The Great Dursley Roundup
I meant to knock at least one topic off my list tonight, but I let time slip away from me instead. Maybe I can cover the Dursleys really quickly.
The Truth About Aunt Petunia
What did JKR mean when she said, "[Petunia] is not a squib, although that is a very good guess. Oh, I am giving a lot away here. I am being shockingly indiscreet."? It seems like there's a simple enough answer. A squib is someone who is unable to do magic, despite being born of magical parents. Squibs grow up knowing about the magical world, but are unable to fully participate in magical society.
That seems like it has a lot in common with having your sibling get a Hogwarts letter but never getting one yourself. You know magic is real, but you're not invited to play. So when Lily got to go to Hogwarts and her sister didn't, I bet Petunia was left feeling a little squibby.
Which brings us to the letter. I think Petunia & Dumbledore's correspondence was initiated when a young Petunia sent a letter to Dumbledore asking why she hadn't been accepted to Hogwarts. (She didn't even need to know to send the letter to Dumbledore specifically-- he says in OotP that letters addressed to the headmaster will find him.) Dumbledore being Dumbledore, he'd have written her back with some nice letter explaining that he really couldn't admit her to the school, but pointing out that Petunia could still be a wonderful person without magic. Choices over abilities and all that. It was probably a lovely letter, and I'd like to see it in the final book.
Petunia clearly did not think it was a lovely letter. Either that, or she grossly misinterpreted the sentiment about being the best Muggle you can be. One way or another, she responded to the rejection by trying to cut magic out of her life. (Disavowing magic probably had a lot to do with her relationship with Lily as well, but I take it so for granted that sisters tend to love each other that I don't even count that in as a big surprise or twist.) She was obviously still interested enough, though, that she was able to remember a word like "Azkaban" years and years later. (I'm sure there were plenty of people who went to see the PoA movie who couldn't remember the word "Azkaban" the next day.) Some part of her still wanted to hold on to that information, to be a part of that world.
Poor, squibby Petunia.
Dudley's Worst Memory
What did Dudley see when the Dementor attacked him? The worst things that've happened to him while we've been watching were probably the pig's tail and the Ton-Tongue Toffee. I don't think either of those could be his worst memory, though, because it's hard to imagine a reason JKR couldn't have said so (or even hinted that we should reread) when asked. Other than the odd magical mishap and Muggle diet, Dudley's been completely spoiled.
Let's go back to the idea of Petunia's letter from Dumbledore for a moment. We don't know where Petunia and Lily lived as children, but suppose they actually grew up in the house that now belongs to the Dursleys. (There's essentially no canon to support this, but there isn't anything I know of to disprove it, either. And it would make sense for Petunia to have been the one to inherit the house when her parents died, since Lily would've had less need of it.) As children, Lily and Petunia would've each had one of what would later be Dudley's two bedrooms. Petunia, as befits a sister with a jealousy complex, would've gotten the smaller of the bedrooms. The same bedroom that became Harry's when he moved out of the cupboard. The same room with the loose floorboards that are good for hiding things in. And there Petunia was with a letter that she wouldn't have wanted anyone to know about, but also felt somewhat compelled to hold on to just as she did the word "Azkaban."
Loose floorboards.
Secret letter.
Oh, what is a girl to do?
Jump ahead to sometime in the future. Maybe it's when Dudley is happily breaking things in his spare bedroom, or maybe it's when they're preparing to move Harry into the room. One way or another, what if Dudley stumbled across the (long-since forgotten) letter hidden under the floorboards? I could see this as being the one instance when Petunia would stop worrying for her sensitive ickle Diddykins and just try to scare him senseless instead. He would not mention this to anyone else ever. Especially Vernon. Or else. Tack on various shouts and threats until you have something just traumatic enough to be spoiled Dudley's worst memory.
I know, it's total guesswork. But I have a really hard time thinking of something else that would be relevant enough to the plot to mention in DH, and JKR did say we'd find out what Dudley saw when the Dementor attacked. So that's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.
He's Got a House?
Speaking of secrets, I've already discussed why I think we saw Dumbledore intentionally reveal the secret location of the Order's headquarters to the Dursleys. Given that, I'm pretty sure the Dursleys will be going to 12 Grimmauld Place in DH.
It makes a nice way to round off the Dursley plot, too. Petunia did save Harry's life by taking him in, and it seems like there would be some form of repayment for that before the series is over. Saving the Dursleys' lives but having them stuck in an awful house they don't want to be in and where they are not wanted seems about right. (And maybe having Muggles in the house would finally be enough to make Walburga's portrait explain how to undo her own permanent sticking charm.)
R.A.B. and O.C.D.
All the Dursleys are likely to hate Grimmauld Place, but Petunia might hate it most of all because she is a noted clean freak. She seems to especially like a clean kitchen, what with her nightly wipe-down of all the kitchen surfaces and everything. Under stress, I think she might compulsively clean the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.
Connected to the kitchen is the cupboard containing Kreacher's nest.
Kreacher's nest is probably where a certain heavy locket ended up.
Yeah, that's right.
Poor, squibby Petunia's gonna find a Horcrux.
And now I think I'm done with the Dursleys. Who's next?
The Truth About Aunt Petunia
What did JKR mean when she said, "[Petunia] is not a squib, although that is a very good guess. Oh, I am giving a lot away here. I am being shockingly indiscreet."? It seems like there's a simple enough answer. A squib is someone who is unable to do magic, despite being born of magical parents. Squibs grow up knowing about the magical world, but are unable to fully participate in magical society.
That seems like it has a lot in common with having your sibling get a Hogwarts letter but never getting one yourself. You know magic is real, but you're not invited to play. So when Lily got to go to Hogwarts and her sister didn't, I bet Petunia was left feeling a little squibby.
Which brings us to the letter. I think Petunia & Dumbledore's correspondence was initiated when a young Petunia sent a letter to Dumbledore asking why she hadn't been accepted to Hogwarts. (She didn't even need to know to send the letter to Dumbledore specifically-- he says in OotP that letters addressed to the headmaster will find him.) Dumbledore being Dumbledore, he'd have written her back with some nice letter explaining that he really couldn't admit her to the school, but pointing out that Petunia could still be a wonderful person without magic. Choices over abilities and all that. It was probably a lovely letter, and I'd like to see it in the final book.
Petunia clearly did not think it was a lovely letter. Either that, or she grossly misinterpreted the sentiment about being the best Muggle you can be. One way or another, she responded to the rejection by trying to cut magic out of her life. (Disavowing magic probably had a lot to do with her relationship with Lily as well, but I take it so for granted that sisters tend to love each other that I don't even count that in as a big surprise or twist.) She was obviously still interested enough, though, that she was able to remember a word like "Azkaban" years and years later. (I'm sure there were plenty of people who went to see the PoA movie who couldn't remember the word "Azkaban" the next day.) Some part of her still wanted to hold on to that information, to be a part of that world.
Poor, squibby Petunia.
Dudley's Worst Memory
What did Dudley see when the Dementor attacked him? The worst things that've happened to him while we've been watching were probably the pig's tail and the Ton-Tongue Toffee. I don't think either of those could be his worst memory, though, because it's hard to imagine a reason JKR couldn't have said so (or even hinted that we should reread) when asked. Other than the odd magical mishap and Muggle diet, Dudley's been completely spoiled.
Let's go back to the idea of Petunia's letter from Dumbledore for a moment. We don't know where Petunia and Lily lived as children, but suppose they actually grew up in the house that now belongs to the Dursleys. (There's essentially no canon to support this, but there isn't anything I know of to disprove it, either. And it would make sense for Petunia to have been the one to inherit the house when her parents died, since Lily would've had less need of it.) As children, Lily and Petunia would've each had one of what would later be Dudley's two bedrooms. Petunia, as befits a sister with a jealousy complex, would've gotten the smaller of the bedrooms. The same bedroom that became Harry's when he moved out of the cupboard. The same room with the loose floorboards that are good for hiding things in. And there Petunia was with a letter that she wouldn't have wanted anyone to know about, but also felt somewhat compelled to hold on to just as she did the word "Azkaban."
Loose floorboards.
Secret letter.
Oh, what is a girl to do?
Jump ahead to sometime in the future. Maybe it's when Dudley is happily breaking things in his spare bedroom, or maybe it's when they're preparing to move Harry into the room. One way or another, what if Dudley stumbled across the (long-since forgotten) letter hidden under the floorboards? I could see this as being the one instance when Petunia would stop worrying for her sensitive ickle Diddykins and just try to scare him senseless instead. He would not mention this to anyone else ever. Especially Vernon. Or else. Tack on various shouts and threats until you have something just traumatic enough to be spoiled Dudley's worst memory.
I know, it's total guesswork. But I have a really hard time thinking of something else that would be relevant enough to the plot to mention in DH, and JKR did say we'd find out what Dudley saw when the Dementor attacked. So that's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.
He's Got a House?
Speaking of secrets, I've already discussed why I think we saw Dumbledore intentionally reveal the secret location of the Order's headquarters to the Dursleys. Given that, I'm pretty sure the Dursleys will be going to 12 Grimmauld Place in DH.
It makes a nice way to round off the Dursley plot, too. Petunia did save Harry's life by taking him in, and it seems like there would be some form of repayment for that before the series is over. Saving the Dursleys' lives but having them stuck in an awful house they don't want to be in and where they are not wanted seems about right. (And maybe having Muggles in the house would finally be enough to make Walburga's portrait explain how to undo her own permanent sticking charm.)
R.A.B. and O.C.D.
All the Dursleys are likely to hate Grimmauld Place, but Petunia might hate it most of all because she is a noted clean freak. She seems to especially like a clean kitchen, what with her nightly wipe-down of all the kitchen surfaces and everything. Under stress, I think she might compulsively clean the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.
Connected to the kitchen is the cupboard containing Kreacher's nest.
Kreacher's nest is probably where a certain heavy locket ended up.
Yeah, that's right.
Poor, squibby Petunia's gonna find a Horcrux.
And now I think I'm done with the Dursleys. Who's next?