Petunia's Eyes/Snape, Snape, Snape

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 169972

Random: 
 
> I agree that the bulk of cases are perfectly clear. But, any of the
> theories given here, really _anything_ that she could have said 
after
> the "but", are edge cases. We have _no_ information in canon on 
whether
> such individuals could or could not be called "muggles", because 
there
> are no examples. And don't forget that we have one piece of evidence
> that "muggle" can apply to a 'squib' born even of a pureblood 
family.
> Fanon tends to ignore that. (I really think "Fanon" should be a TBAY
> character) This alone indicates that our understanding of the word
> "muggle" is in conflict with JKR's.

Hickengruendler:

I agree with you up to a point. Especially, since the status of 
whoever will do magic in Deathly Hallows (or whoever did magic, if 
she meant Merope, which I don't think) will probably change. We must 
know this character right now either as a Muggle or a Squib (again, 
except if she meant Merope), and if said character has done magic, he 
is likely seen as a wizard/witch.

But I would say that "Petunia never did any magic and never will" 
(see the link in Carol's latest post) is really crystal clear. While 
there may be some way for JKR to sneak around the Muggle statement, 
this second one really doesn't leave any other explanation, as that 
Petunia never did any magic and never will.

Random: 

> The "she knows things" angle for that statement isn't credible. OF
> COURSE she knows more about the wizarding world than the average 
muggle
> - her sister was a witch, she's the reluctant guardian of Harry 
Potter,
> etc. That would be utterly unsurprising and certainly not worth "I'm
> being shockingly indiscreet" for hinting at that, if that were 
indeed
> the "but". There has to be something.

Hickengruendler:

But this point was totally downplayed within the books up until OotP. 
Therefore Petunia having further knowledge could come as quite a 
surprise for several readers. And besides, maybe the surprise is not, 
that she has further knowledge, which really could be guessed, but 
maybe it is about what exactly she knows, that could give Harry some 
further explanation. 

Random:
> Regarding the Heir of Gryffindor thing - can you just answer one 
thing?
> If he _is_ the Heir of Gryffindor, and it's supposed to be a 
surprise,
> what else could she have said?
> -- 


Hickengruendler:

How about "No, this doesn't rule it out." or "Did I say that?" I 
remember a question from before the release of book 5, where someone 
asked her, if Trelawney's first prophecy Dumbledore is talking about 
at the end of PoA would play a role, and she answered something 
like "Very Good". I am sure she wanted this revelation to be a 
surprise as well (especially since it happened at the end of the 
book), but she was pretty honest in this statement nonetheless.