It was a place that had taken her sister from her when she was a child, rejected her, humiliated her, and later took Lily away again for good. But, thanks to the memories of Severus Snape, we know that Petunia once held different aspirations. @GorchestopherH "As of now, it seems that she was just confused at the time, or possibly imagined a different use for Petunia than what she ended up writing." Isn't it wonderful?'". Why do "'inclusive' access" textbooks normally self-destruct after a year or so? She actually wanted to be a witch at one point, which is proven when the Pensieve reveals that Petunia wrote to him asking if she could attend Hogwarts. EDINBURGH BOOK FESTIVAL - AUGUST 15, 2004 - BLOOMSBURY. It is unclear how much Voldemort and the Death Eaters knew about the Dursleys themselves. family A fan has taken to Tumblr to share their theory that Harry's aunt Petunia Dursley, arguably one of the worst characters in the franchise, was actually a witch all along. All Rights Reserved. Festive Drinks Paired With The Perfect Holiday Reads, Harlem Students Earn Reading Rewards From Vending Machine, Bookish Anomalies: 5 Books That You Wont Believe Exist, 5 Books About Greenland: Not The North Pole But Close Enough, Stephenie Meyer has Written Two Amazing YA Books, Coming Soon: John Lennons Life as a Graphic Novel. I love. relatives After Dudley is attacked by Dementors, Aunt Petunia lets slip that she knows more about the wizarding world than she lets on. She is a Muggle. This theory first came about way back in 2004 before JK Rowling had even finished writing the books. Think of it this way Petunia, for better or for worse, has a lot of pride. Lily J. Potter | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom Would Gringotts convert Wizard money to Muggle money? Wouldn't it have been possible for him to find out about Harry's relatives after the Ministry decided to go against Dumbledore at the end of Goblet of Fire? During her final parting with Harry, she stopped for a moment, as if to say something. Why did Ron suddenly redevelop a fear of saying Voldemort's name in The Deathly Hallows? The Dursleys live at number four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Why didn't Voldemort try to get at the Dursleys outside of their house? If there is one thing that should have been in the films, it's this bit of information about Harry's Aunt Petunia. As an adult, Petunia is a nosey gossip who dotes on her son Dudley, keeps an obsessively immaculate house, and defers to her smug, blustering husband. to the headmaster," all the more reason to believe that Petunia had met Dumbledore when he came to tell Lily she was a witch. Squib: Also known as a wizard-born, is a non-magical person who is born to at least one magical parent. Petunia wanted to be a witch: Rowling reveals that, "Petunia had some latent feelings of guilt about the way she had cut Lily (whom she knew, in her secret heart, had always loved her) out of . I dont think Vernon would appreciate the magnitude of the threat posed by Voldemort. Petunia may have said and done a lot of bad things in her life, but it was a life arguably born out of sadness. The bony and horse-faced aunt we met in Philosophers Stone seemed almost like a cartoon caricature: a woman cruel enough to deny her orphaned nephew a proper place in her family, mean enough to underfeed him and even make him sleep in a cupboard. But she couldnt do it; years of pretending that normal was best had hardened her too much.". Petunia Dursley, despite all that she may seem, is a complicated woman. What does soaking-out run capacitor mean? When she hears about the hotline for Sirius Black on the news, Harry knows that calling the hotline would be her . Even with the added context of the Harry Potter books, fans have been scratching their heads about Petunia's morality for years. Harry subtly learned this through his journey in the Harry Potter series, but it was never adequately translated to the screen. @GorchestopherH what do you think now? Harry Potter. For instance, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Marge starts calling Harrys Mum a bad egg and mocking the Potter family, which results in a glass shattering in her hand. AND "I am just so excited.". Bustle first picked. You might have got the impression that there is a little bit more to Aunt Petunia than meets the eye, and you will find out what it is. I dont think we know what was in Dumbledores previous letter to Petunia, but it must have convinced her to take Harry. This theory first came about way back in 2004 before JK . "You might have got the impression that there is a little bit more to Aunt Petunia than meets the eye, and you will find out what it is. Wait a moment and try again. I hope people wont down vote me just for saying Snape doesn't really care for harry more than any other student. Petunia Evans, forever embittered by the fact that her parents seemed to value her witch sister more than they valued her, left Cokeworth forever to pursue a typing course in London. Back in 2004, a fan askedJ.K. Rowlingat a book fair in Scotland if Aunt Petunia was a squib (a non-magical person born to one or two magical parents) and shereplied: Good question. She might have provided Harry with a childhood home but it was clear that her thwarted magical ambitions likely turned Petunia into the person she became one who cared more for the surgical cleanliness of her worktops than the wellbeing of her sisters son. What do you think? . Its mentioned later in the book, as well as in some of the other answers. "I was the only one who saw her for what she was -- a freak! To everyone's surprise, it's Petunia who answers. @Mindwin Back when Lily was accepted, Petunia had written a letter to Dumbledore asking for admission to Hogwarts. It's clear from the way she says Back? and is visibly terrified afterwards that, to quote, he was not the only person in the room who had an inkling of what Lord Voldemort being back might mean. Even if we believe Voldemort and any of his crew didn't know about the Dursleys prior to the Order of the Phoenix, Lucius Malfoy did have good connections and a certain level of control and influence over at the Ministry. The two couples just could not find common ground, and while Lily wanted James to make things right with Vernon, it never happened. She actually wanted to be a witch at one point, which is proven when the Pensieve reveals that Petunia wrote to him asking if she could attend Hogwarts. Of course, this wasn't something she would ever say, which made it nearly impossible to adapt to the Harry Potter movies. It would have been right for her to treat him like a second son, but as audiences see, that isn't something that comes easy. It wasnt until that awful boy the Evans familys young neighbour Severus Snape noticed Lilys burgeoning magic (she was practically flying off a garden swing at the time) that Petunia realised what her sister really was. Also, Petunia explains to Vernon what Dementors are, nothing about Voldemort in the beginning of Order of the Phoenix. Which would be to protect Harry. How did Uncle Vernon forget that magical events appear on the Muggle news? Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. he does have humanity. Imagine how terrible this feels to a young orphan . WIZARDING WORLD Publishing and Theatrical Stage Rights J.K. Rowling. Thanks for contributing an answer to Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange! Aunt Marge would make a very good Voldemort supporter if she were a witch and not a Muggle. Perhaps she is a Grade A b***h in the Muggle world because she as overcompensating for not being enough to get into the wizarding school. I think the biggest potential difference in the narrative would be the bond between Severus Snape and Lily. The furious pretense that Aunt Petunia had maintained all Harry's life that there was no magic and no world other than the world she inhabited with Uncle Vernon seemed to have fallen away." - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Weve seen her bug out at Hagrid and even treat Harry like a freak of nature because of his abilities. Aunt Petunia vowed, along with her husband Vernon, to stamp out her nephews magic. But she wasnt always this way. Download 'Unhealthy' on iTunes, 12 October 2016, 13:58 | Updated: 10 December 2018, 15:15. If Lily and Petunia's parents had been magical, she would have been a Squib, with no closer relationship to James than she already has. We were surrounded the moment we took off. My perfect sister being who she was. As ", "Why didn't Voldemort try to get at the Dursley's outside of their house? By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. In Ravenglass they're met by Martha, a professional psychic who resembles "a fairy-tale witch." Aunt Martha acts as caretaker for Hobbie House but keeps her own apartment in town, where she . Ancient Magic:Magic from Before the Dawn of Time? After all, this was the man she once wrote to, wanting so badly to go to Hogwarts. Estrangement and bitternessPetunia and Lily grew up in the town of Cokeworth (Pm). Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. a freak! I also think there is some credence to her appreciating how dangerous and deadly Lord Voldemort was, and that she knew the entire family, including but not limited to Harry, would be endangered in turning Harry out of her home. the chosen person, or Secret Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to Do you have evidence that Dumbledore may have done such a thing? Aunt Petunia is wearing a very short dress and invites Harry to join her on the couch. She learned of her magical nature as a child, after Severus Snape recognised her as a witch and told her of the existence of magic. ), So: Dumbledore is referring to his last letter, which means, of course, the letter he left upon the Dursleys doorstep when Harry was one year old. At this moment, Harry realized that the magical world was more to Petunia than just a group of people . However, where the Harry Potter movies left it at that, the books explained why Petunia was so cruel. Hastily stowing her wet handkerchief into her pocket, she said, Well - good-bye, and marched towards the door without look at him. It seems that Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt (and probably others in the Order of the Phoenix) believed that Voldemort would be able to get at Harry when he turns seventeen and the protective charm that Dumbledore put on the house would break. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? You can find her on Instagram @cosplayandcoffee (Remember my last? Since he doesn't understand love, which is why he couldn't possess Harry, he wouldn't really comprehend using someone's love for another to compel them to do something. mothers And most importantly, we believe that the best recommendations come from people you know and trust. Maybe petunia was always calming down Dursley without drawing attention to herself. Published Nov 27, 2022. For anyone who has read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, you will have learned that Harry's Aunt Petunia dies before Albus Potter's first year at Hogwarts. By Baker Street Station, I Sat Down and Wept by Deco. YOU WILL OBEY! But more realistically - Her notable knowledge of the magical world and its workings was probably what Rowling was referring to, and what CHEESE is attempting to convey in this answer. Were all about Harry Potter fan theories. There could be no excuse for how Petunia treated Harry throughout the Harry Potter series. Mad Eye Moody? Mrs.Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on neighbors. find out what it is. @Radhil That's what I've always assumed as well. She is not a Squib, although that is a very good As such, those glimmering moments where Petunia revealed her connection to the magical world were intensely fascinating. Do characters know when they succeed at a saving throw in AD&D 2nd Edition?