Lily and Petunia

[Lisa]

No: HPFGUIDX 176469

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dreadr" <dreadr at ...> wrote:
>Debbie:

> Does anyone besides me wonder at how Lily and Petunia grew up?
> Obviously, if they were in a position to interact with Sev as
> children on a regular basis then one would assume (oh help,
> there's that word) that they were far from affluent. One doesn't
> get the picture from the few comments that I remember that they
> were abused (as Snape apparently was), but if they lived near
> Spinner's End, then possibly they were a mill family and had
> very little. I find it somewhat curious that nothing was ever
> said about their parents and I don't recall anyone asking JKR.
> 
> If this was their background, then it might explain a lot of
> Petunia's attitudes -- i.e. her jealously of her sister (after
> all, Lily apparently married into money), her obsession with
> status, and even her almost paranoid attitude about cleanliness.
> Thoughts?

Lisa:

Debbie, I've thought about this and been on the fence for quite some 
time.  First, I've considered the same points you did about 
explaining Petunia's attitudes. On the other hand, I think her 
jealousy was Lily's magic, something she could never aspire to have; 
her obsession with status simply a desire to have as much or more 
than her parents, no matter what their status; and her clean-freak-
ism simply a touch of OCD!  I'd be interested in hearing what JKR 
would have to say about this!

Lisa