Petunia knew about the Dementors

Okay, I just figured something out... and considering DH has been out for nearly a year, I can't believe I just now put two and two together...
Anyway, I was rereading OotP and I came across this scene...

Chapter Two, A Peck of Owls, pg. 31-32(US hardcover)
"De-men-tors," Harry said slowly and clearly. "Two of them."
"And what the ruddy hell are dementors?" (Vernon)
"They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban," said Aunt Petunia.
.......
"How do you know that?" he(Harry) asked her, astonished.
Aunt Petunia looked quite appalled with herself. She glanced at Uncle Vernon in fearful apology, then lowered her hand slightly to reveal her horsey teeth.
"I heard - that awful boy- telling her about them - years ago," she said jerkily.

Okay, I for one always thought that she meant James... until DH came out. She was caught eavesdropping on the very conversation in which Snape was telling Lily about them.
Even so, it didn't really fit before that "that awful boy" was James, because Lily didn't start going out with him until their seventh year... surely she would have known about dementors long before then?
So was this scene some kind of foreshadowing? Something JKR just put in there to back up the Snape-Lily story in the earlier books? Both?
What do you think?

Nice observation, I too assumed she was referring to James, though it obviously did not make much sense, as you said. (Simply because by the time Lily and James got together, it was implied that Lily and Petunia wren't talking to each other.)

I think, starting with foreshadowing even in the first book, that JKR probably had that backstory already planned out... so that very well could have been delibrate. I'll admit that was done very well.

That's true... so it couldn't have been James who Petunia was talking about, and yet I'm pretty sure nearly everyone assumed it was him. Interesting.
So... only two takers???

truely, i was thinking it's snape coz lily wasn't have any friends except snape and james was later!
bengoo!!

Right off the bat I thought of snape because of he always pops in my head. But really petunia was very jealous of snape because he had something in common with her sister that she didnt have. And he basically in her eyes was taking her sister away i think.

JK Rowling is one of those great authors who write their works so flawlessly that you are actually half-pleased to find a mistake in their book(s). It assures you that a human can write such a masterpiece, which gives us hope that we will yet again come across another before we leave our life.

To someone like me...who writes books also(though I'm still a teenager), it absolutely astounds me when i think that people like JK Rowling, Tolkien, etc. have not only such a vivid imagination that they can put into words - but the brain power to find anything that isn't yet flawless in their books and make it so. And of course...the fact that they can write something so wonderful and entertaining that we have lines of people waiting anxiously outside our bookstores for the most anticipated book launch of the century

They (to me) are the most perfect specimens of the human race - and i say authors instead of doctor's for instance - because doctors are doing what's needed to be done - saving lives...unlike authors, who are doing something they don't have to. They are giving us places to escape whatever is stressing us out. They give us works to inspire us, to help us, and to make us happy.

Soz if i got all sentimental and sappy on yah then! I have my "moments", and it best to ride them out!

Wow. I too always thought she was referring James.... I'm quite astonished that I've never noticed it before, but now looking back, it was so clear! JKR even implied the Snape/Lily story by making Harry say, "If you mean my mum and dad, why don't you use their names?" And I just assumed it was James whom Petunia was referring to!