Petunia Dursley

[masterofsparks]

The fact that, apparently, Aunt Petunia knows more than she's been letting on was one of the more interesting wrinkles in OotP (for me, anyway). Any thoughts/theories on other stuff she might be hiding?

[highsorcerer]

I've posted my theory elsewhere, but I'll repeat it here. Let me repeat the known facts.

Petunia hated Lily, her "perfect" sister.
The Evans were very proud of Lily for becoming a witch.
Petunia hates the magical world.
Petunia knows about Azkaban, Dementors, and charms. Her explanation of overhearing it from James Potter was an obvious cover-up for a sliop.
Lily was born to non-magic parents (evidenced in OotP, when Snape refers to her as a mudblood).

The only reasonable explanation of why Petunia knows so much about the magical world is because she had no choice - she grew up with it. However, her parents were not wizards. It seems to be a contradiction, unless you remember there is another class of people who are neither fish nor foul (muggles or wizards). Squibs.

If one or both parents of Lily and Petunia were Squibs, they would have all the necessary background and knowledge of the wizarding world due to their having grown up in it, and would pass it along to their own children. They would have been thrilled that Squibs produced a magical child (Lily), and Petunia was have ended up being insanely jealous she was born a muggle. This would mainifest itself as a intense hatred and rejection of the entire magical world, particularly her sister.

I'm personally convinced my theory is the correct one, simply because it provides a complete explanation for every available fact.

[masterofsparks]

Interesting. Sorry if this was a repeat query but I didn't see anything else in this forum about it.

[highsorcerer]

It was buried somewhere in the theory category, not here, so it's no wonder you didn't see it before.

[AccioNiffler]

That's a great theory! I never raelly put much thought into Aunt Petunia because I dislike her so much, but that makes a lot of sense, their parents being squibs and all.

[Schnuffel]

Hi,

it could also be possible that dementors have killed petunias parents(harry grandparents).due to that,she knows how dementors kill people.thats why she knows that they suck peoples souls.
just a theory,but it could be possible,couldn`t it?

cu,
kathrin

[AccioNiffler]

I guess that could happen, but why would the dementors kill lily and petunia's parents?

[Schnuffel]

Well,
dementors were/are allies to voldemort and his death eaters.at least some of the death eaters were schoolmates of james and lily, so they knew she is muggleborn and they detest muggleborn wizards and witches.
additionally,they knew that lily and james fought against voldy.i believe that would be enough to kill them.
especially after rereading book four and the part where sirius ( )talked to ron,harry+hermoine about the first war.he said there were killings all over the place.

cu,
kathrin

[Tuima]

[quote="Schnuffel"]Hi,

it could also be possible that dementors have killed petunias parents(harry grandparents).due to that,she knows how dementors kill people.thats why she knows that they suck peoples souls.

I dunno, she seemed pretty shocked when Harry told them about the dementor's Kiss. And it seemed like we would have heard something about dementors kissing two muggles/squibs, especially as they are Harry's grandparents. Not to mention they'd still be around, "simply existing", ya know, in St. Mungo's or something. . What do they do with Kiss victims anyway?

[Nacht]

Petunia knows about Azkaban, Dementors, and charms.

Wouldn't seven X-mas holidays and seven summers in company of a Hogwarts student explain this?

The only reasonable explanation of why Petunia knows so much about the magical world...

"so much"? These things are only some basic knowlegde I think. Remember that Lily's time in Hogwarts was during Voldemorts terror.

[Vivian Borgin]

Maybe not. For all we know, Lily might have kept a tight lip around the house during vacations, even around her magic-supportive parents. Doesn't the Ministry forbid student magic at home, and generally discourage wizards and witches from revealing things magical in the presence of Muggles?

Plus, how is it that two full siblings could be a witch and a Muggle? Wouldn't one of their parents have had to have some magical ancestry in there somewhere, thereby making the non-magical kid a Squib?

[Nacht]

Maybe not. For all we know, Lily might have kept a tight lip around the house during vacations, even around her magic-supportive parents. Doesn't the Ministry forbid student magic at home, and generally discourage wizards and witches from revealing things magical in the presence of Muggles?

Well Hermione's parents are allowed in Diagon Alley. I really don't buy it that Lily's parents are kept completely in the dark about the wizard world.

Plus, how is it that two full siblings could be a witch and a Muggle? Wouldn't one of their parents have had to have some magical ancestry in there somewhere, thereby making the non-magical kid a Squib?

Everything in the books up to now supports that is is possible for muggles to have a wizard kid. ie Hermione, Dean Thomas

[Charis]

Petunia hated Lily, her "perfect" sister.
The Evans were very proud of Lily for becoming a witch.
Petunia hates the magical world.
Petunia knows about Azkaban, Dementors, and charms. Her explanation of overhearing it from James Potter was an obvious cover-up for a sliop.
Lily was born to non-magic parents (evidenced in OotP, when Snape refers to her as a mudblood).

The only reasonable explanation of why Petunia knows so much about the magical world is because she had no choice - she grew up with it. However, her parents were not wizards. It seems to be a contradiction, unless you remember there is another class of people who are neither fish nor foul (muggles or wizards). Squibs.

If one or both parents of Lily and Petunia were Squibs, they would have all the necessary background and knowledge of the wizarding world due to their having grown up in it, and would pass it along to their own children. They would have been thrilled that Squibs produced a magical child (Lily), and Petunia was have ended up being insanely jealous she was born a muggle. This would mainifest itself as a intense hatred and rejection of the entire magical world, particularly her sister.

I'm personally convinced my theory is the correct one, simply because it provides a complete explanation for every available fact.

But, i was under the impression that Lily couldn't be a mudblood and have squibs for parents, because in order to be a mudblood you have to have muggle parents. Squibs are people born into magical families and can't do magic, they aren't complete muggles because they have to have some wizard blood in them from their wizard parents. but, maybe one of their parents was a squib and the other a muggle? that would explain how Lily was counted as a mudblood and for how happy her parents were that she was a witch. I might be confused about the definition of a mudblood, that's just what I got from the books. so who knows? Anythings possible with JK

Plus, how is it that two full siblings could be a witch and a Muggle? Wouldn't one of their parents have had to have some magical ancestry in there somewhere, thereby making the non-magical kid a Squib?

I thought that you could be a witch and have complete muggle parents, you just sort of had the gifts, I suppose. I could be wrong, though.

[highsorcerer]

Squibs have magical parents, but no power. Like Arabella Figg, who knows all about the wizarding world, but isn't a part of it except as a protector of Harry.

So I don't think it's a stretch to say that Snape calling her a mudblood was inconsistant.

[Charis]

you're probably right, High Sorcerer, but still I think its a bit amiguous (Is that the right word?)

and, by the way, i do think its a good theory!