a different mrs. figg theory

[Athena Appleton]

This is taken from what Jotomicron said in the "Who are the Professor's spouses" thread...

Anyway: Where do you see McGonagall as Mrs. McGonagall and Tralawney as Ms Tralawney?
And have you ever thought that Figg is Mrs Figg??? (Not very on topic, so, I think that another thread could be opened to talk about Mrs. Figg!)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

okay, I've heard, and until I saw this question, dismissed, a theory that says that Mrs. Figg is married or somehow related to Perkins, Arthur's office-mate in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. If I'm not mistaken, we only ever hear of him being called Perkins, not Mr. Perkins, so his name could be Perkins Figg. If anyone has proof that his surname is Perkins or anything other than Figg, please let me know. Here's the evidence, as I see it:

1. Mrs. Figg's house smells like cabbage (P/SS, chapter 2, harry doesn't like having to go to her house because it smells like cabbage). Perkins loaned Arthur a tent that smelled like cabbage (GoF, at the World Cup.)
2. Perkins works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. He and Mrs. Figg live in a primarily Muggle neighborhood, so he would be suited to have a job dealing with Muggles.
3. Mrs. Figg is obviously married, or else she would not be Mrs. Figg.
4. Mrs. Figg has lots of cats (same place as the cabbage reference). Perkins's tent smells like cats (same place as the cabbage reference.)

There is one question niggling in the back of my head: can a squib work at the Ministry in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office? While we don't know (haven't been told) Perkins is a squib, he's not registered as a magical person living in Harry's neighborhood (Order of the Phoenix, during Harry's trial). We suppose that the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office is somewhat of a joke among the upper officials in the Ministry (Ron defends his dad, saying he could be working higher up, he just enjoys the Muggle relations; the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office doesn't get windows and has been given a tiny office). If a squib were working somewhere in the Ministry, it's likely he or she would be put in one of the lesser offices, and MMA office certainly seems to be that... *shrug*

Whatcha think?

[Liquid Ice]

I think a squib probably could work in the misuse of muggle artifacts office, afterall they would know all about muggles, and if they were fairly low down they probably wouldnt need to do much magic.

On a slightly different note, Filch is a squib, and he was trying to learn magic with the kwickspell course, so if a squib can learn magic then maybe he can do some magic, but would he still be registed as a magical person in the neighborhood if he was really a squib whod just learnt a bit of magic? Though can squibs learn magic? Filch had the Kwickspell course, but surely a squib trying to learn magic is like a muggle trying to learn magic isnt it? Just a few ideas....

[Jotomicron]

Wow... Perkins seems really related to Mrs Figg!
I just want to point something. In Harry's hearing, Mrs Figg says her full name: Arabella Doreen Figg... We assume she's married. I don't understand this question about english names, and all, but can someone have only two names? I mean, before she married, she would have the name Arabella Doreen, and only that...

[Aberforth]

No, Doreen would be her middle name. SHe would have had a maiden name (that of her parents) but would relinquish this on marriage to Mr Figg.

In general, a lady does not keep her own family name when marrying, but takes her husband's family name. However, some women prefer to keep their own name (actresses often do this - Gwyneth Paltrow for example), or make it a double barelled name like Amanda Hill-Wood.

[Jotomicron]

So, Lilly would have been Lilly (or whatever her real name was, I consider it being a short name for something else) something Evans, but then she turned into Lilly Something Potter?

[Athena Appleton]

On a slightly different note, Filch is a squib, and he was trying to learn magic with the kwickspell course, so if a squib can learn magic then maybe he can do some magic, but would he still be registed as a magical person in the neighborhood if he was really a squib whod just learnt a bit of magic? Though can squibs learn magic? Filch had the Kwickspell course, but surely a squib trying to learn magic is like a muggle trying to learn magic isnt it? Just a few ideas....

You know what I thought of first when I saw this, and am reminded of in later books? You know the magazines that make it look like anyone's house can look like Martha Stewart decorated it, or the cookbooks that make it look like cooking an eight-course dinner is a snap (along with matching napkin rings). It was a scam, it might work for a few people, but Filch was duped into paying for a study in something that is almost certainly worthless.

So, Lilly would have been Lilly (or whatever her real name was, I consider it being a short name for something else) something Evans, but then she turned into Lilly Something Potter?

Yes. Mrs. Figg (before she was married) would have been Arabella Doreen Squarepants (insert the last name of your choice). After marrying, her name would be Arabella Doreen Figg.

In fact, I think this is only from an interview, but Harry's middle name is James. Naturally, if/when he gets married, he would still be Harry James Potter.

Middle names are often a way to pay additional tribute to a namesake (you name your child after father and grandfather, for example), to add meaning to a name (my youngest son's names, when put together, mean "Blessed (Sean) child of God (Colin)"), or to even out names. Here in the US, and I assume in the UK and other places, middle names are so common, they're on identification cards, forms at the doctor's office, etc. My mom and aunt have no middle names (my grandmother has ZERO imagination) and so they both use their maiden name as their middle name, so my mom is Lanette (first name) Jones (maiden name) Smith (pretend surname, because she'd get mad at me if I posted her entire real name on a message board... don't know what kinda sickies you guys are ).

[Athena Appleton]

So, Lilly would have been Lilly (or whatever her real name was, I consider it being a short name for something else)...

Lily is the name of a flower, and is generally not short for anything... As pointed out in the "meaning of names" thread, various kinds of lilies (rice lilies, lily-of-the-valley, water lily, etc) all have slightly different meanings, but they are all positive, sweet meanings (especially in the Victorian era, gentleman suitors would choose bouquets for their sweethearts based on the meaning of the flowers, so there was, like, a flower language)... Also, lilies (the flower) are beautiful, but are only in bloom for a short period of time...

"Lily" is most likely her full first name. To my knowledge, we don't know what her middle name is.

[highsorcerer]

Lillies are traditionally associated with funerals though.

[Nobby]

harry's middle name is james. it says in OotP when hes at the hearing. they all have to state there full names

[Athena Appleton]

harry's middle name is james. it says in OotP when hes at the hearing. they all have to state there full names

thank you for reiterating that fact.

[Athena Appleton]

another little interesting tidbit about Perkins... Perkin Warbeck was the name of a famous British imposter, and if I'm right at his name is Perkins Figg (fig meaning "concealing" things, etc), then this guy is someone to wonder a lot about...

[paintballdecoy]

What about a Argus and Mrs Figg contection? They both love cats and are squibs. Maybe some connection, though the Perkins and Mrs. Figg contection does makie sence

[Athena Appleton]

Ahhh, I don't really see it... I mean, Filch has the one cat, but I don't know that I'd describe him as a cat-lover (I have two kids, whom I love with all my heart, but I wouldn't say I'm a "kid-person", ya know?)

Hmmm... Arabella (Filch) Figg... ? Maybe Argus and Arabella are brother and sister? It's a stretch and I don't believe it, but it's an interesting thought...

[Nobby]

very interesting,,,two squibs in one family!!!!!!! i bet their parents werent very happy....hehehe

[Athena Appleton]

See, now I'm going to have to go back and look at the way Filch and Mrs. Figg are described... you know, see if they have any similar characteristics (other than being squibs)...

Since being a squib is supposedly really rare, it does almost make sense that the two we know are in the same family... like, the only people I have ever known who had multiple sclerosis were brothers... same kinda deal.... ???

But, really, we know almost nothing of either one of them. Dumbledore uses them both (which, let's face it, not that many wizards would turn to squibs for help of any kind)... They both own cats (she owns a dozen or so, he owns Mrs. Norris)... Arabella and Argus are names that could possibly belong to brother and sister (it's fairly common to have brothers and sisters with names beginning with the same letter)... Since her last name is Figg, and she is apparently married (she's "Mrs. Figg" not "Miss Figg", after all) we dont' know what her maiden name was... *shrug*