingness to fight in whatever way
she can. Further, we are all speculating on an attack on the Dursley's
home or at least on Harry while he is there. Though, that has already
been done as well. Still we know Harry's protection at the Dursleys is
waning. When he turns 17, he becomes as vulnerable there as he is
everywhere. Though, in a sense, he is probably more vulnerable
because, being the good guy that he is, Harry wouldn't hesitate to
defend the Dursleys.

Still, even the timing of an attack on the Dursleys doesn't quite seem
right. Harry has a lot of plans for the summer, and I can't see him
hanging around the Dursley for four whole weeks. I say two at best.
Then he is off to Gordic's Hollow, back for the Weasley wedding, then
off to his life, the Horcrux hunt, and the final battle with
Voldemort. For there to be an attack on the Dursleys, Harry needs an
excuse to return to the Dursleys after he has left and after he turns
17; I really can't come up with a good excuse for this return, and I
can't come up with any likelihood of a DE attack before Harry turns 17.

The Grangers, Hermione's parents, are also too obscure. They seem to
be muggles and nothing more. Of course, we can speculate an attack on
them in an attempt to get at Harry, but that seems a very obscure and
unlikely route of attack. So, whether right or wrong, I see the
Grangers as out of the picture as they have always been.

As far as I can see only one character stands out sufficiently in the
story to be a likely candidate and that is Mrs. Figg. I'm not
completely ruling out Filch, but he seems unlikely to get into a
circumstance in which his latent magic might show itself.

All other characters seem too obscure and too deep in the background
to make such a great leap in to the foreground.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn