Arabella Figg - Order Member or Not?

[Fawkesified]

I was just having a discusion about this here (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?p=1888837#post1888837). Please look there for reference. I think that Figg is in the Order because of the 'old crowd' quote from Dumbledore at the end of GoF. Please post thoughts and theories here.

[Evita82]

Well was she part of the guard in the beginning? I'm not sure... she couldnt do much if Harry was attacked (as we saw) but there are other duties in the Order I imagine. What do you think, apart from keeping an eye on Harry while he was at Privitt drive, are her other duties?

[swirlctw]

man we already know that she is in the order and hopefully triza will get this. the answer is in the Gof at the end where dumbledore tells to regroup the people that were in the order before.

[Dawn_Potter]

I think she could be a good order member cause as we saw at the beginning of OotP that she's not in the register for wizards.. she could be everywhere and the MoM wouldn't know

[Fawkesified]

Well was she part of the guard in the beginning? I'm not sure... she couldnt do much if Harry was attacked (as we saw) but there are other duties in the Order I imagine. What do you think, apart from keeping an eye on Harry while he was at Privitt drive, are her other duties?
Actually she was not part of the the advance guard.

man we already know that she is in the order and hopefully triza will get this. the answer is in the Gof at the end where dumbledore tells to regroup the people that were in the order before.

Calm down, I'm sure Triza will understand in the end. Besides, even if he doesn't he's/she's entitled to his/her opinions.

[swirlctw]

Actually she was not part of the the advance guard.


let me ask a question before we move on what does the advance gaurd do? is it the one that trails harry?

[Tirza]

man we already know that she is in the order and hopefully triza will get this. the answer is in the Gof at the end where dumbledore tells to regroup the people that were in the order before.

Ok, look. It's TIRZA. And it's not that I don't "get it". It doesn't make any sense.

Why would they want to tell someone their secrets who has no defense against Voldemort? She was Harry's watchdog. Nothing more, nothing less. She SAYS she can't do anything magical, including defend against Dementors, which were one of Voldemort's chief weapons. That's like gift-wrapping the information for him.

[crystal_joy]

I was following your argument in the other thread but I didn't think you'd actually start a new thread... well I guess the discussion was very off-topic ;)

Well, there really is no cannon evidence that down right says "Arabella Figg is a member of the Order", but I agree with you, based on the quote at the end of GoF, she does seem to be in the Order.

[kingwidgit]

The advanced guard came to collect Harry from the Dursleys, and protect him while enroute to 12 Grimmauld Place, there was a rear guard in place just in case something happened to the advanced guard. I agree, Mrs. Figg wasn't a part of the advanced guard, she was a member of the Order IMO.

[Tirza]

She could be. But that'd be stupid on their part. And if there's one thing the opposors of Voldemort can't afford to be, it's stupid.

[skistar123]

I don't rekon she's part of the Order, just an 'outside contact': she lives a muggle life, so she knows what's happening in the muggle world through TV, that kind of thing that wizards don't have. Muggle contacts would be useful in the War.

[swirlctw]

Ok, look. It's TIRZA. And it's not that I don't "get it". It doesn't make any sense.

Why would they want to tell someone their secrets who has no defense against Voldemort? She was Harry's watchdog. Nothing more, nothing less. She SAYS she can't do anything magical, including defend against Dementors, which were one of Voldemort's chief weapons. That's like gift-wrapping the information for him.


sorry typo and the advance guard is it where they trail harry watching his every move? thking him to kings cross?

[Fawkesified]

I was following your argument in the other thread but I didn't think you'd actually start a new thread... well I guess the discussion was very off-topic ;)

Well, there really is no cannon evidence that down right says "Arabella Figg is a member of the Order", but I agree with you, based on the quote at the end of GoF, she does seem to be in the Order.
Yes, thanks for summing up - I always was lousy at that :tu::D.

[kingwidgit]

She's not just a muggle contact, according to JKR she is Dumbledore's liaison to the muggle world.

[Fawkesified]

let me ask a question before we move on what does the advance gaurd do? is it the one that trails harry?
The advance guard was the group that took Harry to Grimmauld Place on broomsticks. I think it was just a one off.

[Tirza]

I don't rekon she's part of the Order, just an 'outside contact': she lives a muggle life, so she knows what's happening in the muggle world through TV, that kind of thing that wizards don't have. Muggle contacts would be useful in the War.

That's exactly what I'm trying to get at. She's a conveniently placed Squib, but would be a liability to the Order were she to be caught and tortured, since she doesn't have any magical protection of her own.

She's not just a muggle contact, according to JKR she is Dumbledore's liaison to the muggle world.

That doesn't mean that she's in the Order.

Or is he only allowed to talk to people (who aren't in school) who are in the Order?

[swirlctw]

That's exactly what I'm trying to get at. She's a conveniently placed Squib, but would be a liability to the Order were she to be caught and tortured, since she doesn't have any magical protection of her own.



That doesn't mean that she's in the Order.

Or is he only allowed to talk to people (who aren't in school) who are in the Order?


yes it does cuz read the end of the Gof book.

[Fawkesified]

That's exactly what I'm trying to get at. She's a conveniently placed Squib, but would be a liability to the Order were she to be caught and tortured, since she doesn't have any magical protection of her own.



That doesn't mean that she's in the Order.

Or is he only allowed to talk to people (who aren't in school) who are in the Order?
You know perfectly well that we are not saying this. The thing is, all the evidence seems to be pointing to the fact that she is in the Order, although I acknowledge you could be right. :)

[swirlctw]

You know perfectly well that we are not saying this. The thing is, all the evidence seems to be pointing to the fact that she is in the Order, although I acknowledge you could be right. :)


huh so now you are saying that she might not be in the order or that she was never in the order.

[Fawkesified]

huh so now you are saying that she might not be in the order or that she was never in the order.
No, I am saying that I think she is in the Order, and I think all the evidence is pointing to that, but we must acknowledge that there is no direct canon saying 'Arabella Figg is in the Order' so we could be wrong, however unlikely we feel that is.

[Tirza]

I'm saying that it COULD be either way. Requoting that one small snippet of text doesn't change the fact that it never says definitively.

My PERSONAL opinion is that she's not, but that's neither here nor there. I'm more interested in being open to the possibility that she's not. Just like I admit it's possible she is.

[swirlctw]

No, I am saying that I think she is in the Order, and I think all the evidence is pointing to that, but we must acknowledge that there is no direct canon saying 'Arabella Figg is in the Order' so we could be wrong, however unlikely we feel that is.


oh now i got you.

[Fawkesified]

I'm saying that it COULD be either way. Requoting that one small snippet of text doesn't change the fact that it never says definitively.

My PERSONAL opinion is that she's not, but that's neither here nor there. I'm more interested in being open to the possibility that she's not. Just like I admit it's possible she is.
I'm becoming more agreeing with you. I thought you were saying that she was definitely not an Order member.

[Tirza]

You know perfectly well that we are not saying this. The thing is, all the evidence seems to be pointing to the fact that she is in the Order, although I acknowledge you could be right. :)

That was a straw man, an exaggeration on purpose.

And openness to possibilities is one of the great things about life... :)

I never even thought of her being in the Order. But I see now that it's possible you could be right. It's not my personal belief, but I acknowledge that it's possible.

[swirlctw]

I'm becoming more agreeing with you. I thought you were saying that she was definitely not an Order member.


maybe not now but she was before right?

[Tirza]

I'm becoming more agreeing with you. I thought you were saying that she was definitely not an Order member.

I'm saying we don't know.

My personal opinion is that she's not, but there's no direct evidence either for or against, so in that, I can agree to disagree.

I do agree that she was immensely important. I just don't think that Dumbledore would have risked either the Order or Arabella herself. Knowing secrets can put you in a lot of danger. :)

But again, agree to disagree on that minor point.

[Fawkesified]

maybe not now but she was before right?
No I think she is and was, I just think that it is possible that Tirza is right whereas before I didn't. Got me?

[swirlctw]

No I think she is and was, I just think that it is possible that Tirza is right whereas before I didn't. Got me?


yeah me too tirza i agree to dissagree.

[Tirza]

maybe not now but she was before right?

Again, no direct evidence.

It can be implied, but seeing as there are so many facets to HP, I think assuming is an unwise thing to do.

yeah me too tirza i agree to dissagree.

Do you understand where I'm coming from? I'm not asking if you agree, but you see why I'm saying what I'm saying, right?

[swirlctw]

Again, no direct evidence.

It can be implied, but seeing as there are so many facets to HP, I think assuming is an unwise thing to do.


i said it is cool cuz we straight man.

[Tirza]

*sighs* Not what I was asking, but....

*shrugs*

[Fawkesified]

I don't like the term 'agree to disagree'. Normally it is used by people who know they are wrong, but in this case, both sides have used it. Let the discussion continue!

[swirlctw]

*sighs* Not what I was asking, but....

*shrugs*


sorry then what are you asking me.

[Tirza]

I don't like the term 'agree to disagree'. Normally it is used by people who know they are wrong, but in this case, both sides have used it. Let the discussion continue!

How about "agree that the other has valid points, even if you don't agree with them"? :)

[Fawkesified]

How about "agree that the other has valid points, even if you don't agree with them"? :)
:rotfl: I think that one might accept that term ;). :p

[Tirza]

sorry then what are you asking me.

If you understand my point of view. I understand yours, and although I come to a different conclusion, I can see how you would come to your conclusion.

I just want some understanding, man! *cheesy grin*

:rotfl: I think that one might accept that term ;). :p

Oooh, oooh!! Better yet... "understanding". It's basically the same, only it's a heck of a lot shorter to type. :D

[swirlctw]

If you understand my point of view. I understand yours, and although I come to a different conclusion, I can see how you would come to your conclusion.

I just want some understanding, man! *cheesy grin*



Oooh, oooh!! Better yet... "understanding". It's basically the same, only it's a heck of a lot shorter to type. :D


i had already said that i agree to dissagree.

[Fawkesified]

If you understand my point of view. I understand yours, and although I come to a different conclusion, I can see how you would come to your conclusion.

I just want some understanding, man! *cheesy grin*



Oooh, oooh!! Better yet... "understanding". It's basically the same, only it's a heck of a lot shorter to type. :D
:tu::D

[kingwidgit]

She could be. But that'd be stupid on their part. And if there's one thing the opposors of Voldemort can't afford to be, it's stupid.I prefer the term cunning, not stupid. DD isn't perfect, and he doesn't always do what one might expect. Rita Skeeter called DD an 'obsolete dingbat', but I think he's crazy like a fox. Wily, unpredictable.That's exactly what I'm trying to get at. She's a conveniently placed Squib, but would be a liability to the Order were she to be caught and tortured, since she doesn't have any magical protection of her ownA liability, perhaps, but LV is constantly underestimating DD, and DD knows this, and so is more likely than not to make use of people LV wouldn't normally think he would. Like putting Harry with his blood relatives, thereby sealing a charm, for Harry's protection. Here's another example; for instance, Hagrid. Even McGonagall questioned DD about using him, DD response? 'I would trust Hagrid with my life.'
As for Arabella being a conveniently placed Squib, this may be true. However, I still think she's a member of the Order. What exactly she may be doing for the Order is another matter.

[aggiefan1206]

I think that she in a way is a member of the order. We all know by now that she is squib. I think that she helps keep DUmbldore up to date with what is going on in the muggle world and what is going on between the two worlds like when something happens that voldemort did that the muggles wouldnt know she informs DUmbldore. She also takes care of Harry she makes sure he is safe and if she sees danger she reports to Dumbldore. She helps in the ways she can.

[tarachristwen]

she's a squib..can she be a member of the order?

maybe she's just an informer for thr order..?

[runitzandrew]

We honestly have no way of knowing, unless asking JK herself, but we can make reasonable guesses. Being that she's a squib she can't have any real purpose in the Order. My best guess is that she was only used as a wacky neighbor who was ordered to spy on Harry for the Order's sake. She knew about the Order, of course, but only was used as a spy for the summer holidays.

[Fawkesified]

So if she is in the Order, what could she do for them while Harry is at Hogwarts?

[Bunny]

Is Arabella Figg an order member or not?
The fact that she has been helping Dumbledore for the past 15 years at least with looking after Harry, places her in something of a dangerous position.
There are safeguards on Harry, there could be safeguards on Mrs Figg.
She has information that the DE's can get and they can pass on to Voldemort.
I think that, as a squib, she cannot be a wizarding member of the Order, (well, der!) but she still can be a member.
I think that it may be necessary for her to be in the Order, then if the need arises, Dumbledore can whisk her off to, say - Grimmauld Place. To keep her safe.
Of course, he could do this if she weren't in the Order, but it would be easier if she were.
If Muggles are fair game to the DE's and Voldemort, then Squibs must be, and especially squibs that are in league with Dumbledore. So if she is in the Order, what could she do for them while Harry is at Hogwarts? As she is in the muggle world, she could be monitoring the news systems, keeping an eye on the Dursleys and any untoward activity around there.
After all she does have several cats and Harry has commented on at least one occasion when it was unusual for there to be no cats around. I think that is where she gets a lot of her information. (Filch is a Squib and he has a cat that reports back to him so they must have some way of communicating with animals)

[Dawn_Potter]

So if she is in the Order, what could she do for them while Harry is at Hogwarts?

As I have stated before, the ministry doesn'T track her unlike other wizards.
Fudge mentioned something about no other wizards around Harry during the trial at the beginning of OotP.
So I would say she would make a great secret agent, although the personal riske for her might be even bigger than for the others because of a lack of chances for self-defense against magical creatures.

[Bunny]

So if she is in the Order, what could she do for them while Harry is at Hogwarts? As I have stated before, the ministry doesn'T track her unlike other wizards.
Fudge mentioned something about no other wizards around Harry during the trial at the beginning of OotP.
So I would say she would make a great secret agent, although the personal risk for her might be even bigger than for the others because of a lack of chances for self-defense against magical creatures. Although, as I have said before, Dumbledore does know about her and would therefore take steps to protect her, and he could probably do that better if she were in the order.

[Dawn_Potter]

Yes, Dumbledore would see to protect her, but I was more thinking that she isn't tracked by the ministry...

[Bunny]

Oh yes, I agree with that, the Ministry aren't aware of her, sorry. I was still on the protection thing.
Would they know about her? The Ministry, that is.
Only if they don't know about her then maybe Voldemort doesn't, or doesn't have that much info anyway?

[Dawn_Potter]

Well, if there are DEs in the MoM (which we can assume) they would still not know Mrs. Figg is around Harry... or someone else... so this would make her a perfect spy!

[filius]

I think she's a member of the Order. But the part she plays is a little different from everyone else. Her job is to keep and eye on Harry and try protect him. And inform the rest of the Order of the happenings in Privet Drive.

[RemusLupinFan]

I was just having a discusion about this here. Please look there for reference. I think that Figg is in the Order because of the 'old crowd' quote from Dumbledore at the end of GoF. Please post thoughts and theories here.“You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mungdungus Fletcher -- the old crowd.” ~Dumbledore to Sirius, p713 Am. Ed.

I think we can safely assume Mrs. Figg is indeed in the Order for because of this quote. I know it doesn’t say outright that Mrs. Figg is in the Order, but I strongly believe that she is in the Order because of this quote. The reason I say this is because of the fact that Dumbledore refers to her the same way he refers to two known members of the Order: Remus Lupin and Mungdungus Fletcher. And we know they were in the Order the first time because they were in the photo Moody showed Harry. Since Dumbledore refers to Mrs. Figg as being part of the "old crowd", and since the other two members of the "old crowd" that Dumbledore mentions are known to be in the Order, I therefore am led to deduce that Mrs. Figg is also a member of the Order. And since Dumbledore is asking for a regrouping of the “old crowd”, this means that Mrs. Figg is to be part of the Order again.

Just because she doesn’t have any magic powers doesn’t mean she can’t be in a group of wizards that fights against Voldemort. It is obvious that she did/does have a job to do for the Order, as others have pointed out- she was/is charged with keeping an eye on Harry. Therefore, I think it’s pretty clear that Mrs. Figg is indeed in the Order even though it never comes out and says that she is. Now, you might say that she wasn’t in the photo that Moody showed Harry and therefore she wasn’t in the Order. But remember, Moody was interrupted by Sirius when he was showing that picture to Harry, at which time, Harry leaves. So it’s quite possible that she was in the picture but Moody didn’t get a chance to point her out. Of course, this is just my opinion. :)

That's exactly what I'm trying to get at. She's a conveniently placed Squib, but would be a liability to the Order were she to be caught and tortured, since she doesn't have any magical protection of her own. I agree with those who said that Dumbledore could protect her by bringing her to headquarters at any time if he thought she was in danger. I don’t think she’s a liability at all- after all, I imagine 1) it was Dumbledore’s choice to allow her to become part of the Order, so he would have taken precautions should the need for protection arise, and 2) Figg might be a Squib, but as others have said, she has her ways of getting information, namely from her cats, which are most likely part Kneazle since she breeds them. Therefore, I’m sure she has taken several precautions and can alert somebody immediately if there is a problem. Of course, this isn’t foolproof and it is certainly possible that something bad could happen to Figg. But that’s the risk everyone in the Order is taking. As we’ve seen, even capable wizards have been killed.

[Fawkesified]

As I have stated before, the ministry doesn'T track her unlike other wizards.
Fudge mentioned something about no other wizards around Harry during the trial at the beginning of OotP.
So I would say she would make a great secret agent, although the personal riske for her might be even bigger than for the others because of a lack of chances for self-defense against magical creatures.
But the I would think that she has become well known in the wizarding world because of her saving Harry's behind in his trial :).

“You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mungdungus Fletcher -- the old crowd.” ~Dumbledore to Sirius, p713 Am. Ed.

I think we can safely assume Mrs. Figg is indeed in the Order for because of this quote. I know it doesn’t say outright that Mrs. Figg is in the Order, but I strongly believe that she is in the Order because of this quote. The reason I say this is because of the fact that Dumbledore refers to her the same way he refers to two known members of the Order: Remus Lupin and Mungdungus Fletcher. And we know they were in the Order the first time because they were in the photo Moody showed Harry. Since Dumbledore refers to Mrs. Figg as being part of the "old crowd", and since the other two members of the "old crowd" that Dumbledore mentions are known to be in the Order, I therefore am led to deduce that Mrs. Figg is also a member of the Order. And since Dumbledore is asking for a regrouping of the “old crowd”, this means that Mrs. Figg is to be part of the Order again.

Just because she doesn’t have any magic powers doesn’t mean she can’t be in a group of wizards that fights against Voldemort. It is obvious that she did/does have a job to do for the Order, as others have pointed out- she was/is charged with keeping an eye on Harry. Therefore, I think it’s pretty clear that Mrs. Figg is indeed in the Order even though it never comes out and says that she is. Now, you might say that she wasn’t in the photo that Moody showed Harry and therefore she wasn’t in the Order. But remember, Moody was interrupted by Sirius when he was showing that picture to Harry, at which time, Harry leaves. So it’s quite possible that she was in the picture but Moody didn’t get a chance to point her out. Of course, this is just my opinion. :)

I agree with those who said that Dumbledore could protect her by bringing her to headquarters at any time if he thought she was in danger. I don’t think she’s a liability at all- after all, I imagine 1) it was Dumbledore’s choice to allow her to become part of the Order, so he would have taken precautions should the need for protection arise, and 2) Figg might be a Squib, but as others have said, she has her ways of getting information, namely from her cats, which are most likely part Kneazle since she breeds them. Therefore, I’m sure she has taken several precautions and can alert somebody immediately if there is a problem. Of course, this isn’t foolproof and it is certainly possible that something bad could happen to Figg. But that’s the risk everyone in the Order is taking. As we’ve seen, even capable wizards have been killed.
Excellent :tu::D!

[Tirza]

I agree with those who said that Dumbledore could protect her by bringing her to headquarters at any time if he thought she was in danger. I don’t think she’s a liability at all- after all, I imagine 1) it was Dumbledore’s choice to allow her to become part of the Order, so he would have taken precautions should the need for protection arise, and 2) Figg might be a Squib, but as others have said, she has her ways of getting information, namely from her cats, which are most likely part Kneazle since she breeds them. Therefore, I’m sure she has taken several precautions and can alert somebody immediately if there is a problem. Of course, this isn’t foolproof and it is certainly possible that something bad could happen to Figg. But that’s the risk everyone in the Order is taking. As we’ve seen, even capable wizards have been killed.

She said at the beginning of OotP that she can't alert anyone immediately, and I'd think if she was in danger, she'd need some pretty immediate contact.

[Fawkesified]

She said at the beginning of OotP that she can't alert anyone immediately, and I'd think if she was in danger, she'd need some pretty immediate contact.
That is a fair point - how would the Order know if she was in danger.

[Steve]

i think she is in the order. She is a friend of Dumbledore's and also kept an eye on Harry. She is probably on the "keeping her eye out for unusual things" side of the order other than the active side of the order.

[yrome]

I believe she is part of the order from the "old crowd" quote - very excellent post on that RemusLupinFan

It does bring up another interesting question: How long has Mrs. Figg lived in Little Whinging? If she were a part of the old crowd, that means she was in the Order during Vold War I - while Lily and James were still alive and Harry was either just a gleam in Lily's eye or a newborn. In either case the Potters are in Godric's Hollow, yet Figgy's in Little Whigning, where presumably the Dursley's are living. Perhaps her part in the order is keeping an eye on them. We can speculate as to why that would be necessary - Petunia's putative magical ability, someone knows more than they are letting on, etc - but there are whole other threads dedicated to that. Maybe it's just fortuitous that she lives near them when Harry gets delivered there, but I take nothing for granted with JKR!

[EurodaFlament]

It does bring up another interesting question: How long has Mrs. Figg lived in Little Whinging? !


I was wondering the same thing...how long has Mrs. Figg been living in Little Whinging?

If she was asked to move there by DD after he placed Harry at the Dursley's that could be why the MoM never had any record of her living in Little Whinging. I know she was mentioned in books previous to OotP so there is some cannon for her being around for more then just the holiday between the end of GOF and beginning of OotP. I think Harry noticed that the tent used by the Weasley's at the beginning of GOF looked like Mrs. Figg's place?

The quote of the 'old crowd' does make it sound like she is a part of the Order IMO. But I sent she is a squib there isn't a great deal she can do for the Order besides watch and report suspicious activities.

[Fawkesified]

If she was asked to move there by DD after he placed Harry at the Dursley's that could be why the MoM never had any record of her living in Little Whinging.
The MoM had no record of her whereabouts because they don't track squibs :huh:.
I think Figg must have lived there before Harry as Dumbledore would have stationed lookouts around everybody linked to Harry.

[DarkSphynx]

I think most people assume that she's in the Order, and in my opinion she is a member, although she may just help significantly. Dumbledore's comment in 'Goblet of Fire' seems to hint towards it, but like Tirza's been saying, there is no real evidence either way.

[hp007]

Personally, i don't really think she's in the order. As some people have mentioned, why would Dumbledore, recruit anyone who can't even do magic properly, in the order? I think her job was just to keep an eye on Harry.
BTW, i was just reading over the posts on this thread, and it seems to be full of arguements between swirlctv and tirza. relax guys!

[Tirza]

Personally, i don't really think she's in the order. As some people have mentioned, why would Dumbledore, recruit anyone who can't even do magic properly, in the order? I think her job was just to keep an eye on Harry.
BTW, i was just reading over the posts on this thread, and it seems to be full of arguements between swirlctv and tirza. relax guys!

If you've been reading over the posts, you'll also notice that the initial discussion took place several days ago. There's no "relax" about it, or "unrelax", for that matter. I think your comment was slightly out of place.

As far as Figg being in the order, I still don't think she is, but it could be that she's an auxilary order member. Like in WWI, they had the Women's Auxilary Army. They didn't actually fight, but they helped those who did.

[EurodaFlament]

The MoM had no record of her whereabouts because they don't track squibs :huh:.
I think Figg must have lived there before Harry as Dumbledore would have stationed lookouts around everybody linked to Harry.


Well that's not exactly what OotP says...I reread it and Fudge et.al first say they didn't have any record of a witch or wizard in Little Whinging. And Mrs. Figg says she's a squib so they wouldn't have her registered.

That doesn't necessarily mean they don't track squibs, it only means wizards and witches have to register where they live. Somewhere I read that JKR stated squibs are very rare, so it wouldn't be an enormous effort to track their wherebouts...and considering how much effort the MoM takes it keeping muggles from knowing about magicfolk I can't imagine that they won't want to know the wherebouts of squibs since they know an awful lot about the magic world.

BUT maybe that's just my opinion.

[hp007]

If you've been reading over the posts, you'll also notice that the initial discussion took place several days ago. There's no "relax" about it, or "unrelax", for that matter. I think your comment was slightly out of place.

sorry, i didn't mean to offend you or anything. I didn't really notice that your discussion was some time ago. sorry again. :blush:

[Bunny]

Dumbledore is very clever, it could be said that he may have helped Mrs Figg get settled in Little Whingeing because he knew that the Potter family were under threat from Voldemort and that she could keep an eye on the Dursleys.
As there aren't that many squibs, the chances of there one living in Little Whingeing already are fairly remote (although not impossible).
For one to be living there that is associated, nay, in the Order - well, what are the odds.
Nope, I think this is Dumbledore placing people in the right place.

[kingwidgit]

I believe, because of DD, that Mrs. Figg was already placed in Little Whinging prior to the death of the Potters.
PS/SS, US ed., The Boy Who Lived:
"When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.
None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.See how sneaky JKR is? Why would this owl be in Little Whinging in the daytime anyway? Is it a sickly owl? I don't think so. If there are no other witches/wizards in Little Whinging, and the MoM has closely monitored this--as Madam Bones has led us to believe--then who was this owl destined for? The answer is obvious to me...Arabella Figg. Since she is a squib, she would be unable to bewitch the radio so that she could here the Wizarding Wireless, like the rest of the wizarding world. I also believe that DD is the reason Petunia chose to let Mrs. Figg watch Harry, I think that Petunia knows Mrs. Figg is in contact with the Wizarding World. On the other hand, the owl could have been meant for Aunt Petunia...the reason I think not, is the shock she received upon finding Harry on the doorstep.

[Fawkesified]

Kingwidgit, the owl could just have been passing through Little Whinging, not delivering a letter to a resident although I do agree with you.

[collegegirl21]

I definetly think that DD positioned Figg near the Dursley's but I'm not sure that Petunia knew that Figg was in contact with DD. Figg even said herself that if Harry had fun over her house his aunt would never let him come back to her house. I think that Petunia thought that Figg was an old Muggle that had a lot of cats, she didn't know that Figg was a Squib.

[Fawkesified]

I definetly think that DD positioned Figg near the Dursley's but I'm not sure that Petunia knew that Figg was in contact with DD. Figg even said herself that if Harry had fun over her house his aunt would never let him come back to her house. I think that Petunia thought that Figg was an old Muggle that had a lot of cats, she didn't know that Figg was a Squib.
I don't think there is any reason to think that Petunia would know about Figg's magical connections, although there is plenty of canon against her knowing.

[RemusLupinFan]

I don't think there is any reason to think that Petunia would know about Figg's magical connections, although there is plenty of canon against her knowing.If Petunia did know about Mrs. Figg's magical connections, I doubt she'd let Harry go there. I'm pretty sure the canon points toward her not knowing that Figg was connected with the magical world. Heck, Harry didn't even know, so there's really no reason, as you say, for Petunia to have known or suspected that Mrs. Figg was had magical connections.

[collegegirl21]

Sorry guys i guess i just didn't make it clear enough what I was thinking and what I said....I don't think Petunia knew about Figgs' magical (or lack of magical) abilties.

[kingwidgit]

Sorry guys i guess i just didn't make it clear enough what I was thinking and what I said....I don't think Petunia knew about Figgs' magical (or lack of magical) abilties.
I'm sorry, too, that you got the heat for replying to the post that I made :rolleyes: . Though there is no canon to back it up, and this probably belongs in Divination, I think that Mrs. Figg, DD's liaison to the muggle world, is DD's liaison to Petunia. I said 'Think'--not 'Know'...
king ducks and runs for cover... :sigh: