[HPforGrownups] Question re: muggles and dementors

[Rick H. Kennerly]

No: HPFGUIDX 187957

Meliss9900 at aol.com wrote:
>  
>
>
> Huh? I'm not sure if you are kidding around or not however just in case
> you aren't then: no Petunia is not a Squib as her parents were not 
> magical.
>
> 

So explain Petunia's sister Lily and Hg, who were from non-magical folks 
as well.  After all, Petunia did manage to write the Headmaster of 
Hogwarts on her own (book 7, Prince's Tale).  The young Snape theorized 
that the MoM must have agents in the postal service (Book 7, The 
Prince's Tale), but the evidence is ambiguous whether Petunia and 
Hogwarts used owl post or regular postal services. 

Since the same muggle parent produced both Lily (who had extraordinary 
powers as a child) and Petunia, plus we also know because there are 
squibs that there is a continuum of magical powers from DD/LV to squibs 
(Filch/Figg) to muggles--indeed not all fully qualified wizarding people 
are endowed equally with magic, as JKR makes clear throughout the 
canon--so it is not inconceivable that Petunia was some sort of very low 
level squib, particularly since her parents had produced a witch.

On re-reading, however, the juvenile Snape seems clearly convinced that 
Petunia is purely muggle--but like all kids he's also quite dualistic at 
this point in his life (on/off, black/white, wizard/muggle).  I'm ready 
to concede the point, though, since Petunia's deeper knowledge of the 
wizarding world could have been gained from her spying on Lily and 
Snape.  Strangely retentive memory, though, in OOP when Petunia confirms 
the existence of dementors to Vernon, after having heard about them as a 
child.

Regarding Dudley, I'd contend some small amount of wizarding blood--the 
ability to sense an unknown and unseen world--that might have allowed 
Duds to be more "tuned" to the dementors.  But it is also clear from the 
beginning chapters of Book 6 where Fudge visits the muggle PM, that even 
the dimmest muggles can be affected by what's happening in the wizarding 
world (bad moods from the unnatural fog in July caused by dementors 
mating, the storm in the west country, the fallen bridge).  So having a 
dementor that close may have made any of use mad. 

Remember, though, that JKR's work is based on our deepest beliefs that 
we can all sometimes sense and believe in an unseen world. 


Peeves

-- 

Rick Kennerly
Virginia Beach, VA
www.mouseherder.com 
<http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1213141578&ref=name>



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