Is Petunia magical?/Mrs. Figg

[KathyK]

No: HPFGUIDX 160305

Lana wrote:
> > I just read in the book that Mrs. Figg did not see them.  She
> > was merely guessing.  She couldnt' describe them, but described
> > the feeling.

Jenni from Alabama wrote: 
> No, I'm sorry, you're mistaken! She comes to the hearing and is an
> EYE WITNESS in Harry's defense. She states emphatically that she 
saw
> them. Two of them, one for each boy - Harry and Dudley. She also
> describes their attack on the boys very accurately.
> 

<snip canon quotes>
 
> If she couldn't see the dementors, Dumbledore would never have
> called on her to be part of the defense. Mrs. Figg was just 
nervous.
> Harry was tried by the whole court, for goodness sakes. She didn't
> realize how much her testimony would be worth! Plus being in the
> room where many prisoners had been sentenced to Azkaban had to be
> pretty intimidating too!

KathyK:

See, I read Mrs. Figg's testimony completely different.  I am 100% 
certain she was lying about being able to see dementors and it 
showed in her testimony.  I agree she was nervous about testifying, 
but not because she was intimidated by the atmosphere and the number 
of people.  Rather it's because she did have to fudge some facts.  

I have no doubts at all that she saw Harry and Dudley and felt the 
dementors.  That is why she is able to describe so well what 
transpired.  Where her testimony does fall apart is in actually 
describing the dementors.  First she says she saw them "running," 
which Madam Bones picked up immediately and stated that the 
dementors glide.  This gave Mrs. Figg the opportunity to say she 
*meant* to say "glide" even if she had no idea previously that they 
do glide.  And even Harry thinks she's describing dementors vaguely 
and has never seen one in person.  

She gets their attention and is most believable in describing their 
effects, and then describing what transpired between the dementors 
and Harry and Dudley.  Because she *could* see Harry and Dudley.  

JKR has also confirmed that Squibs cannot see dementors on her 
website:

"Incidentally, Arabella Figg never saw the Dementors that attacked 
Harry and Dudley, but she had enough magical knowledge to identify 
correctly the sensations they created in the alleyway."

http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=19


As far as Dumbledore is concerned, she *did* witness the dementor 
attack and they needed a witness at the hearing.  So having her 
testify was a great move.  Her testimony was convincing enough to 
help Harry.

KathyK, fan of all-muggle Petunia