James's Parents

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 182478

---  "Jayne" <jaynesmith62 at ...> wrote:
>
> Hi 
> I am delurking to ask a question that I have wondered about
> for a while. We Know that Sirius went to stay with James at
> his parents house, but we never find out what happened to 
> James's parents. Were they alive when Harry was born ?
> Were they alive whan James and Lily died/ If so why did they
> not make  contact with Harry or take him in to bring up?
> 
> Any theories anyone
> 
> Jayne
>

bboyminn:

They, James parents, were certainly dead at the time James 
died, otherwise Harry would have been left with them and
not the Dursleys; who, as stated many times, are Harry's only
living relatives.

JKR said that James parents were elderly, having had James 
late in life, and that they had succumb to a wizard's illness.
Though logically, this had not happened yet when James was
16 because that is the age that Sirius left home and stayed
with the Potter family. So, in James 7th year at Hogwarts,
or immediately after James left Hogwarts, Mr and Mrs Potter
must have died. 

Still, there are some unanswered questions. There seems to 
have been a sizable estate, as in, Harry's vault full of
gold. But to have an estate that size, the Potters were
either businessmen, or landed gentry or at least near that.

So, what happened to the Potter's ancestral home and the
accompanying land, or what happened to the Potter's
business ventures? 

Expanding that further, was the home at Godric's Hollow,
James and Lily's home, Mr and Mrs Potter's ancestral home,
or simply a house on loan to them while they hid?

I have no explanation from reliable sources, so here is how
I explain it to myself. During the first Voldemort war, 
which seems to have lasted longer and grown more intense,
many in the wizard world would have hedged their bets. Many
would likely have been planning to move away until 
hostilities ceased. Consequently, the Potters had sold their
house, land, and all business venture under the assumption
that cash is easier to move around than material assets. 

So, by the time Harry comes along (in SS/PS) all the Potter
assets have been converted to cash. 

That may or may not be right, but, for now, that's how I
explain it to myself.

Steve/bboyminn