someone else being right / James's parents

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 182508

Pippin wrote in
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/182459>:

<< You're saying it would be *harder* for Harry to give himself up to
someone who was right? >>

That's canon, from HBP: << "And what about Percy?" asked Harry; the
third-eldest Weasley brother had fallen out with the rest of the
family. "Is he talking to your mum and dad again?" 

"Nope," said Ron. 

"But he knows your dad was right all along now about Voldemort being
back..." 

"Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being
wrong than being right," said Hermione. >>

Jayne wrote in
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/182475>:

<< 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? >>

Many listies have already said that James's parents were no longer
alive when James and Lily died, and that JKR said they just died
because she wanted Harry to be an orphan. I'm just adding the canon.

In PS/SS, Dumbledore told McGonagall: "I've come to bring Harry to his
aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."

Dumbledore could have been lying, but he could not have deceived
McGonagall by saying something she knew to be false. She wouldn't have
known if Lily had lots of other Muggle relatives still alive; she
might not have even known if Lily's parents were still alive; because
she didn't know all that many people in the Muggle world. But she knew
a ton of people in the wizarding world (such as Neville's Gran) and
would have know if James's parents or a sibling were still alive. It
was very convenient for Dumbledore that James's relatives were all
dead, because of his determination to put Harry with Lily's relatives
because of the blood protection magic. 

As listies have already said, Rowling said James's parents and Lily's
parents died in boring ways just because Rowling wanted Harry to be an
orphan.

It's in
<http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-anelli-3.htm>:
<< MA: What about Harry's family — his grandparents — were they killed?

JKR: No. This takes us into more mundane territory. As a writer, it
was more interesting, plot-wise, if Harry was completely alone. So I
rather ruthlessly disposed of his entire family apart from Aunt
Petunia. I mean, James and Lily are massively important to the plot,
of course, but the grandparents? No. And, because I do like my
backstory: Petunia and Lily's parents, normal Muggle death. James's
parents were elderly, were getting on a little when he was born, which
explains the only child, very pampered, had-him-late-in-life-so-
he's-an-extra-treasure, as often happens, I think. They were old in
wizarding terms, and they died. They succumbed to a wizarding illness.
That's as far as it goes. There's nothing serious or sinister about
those deaths. I just needed them out of the way so I killed them. >>

That was quite disappointing to me, as I thought there should be a
story to it, such as Voldemort trying to kill off all Potters.