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Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Philosopher's Stone/Chapter 7

Synopsis
Upon reaching the castle, Hagrid hands the new students over to Professor McGonagall. Before the ceremony begins, Professor McGonagall briefly explains the four Houses the students will be sorted into and House Points. Points will be earned based on a student's best performance, whereas points will be deducted for breaking the rules. Whichever House has the most points by the end of the school year wins the House Cup. In an anteroom, the students nervously wait to be sorted into school Houses. The Ghosts passing through the anteroom make Harry even more nervous. Professor McGonagall then leads them into the Great Hall, and in turn, the Sorting Hat calls out which House each student is assigned to. There are four Houses, each with specific characteristics. Slytherin is filled with ambitious, cunning witches and wizards; Ravenclaw is home to the most intelligent; Gryffindor houses only the brave; and Hufflepuff is where the most fair and honest go. It is Harry's turn, and he sits on the stool, and the Sorting Hat is placed on his head; the Hat suggests quietly that Harry's intelligence, talent, and urge to prove himself could make him great. But Harry baulks when the Hat suggests Slytherin, so it places him in Gryffindor House instead. Ron and Hermione also are sorted into Gryffindor, as well as: Neville, the boy who lost his toad; Seamus Finnigan; and Dean Thomas (who is mentioned in the US editions as being a "tall, black boy" but is not described in the book's British editions). Draco Malfoy is sorted into Slytherin. Neville later tells Harry that his family had believed he had no magical power at all until he was able to survive being dropped out of a window.

Professor Dumbledore then makes a few eccentric prefatory remarks, and the feast begins. During the dinner, the Gryffindor House ghost, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, appears. The older students know him better than Nearly Headless Nick due to his partially severed neck that barely tethers his head to his body. As Harry scans the teacher's table, his scar throbs with pain when he sees Professor Snape, the Potions teacher, scrutinizing him. One additional Dumbledore announcement catches Harry's ear: "This year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Harry asks Percy if Dumbledore is serious, and Percy replies that he must be.

As Percy leads the first-year Gryffindors on a convoluted path through the castle's many corridors, the wall paintings' occupants comment on the passing students. Peeves, a Poltergeist, briefly harasses them. Eventually, they reach the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, guarded by a portrait of a fat lady. Percy gives the password ("Caput Draconis"), and everyone heads into the common room and their dormitories. During the night, Harry dreams about Quirrell's turban telling him he must transfer to Slytherin because it "is his destiny." The turban started to tighten on his head. Draco Malfoy then appeared, laughing at Harry, trying to remove the turban. By the following day, Harry has forgotten the dream.

Analysis
Hogwarts castle and its four Houses, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Gryffindor, are introduced; we are also served our first taste of the somewhat eccentric Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore (who Harry thinks might be slightly mad). Harry's fame in the Wizarding world is further shown through the other students' excited responses to his name being called out for Sorting.

The Sorting ceremony is arguably the most important school rite that Hogwarts students participate in. It not only determines in which House they will spend their entire seven years at Hogwarts, but it reflects much about who they are and generally indicates what direction their lives may take. They will also be affected by others in their own House. These affiliations will build life-long alliances, as well as create ongoing rivalries among the Houses, though these are generally friendly; there is, however, a particular competitiveness between Gryffindor and Slytherin, two Houses that will symbolize themes of good and evil in the series, and which path—light or dark—a character chooses to follow. The four Houses are distinct and represent the individual school founders: Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Godric Gryffindor. All had varying talents and differing views, and students with similar characteristics to the founders are usually sorted into the House that best reflects those traits. The Hat sees abilities in Harry–cleverness, determination, and ambition–that align with Slytherin, and could lead him to greatness, something no one has ever told Harry or that he considered about himself. Some students, like Harry, appear to have traits suitable to more than one House, and the Sorting Hat mulls over where it should place him. Already dismayed by his connection to Voldemort, Harry immediately resists Slytherin, a House he knows is associated with Dark Wizards, as well as unpleasant students such as Draco Malfoy.

Although the Sorting Hat apparently favours putting Harry in Slytherin House, he is equally well suited to Gryffindor, which is noted for nobility and bravery and, in many ways, seemingly opposite to Slytherin. Also, Harry's parents were both Gryffindors. Harry has indeed shown he is noble and has already demonstrated much courage in his young life, first by standing up to the Dursleys, then by entering a strange, unknown world, and now, as he challenges the Sorting Hat. Rather than passively waiting for it to make its selection, he specifically requests not to be sorted into Slytherin. Most students probably never question or oppose which House they are assigned, and though the Hat senses Harry's talents are suitable to Slytherin, it never forces a choice on him. Instead, it entices Harry to wonder where it should place him. Harry's request shows his growing ability to consider and decide based on all options. Even if fate has decreed that he is to one day challenge Voldemort, Harry possesses the power to affect that fate by his design. This trait is re-emphasized in the next book and throughout the series. After some negotiating, the Hat places him in Gryffindor. It should be noted that Harry never actually requested to be in Gryffindor or the other Houses; instead, he chose not to be sorted into Slytherin, a House that, to him, represents a dark path.

Despite its dark reputation, Slytherin House is not inherently evil, nor are all its students so unpleasant as Draco Malfoy and his cronies. However, that particular House does represent specific characteristics, such as ambition, power-hunger, shrewdness, slyness, etc., that Dark Wizards possess in abundance. Like Harry, all Slytherins have a choice as to how they will utilize these traits and whether they will follow a light or dark path. Later in the series, a Slytherin character becomes Harry's ally.

Dumbledore's stern warning that the third-floor corridor is off limits, in addition to the package Hagrid delivered, indicates that unusual and possibly sinister events may be unfolding at Hogwarts. The break-in at Gringotts may be related, though Harry cannot be sure; it caught his attention purely because he had visited Gringotts a little over a month ago.

Ideas are also presented on how the Wizarding realm differs from the Muggle world in which Harry had been trapped until now. The details about how Wizard society operates are comprehensibly suitable for an eleven-year boy suddenly thrust into a magical world he never knew existed. For instance, when the banquet food appears on the plates, Harry never considers who prepared it or how it got placed there. That curiosity and the resultant understanding come in about another three years.

Harry's dream is foreshadowing this book's main plot line. The reader still knows too little to interpret this dream but may understand that there is some connection between Quirrell's turban and the pain in Harry's scar.

Review

 * 1) Describe what traits each Hogwarts House is known for. Do Harry, Ron, and Hermione fit Gryffindor? Based on what is known about each character, give arguments both for and against each one being sorted into Gryffindor.
 * 2) What other Houses would be suitable for Harry, Ron, and Hermione? Give examples of why they would fit there.
 * 3) Why did the Sorting Hat want to place Harry into Slytherin House? Why did it instead put him in Gryffindor?
 * 4) Why did Harry disagree with the Sorting Hat's first choice?

Further Study

 * 1) Is Dumbledore actually as eccentric as he appears to be? Give reasons both for and against this characterization.
 * 2) Why would Quirrell start wearing a turban?
 * 3) Why does Harry's scar start hurting?
 * 4) What might Harry's dream mean? Why doesn't he remember it?

Greater Picture
The byplay between Harry and the Sorting Hat becomes more germane in the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and later in illustrating the differences between Harry and Voldemort. While the Hat recognizes qualities in Harry that were unknowingly bestowed on him by a connection between him and Voldemort, it is ultimately Harry exercising his independent choice and free will that leads to him being assigned to Gryffindor. It is interesting to consider whether or not the Sorting Hat would still have considered Slytherin for Harry if this connection between him and Voldemort had never existed.

As noted in the above analysis, not all Slytherins are evil. Professor Horace Slughorn, a Hogwarts teacher who first appears in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is also a Slytherin. He becomes Slytherin's House Head after Professor Snape apparently defects to Voldemort's side. And though Slughorn possesses many typical Slytherin traits, he always follows a light path, rejecting Voldemort's beliefs, and aligns himself with Dumbledore and Harry.

Later in the series, it is learned that Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, was also sorted into Gryffindor, even though his family is primarily sorted into Slytherin House, and some are affiliated with Lord Voldemort. We do not know whether Sirius, who rejected his family's pure-blood beliefs and eventually became estranged from them, chose not to be placed in Slytherin. However, we will learn that he preferred Gryffindor before his Sorting. It is possible that he, like Harry, refused the Sorting Hat's initial placement, but equally, it is possible that the Hat placed him in Gryffindor of its own accord.

We are meant to believe that the exploding pain in Harry's scar is because Snape is staring at him. Snape is indeed displeased to see him; at that distance, Snape can only see the resemblance between Harry and his father, James. We learn later that James and Snape were in the same year at Hogwarts and were bitter antagonists. The pain in Harry's scar is because Voldemort, then riding on Quirrell's head, is either looking at Harry through Quirrell's turban or is using Legilimency to observe the room, and has just detected Harry.

Harry's scar did not hurt when he first met Quirrell in the Leaky Cauldron, nor did Quirrell's skin burn when they shook hands there (see The Man with Two Faces), because he was not wearing the turban at the time, and hence Voldemort was not possessing him from the back of his head. Quoting from the text, at the welcoming feast, "Harry spotted Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban." (Emphasis is ours.) This implies that this is the first time Harry has seen him wearing a turban.

We will learn later that the same Gringotts vault that Hagrid removed the small parcel from is the one reported as being recently broken into, which of course, only adds to the mystery. We should note that Harry's visit to Gringotts is actually further in the past than it currently feels. It was on Harry's birthday, July 31, that Hagrid took Harry to Diagon Alley, and we read about the break-in at Gringotts on the Hogwarts Express on September 1; the entire month of August falls between the two occurrences.

Harry's dream may foreshadow events in the entire series rather than just this book. It could also be an unconscious attempt by Voldemort to influence Harry's actions using Legilimency, as he will in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. While this is neither confirmed nor refuted by later events, it is unlikely that Voldemort was consciously using Legilimency; Voldemort started deliberately using Legilimency on Harry after he learned there was an existing connection at about Christmas in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. We learn later in the series, however, that Harry can tune into Voldemort's thoughts at will without the Dark Lord being aware. This may be an early incident where neither Harry nor Voldemort know it is happening.

There is also half a timeline contradiction in this book. At Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party, commemorating the five-hundredth anniversary of his death, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, his death is stated to have been on 1492-10-31. However, in this chapter, Nearly Headless, Nick says he has been dead for nearly 400 years. It is assumed that this is an error by the author, which was changed in later editions by having Nick say that he has been dead for nearly 500 years.

As mentioned in the Greater Picture section for that Deathday Party chapter, Nearly Headless Nick's death date can determine a timeline for the entire series, leading us to all the book's specific dates. However, this timeline is not critical to this series' plot or events, as it only affects the interactions between events in the books and the Muggle world, which are few.

The other teachers' reaction to Dumbledore's announcing the School Song has led many fan sites to question whether its failure to appear in subsequent volumes was due to the teachers rebelling against it. The author said, "Dumbledore called for the school song when he was feeling particularly buoyant, but times are becoming ever darker in the Wizarding world." It is also true that the School Song, which was entertaining when we heard it initially, would not be equally so if it was re-introduced. This also may be why we so seldom are present at the Sorting, to keep the Hat's annual song from becoming tedious.

Connections

 * Harry's resisting the Sorting Hat's initial placement will be the reason for Dumbledore's later making one of the series' central guiding aphorisms. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore says, "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." This will be demonstrated again, first in the person of James Potter as revealed in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, then later in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, this time about Dumbledore himself.


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Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Philosopher's Stone/Chapter 2

Synopsis
Almost ten years have passed since the Dursleys family took Harry Potter, now nearly 11 years old. Harry has grown into a skinny boy with unruly black hair and green eyes hidden behind round glasses. He also has a lightning-bolt-shaped scar on his forehead which his aunt and uncle attribute to the supposed car crash that killed his parents. The Dursleys' living room is filled with Dudley's photographs, while there are none of Harry, who sleeps in a spidery cupboard under the staircase.

One morning, Aunt Petunia awakens Harry, ordering him to cook breakfast. Today is Dudley's birthday, and everything must be perfect. The kitchen table is loaded with presents. The overweight Dudley is a bully who enjoys punching Harry, though he is rarely able to catch him. Dudley enters the kitchen and is about to throw a tantrum after counting the same amount of presents he received last year. Petunia only narrowly averts the temper by quickly promising to buy Dudley two more gifts that day, bringing the total to 39.

The Dursleys are taking Dudley to the zoo for his birthday, but they learn that Mrs Figg, their cat-obsessed neighbour who usually looks after Harry at her house during such outings, has broken her leg and is unavailable. They discuss what to do with their nephew while Dudley wails that he does not want Harry to come along. However, Dudley's friend, Piers Polkiss, arrives, and the Dursleys are forced to let Harry join the expedition. Uncle Vernon sternly warns Harry that if any "funny business" occurs, he will be in the cupboard until Christmas — strange things seem to happen around Harry, and the Dursleys refuse to believe he did not cause them.

Uncle Vernon becomes angry when Harry mentions dreaming about a flying motorcycle during their drive to the zoo. The trip goes well at first, and Harry even gets some ice cream. Harry has a conversation with a large boa constrictor in the reptile house. When Dudley pushes Harry aside so he can see the snake's strange behaviour, the glass enclosing the snake exhibit vanishes. The snake slithers out, thanking Harry and saying it will go to its natural environment in Brazil.

In the car, Dudley and Piers greatly exaggerate their snake encounter, claiming it attacked them. Back home, a furious Uncle Vernon sends Harry to his cupboard, saying he will not be allowed any meals for a week. As Harry lies inside, thinking, he remembers faint images of a flashing green light and pain in his forehead. He also recalls how, occasionally, when he is out with the Dursleys, odd-looking people seem to recognise him.

Analysis
It is immediately apparent that Harry is unlike other boys, a fact that is not only known by Vernon and Petunia but one they are uncomfortable with. The abusive Dursleys have treated him as little more than a slave, showing him no affection or even the slightest respect. Despite this ill-treatment, however, Harry is neither timid nor bitter and is generally cheerful and kind, unlike his cousin Dudley, who is being shaped into a cruel, egotistical bully by his parents' overindulgence, and whose name reflects his personality (a dud). Harry's early traits show the admirable attributes vital to his destiny.

Harry's magical talents are seen burgeoning here, as he makes the glass partition at the zoo disappear and converses with the snake (the latter is explained more fully in this book's sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). The author has said that this uncontrolled magical ability is normal for wizard children who are still unable to control their powers. Like other Muggle-raised wizard children, Harry knows nothing about these talents, likely making their effect even more disturbing and potentially harmful to those around them. Strangely, Harry hardly seems frightened by these bizarre incidents and only casually questions them. This suggests that he innately accepts magic and perhaps has an unconscious awareness about his true wizard nature. His enforced isolation from the wizarding world and much of the muggle world also gives him little reference for what is considered "normal".

Harry has also started experiencing residual memories about his parents' deaths, though he was told they were killed in a car crash. The flying motorcycle in his dream is the one Hagrid used to transport him to the Dursleys, and the green flash he recalls, though as yet unexplained, is the curse Voldemort cast to kill him.

Review

 * 1) Why did Dudley pretend to cry before they left to go to the zoo?
 * 2) Why did Dudley stop his fake crying when his friend arrived?
 * 3) Why do the Dursleys take Harry with them to the zoo rather than just leave him at home?
 * 4) What "strange" things tend to happen around Harry?

Further Study

 * 1) Why do you think the Dursleys treat Harry the way they do?
 * 2) Why do the Dursleys punish Harry for all the strange things that happen?
 * 3) What do the strange things happening around Harry reveal about his character? What does he think about it?
 * 4) Why can a snake talk to Harry?
 * 5) Why would strangers on the street seem to recognize Harry?
 * 6) Why does Harry dream about a flying motorbike? Why would this make Uncle Vernon angry?

Greater Picture
The scene with the snake could foreshadow events in the following two chapters. Harry and the snake are both prisoners, cut off from the world they truly belong to: Harry, stuck with the Dursleys, is isolated from the Wizarding world, just as the snake, captive in the zoo, is prevented from living in the Amazon jungle. Also, both have been raised away from their proper homes and lack knowledge about their native worlds. Each, in turn, is released from their prison and heads toward an unknown future, somehow believing that it must be better than what they are leaving behind.

We learn about Harry's ability to speak to snakes, which becomes important in future books. A wizard who can talk to snakes is called a Parselmouth, and the language itself is called Parseltongue. Being Muggle-raised, Harry does not know just how rare this ability is and will be dismayed to learn that it is linked with the descendants of Salazar Slytherin, a wizard who is seen as an originator of the highly prejudiced system of beliefs about Blood purity. It will be a plot point in two later books that Harry is unaware whether he speaks and hears English or Parseltongue.

The speaking with snakes, and the disappearing glass, are only the latest manifestations of Harry's magical background. In this chapter, we have also read about flying to a rooftop to avoid a beating from Dudley's gang, hair that grew back overnight, and a jumper that shrunk impossibly when Aunt Petunia was trying to fit it onto Harry. While it may seem that these early magical signs could trigger Albus Dumbledore's great plan into action, we must recall that Harry is about to turn 11. When magical children turn that age, they are invited to attend Hogwarts, which they begin the September that follows their eleventh birthday. The author has stated that Hogwarts is the only Wizarding school in the United Kingdom. Thus, every magical child can attend when they reach 11. Not all children do; some, like Marvolo Gaunt, who we will meet later in the series, likely would never have entrusted the established school system with their children. Others may attend a school in another country. Draco Malfoy, Harry's future nemesis, mentions that he almost went to Durmstrang, a school hidden somewhere in Eastern Europe.

It should be noted that Harry, in this chapter, produces the same effect as a Vanishing Spell, a spell that isn't taught until the fifth year and does so without a wand. Harry also demonstrates wandless magic in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when Aunt Marge insults Harry's father. The common factor in these events, along with the earlier manifestations of magic, was that Harry was emotionally charged. From this, it is easy to infer that wandless magic is associated with strong emotional feelings.

As the story progresses, Harry's personal qualities and flaws are continually seen as he matures into a young man. Whereas Harry develops into a well-rounded person, the Dursleys are always depicted as two-dimensional, uncaring, and unpleasant characters whose faults are deliberately exaggerated to contrast Harry's good nature with the worst human attributes.

Although Harry has no idea yet that he possesses magical powers, he is beginning to realize he has some unusual abilities that other children lack. From later conversations Harry has with Muggle-born wizard children, it appears their families were generally unaware the Wizarding world existed until their child was old enough to attend Hogwarts. The parents, who probably realized their child was somehow different, generally are quite shocked upon learning they have a magical offspring. It is unknown why Muggle parents are apparently never told about the magical world before their child's eleventh birthday. At least some Muggle-born magical children may show no overt magical ability until they are older and therefore remain undetected by the Wizarding community. Harry, however, discovers that the Dursleys have always known that he is a wizard and not only deliberately withheld this information but attempted to suppress his magical ability. Harry also learns his parents were wizards and were murdered rather than killed in a car crash as the Dursleys told him. Harry will discover even later that Aunt Petunia knows far more about the Wizarding world than she has ever let on, even to her husband.

Under the pretext of explaining why the Dursleys fear leaving Harry home alone, we learn how he previously used magic before knowing he was a wizard, basically in self-defence. This story contrasts with the tale in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince of how the young boy, Tom Riddle (later known as Lord Voldemort), used his powers to terrorize other children before learning he was a wizard. This comparison between the two characters adds another layer to the good vs. evil theme.

Mrs Figg, who, like many characters in this series, is introduced by name before being seen in person, is the Dursleys' odd neighbour who occasionally watches Harry. Although she appears to be an unlikeable person, she is tied to the wizard world (though she has no magical powers) and works for Professor Dumbledore, helping guard Harry. She is also a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's secret organization that fights Voldemort. Another character, Aunt Marge, Vernon's sister, is also mentioned by name in this chapter. Unlike Mrs Figg, she is very unpleasant, as seen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, where she has a small but pivotal role in one chapter.

Connections

 * Sirius Black's flying motorcycle, initially seen in the previous chapter, is very likely the motorcycle that Harry dreams about.
 * The green flashes in Harry's dream likely also are the wand flashes of Voldemort killing Harry's mother and attempting to kill Harry.
 * Harry's ability to talk to snakes will form a major plot point in the next book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It will also be fundamental to Harry's understanding of an episode at the Gaunt shack in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the technique used to open a locket in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Harry's being unaware of whether he is speaking English or Parseltongue will also be critical to an episode in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ron is able to use Harry's Parseltongue ability to open the Chamber of Secrets, repeating from memory what he once heard Harry speaking.
 * Mrs Figg will turn out to be tied to the Wizarding world, not only knowing about Harry's situation but also monitoring Harry's progress and reporting problems to Professor Dumbledore.


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Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Philosopher's Stone/Chapter 4

Synopsis
BOOM! The loud knocking continues outside the door. Vernon rushes in with a rifle as the door is smashed in. A huge man with a bearded face enters. He twists Uncle Vernon's gun barrel like a pretzel, sits down and wishes Harry happy birthday, then gives him a squashed cake. The giant makes himself at home, starts a fire, makes tea and cooks sausages. He introduces himself as Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Hagrid is dismayed that the Dursleys revealed nothing to Harry about his past or about his parents and furious that Harry was told that his mother and father died in a car crash. Hagrid explains that Harry is a wizard — a very famous wizard, in fact. He presents Harry his letter, now addressed to him at the shack. The letter invites Harry to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hagrid sends an owl to Professor Dumbledore, saying he found Harry and will take him to get his school supplies. Petunia begins ranting, and Harry learns that she and Uncle Vernon have always known about his past. Hagrid tells Harry about a Dark wizard named Voldemort (though Hagrid seems to have enormous difficulty saying the name, apparently afraid), who ten years ago (when Harry was only one-year-old) tracked down and murdered Harry's parents, James and Lily Potter. He also tried to kill Harry but failed and left Harry the scar on his forehead. When asked what happened to Voldemort, Hagrid tells Harry no one is certain, but something happened to him (on the Halloween night he tried to kill Harry) that drove him into hiding.

Harry questions whether he is really a wizard, but Hagrid asks whether he has ever made things happen when angry or scared. Harry remembers things he had done, most recently the boa constrictor, and smiles. Uncle Vernon interrupts, saying Harry is not attending a magic school. Harry is angry that his aunt and uncle knew he was a wizard, as were his parents, and that they lied about how James and Lily died. Vernon refuses to pay for the school and then insults Albus Dumbledore, calling him "some crackpot old fool". Hagrid, infuriated, uses his umbrella to give Dudley a pig's tail. The Dursleys scramble into the other room, terrified. Hagrid asks Harry to avoid mentioning to anyone at Hogwarts that he performed magic, as he is forbidden to use it, though he was allowed to use some only while on his mission to retrieve Harry. Hagrid explains that he was expelled from Hogwarts during his third year, though he changes the subject when Harry questions him further. It is late, and Hagrid says they have much to do the next day. At that, they go to sleep, Hagrid on the couch, Harry under Hagrid's huge coat on the floor.

Analysis
Without realizing it, Harry has reached the most significant milestone in his life thus far: his 11th birthday. Hagrid's arrival on that day not only liberates Harry from his miserable existence, it has given him knowledge about himself that, though he may have realized later, he never had imagined before. He is also empowered to stand up against the abusive Dursleys—forever altering their relationship; from here on, his life will never be the same. Now Harry is empowered to make choices that will determine his destiny. He alone decides whether to stay with the Dursleys or attend Hogwarts, leaving behind the Muggle world where he subconsciously felt he never belonged. By choosing Hogwarts, Harry shows his budding maturity and independence and a new ability to chart his life's course. Later in the series, Harry develops a reluctance to put his faith in the unknown, but this time he unhesitatingly believes this is his true path and that nothing could be worse than what he already must endure. He trusts Hagrid to lead him on those first tentative steps. Harry is livid that his aunt and uncle hid the truth, as adults often do to protect children, though the Dursleys were entirely spurred by hate and resentment rather than any attempt to shield a child from something unpleasant or hurtful. The obstinate Dursleys' refusal to allow Harry to attend Hogwarts is clearly intended to deny him what they know he wants most. Even though the Dursleys detest Harry's presence, and his departure would alleviate much-unwanted responsibility for his care, they want to keep him at home purely to be spiteful. However, Petunia may have an additional reason: jealousy. This time, however, the choice is Harry's alone, and he opts to leave the Muggle world (and the Dursleys) behind, though we expect he will periodically revisit Privet Drive at vacations and other times when the school is closed until he reaches adulthood.

As an astonished Harry learns about his true past and how his parents actually died, we discover more about what happened the night Lord Voldemort came to Godric's Hollow. Despite being defeated ten years before, we sense the dread most wizards feel for Voldemort or even the terror his name alone evokes. This lingering apprehension indicates that the Wizarding world may still be uncertain whether Voldemort is truly dead and whether he can or will return. Harry lacks this fear, perhaps because he was never conditioned to it as other Wizards have been over the years. Instead, he comes to consider Voldemort as his foe, but not an invincible one.

These books' central themes are prejudice, divisiveness, and fear of the unknown. This chapter, particularly Petunia's tirade, shows a biased view from the Muggle side of the Muggle-Magic divide toward anything that is seemingly strange or different. The Dursleys' behaviour is also a classic example showing how human ignorance and fear tend to go hand-in-hand. In a vicious circle, their ignorance perpetually causes them to be frightened by magic, while that fear prevents them from developing a better understanding of it. In contrast, Harry's willingness to accept his magical nature when the evidence is presented and his intuitiveness regarding his abilities indicate his open-mindedness.

Review

 * 1) Why did Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon hide the truth about the deaths of James and Lily Potter?
 * 2) Why might Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia want to hide the truth from Harry?
 * 3) What does this chapter say about Aunt Petunia's character?
 * 4) What is the significance of Harry being given a birthday cake?
 * 5) Why did Hagrid give Dudley a pig's tail?

Further Study

 * 1) Why is Hagrid afraid to speak Voldemort's name?
 * 2) Why does Petunia seem to hate her sister, Lily?
 * 3) Can the Dursleys stop Harry from attending Hogwarts, and do they have the right to? Explain why or why not.
 * 4) Why might Hagrid have been expelled from Hogwarts? Why is he trusted with fetching Harry?
 * 5) Why were the Potters murdered?

Greater Picture
This chapter briefly mentions Hagrid's expulsion from Hogwarts, a critical plot element in the next book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Hagrid's fear of speaking Voldemort's name aloud will be echoed throughout the series, with people referring to him as "the Dark Lord," "You-know-who", and "He who must not be named", as well as other variants. This dread, though constant, is significantly reinforced in the seventh book when Voldemort places a taboo on his name, such that anyone uttering it is immediately detected and subjected to reprisals. The taboo is generally aimed at those fighting him, as they are among the few who dare speak his name, especially at Harry Potter, who has become public enemy number one under Voldemort's new regime. While only speculated, a similar taboo could have existed during Voldemort's initial reign and engendered a fear of his name among the Wizarding populace. By contrast, Harry is also known by a different moniker, "the Boy Who Lived" (and later, "the Chosen One"), though none in the Wizarding world fear using his real name.

Petunia's tirade is meant to show how Muggles fear and disdain what they cannot fully understand. While this becomes a recurring theme in the series, Petunia's reaction is actually motivated by jealousy that her sister, Lily, is a witch while she is not. After Lily received her Hogwarts letter, Petunia also desperately wanted to attend but lacking any magical ability, she was forced to remain behind in the Muggle world. To console herself, she became convinced that Lily was a freak and that the Wizarding world and anything or anyone tied to it is "abnormal", and she resolved to be as opposite from that as possible; she has since inflicted her bitter resentment and animosity onto Harry, and her refusal to allow her nephew to attend Hogwarts is a feeble attempt to deny him what she was unable to have. Fortunately, it is Harry's decision alone whether or not he will attend the school.

By learning his true nature, Harry has taken the first step on the path leading to his eventual destiny. He will continue on it throughout the series, with some occasional setbacks.s.

Connections

 * Petunia's hatred of her sister and fear of magic is introduced. It will reappear in each book in turn, though less pronounced than here until finally the reason is revealed in the final book of the series.

 * Ron will echo Hagrid's fear of mentioning Voldemort's name in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We will discover there, also, the reason for that fear.

 * This is the first instance where we see the Wizarding mail system, owl post, being used. This recurs throughout the series.

 * The facts behind Hagrid's expulsion will be revealed in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Shortly after that, we understand why Dumbledore rejected the reasoning that resulted in Hagrid's expulsion and now trusts him with important school-related errands.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Philosopher's Stone/Chapter 5

Synopsis
Harry awakens to an owl furiously pecking at Hagrid's coat, demanding payment for the newspaper it just delivered. Hagrid sleepily tells Harry to give the owl five Knuts, the odd-looking bronze coins stuffed inside the coat's pocket. Harry places the coins inside a small sack tied to the owl's leg, and it flies off. Soon after, Harry and Hagrid set off for London, using the same boat Vernon hired to get to the island.

Muggles (non-magical folk) stare at Hagrid, scrambling to let him and Harry pass. Riding the Underground to central London, Harry and Hagrid finally arrive at the Leaky Cauldron establishment. Harry notices that Muggles seem oblivious to the pub in-between two other businesses. Harry suspects that only Hagrid and himself can see it.

Upon entering the dark and rather shabby pub, Harry is greeted enthusiastically by its excited patrons. Hagrid introduces Harry to Quirrell, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor, who appears timid and nervous. Harry and Hagrid exit into a small courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron. While Harry reflects on people's reactions to him, Hagrid taps the wall bricks with his umbrella; a hole appears, growing bigger and bigger, forming an archway. They enter Diagon Alley, the wizard commerce district.

Harry and Hagrid walk past the many magic shops and down the street to Gringotts, the wizard bank. At Gringotts, Hagrid produces a vault key and a note authorizing him to enter another vault on Dumbledore's behalf. After a high-speed cart ride with Griphook the Goblin (making Hagrid queasy), they reach Harry's vault, which is filled with wizard money (galleons, sickles, and knuts). Hagrid helps Harry draw enough for school supplies and expenses and educates him on the wizard monetary system. After another cart ride, Hagrid removes the sole item inside vault #713, a small grubby parcel. Hagrid asks Harry to say nothing to anyone about this package.

Back on the surface, Hagrid helps Harry buy school supplies. In Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions shop, Harry meets another first-year Hogwarts student, a snobbish boy who espouses allowing only the finer Wizarding families to attend Hogwarts. Before introductions are exchanged, Harry leaves to buy books, a telescope, and a cauldron. Hagrid buys him a snowy owl that Harry calls Hedwig for his birthday. Finally, they stop at Ollivander's to purchase a wand. Mr Ollivander, who remembers every wand he has ever sold, says Harry will know when he finds the right one. After trying out many wands, Harry picks up one made from holly; sparks flare from its tip—this is Harry's wand. Mr Ollivander reveals the brother of this wand gave Harry his scar. Each wand's core contains one of only two tail feathers ever donated by a particular Phoenix.

Analysis
Just as Hagrid carried Harry to the Muggle world on a flying motorbike, now the gentle giant whisks him away, first by boat, then by underground rail to Diagon Alley in central London. Vehicles, particularly trains, become important symbols running throughout the series. The Hogwarts Express, the train that Harry will soon ride to Hogwarts for the first time, is the means that continually shuttle him back and forth between the Magical and Muggle worlds, at least until he is an adult. It is rarely a smooth ride between these two realms. Other magically enhanced vehicles will come to represent Harry's escape from danger or turmoil, his growing independence, and his overall journey through the series.

The parallel Wizarding society that Harry and we are introduced to seems to share more similarities than differences with the Muggle world Harry is about to leave behind. Magic alone is inadequate to provide for all wizards' needs, and they, therefore, have their own highly-organized commerce and social infrastructure that includes a bank, retail shops, government, penal system, mass media, an educational institution, and so on. Wizards seem to function much like Muggles—they have jobs to earn a living, buy what they need from stores, marry and raise families, and celebrate the same traditions and holidays, such as Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc. Harry quickly encounters a more negative similarity, however, when he meets Draco Malfoy, the snobbish boy in the shop, who soon becomes Harry's primary nemesis, just as Dudley is in the Muggle world, and who represents the deep class divisions and prejudices within wizard society. This becomes a major theme in the series. Even Draco's name portends this unpleasant relationship: Draco is, of course, Latin for "dragon", and Malfoy can loosely be translated as "bad faith" in French. Apart from magic, what is quite different from Muggles is the mythic beings inhabiting this clandestine world. Here we meet Goblins and hear about Phoenixes, Dragons, Unicorns, Hags, and Vampires. This is our first intimation that these mythological creatures may have an actual, parallel existence.

Wizards have secretly co-existed alongside the Muggle world for centuries. To reflect this side-by-side (and occasionally intersecting) existence with humans, the author has cleverly named the wizard business district Diagon Alley (diagonally). Its seedy, dark underbelly is Knockturn Alley (nocturnally), where many Dark wizards ply their trade or otherwise engage in unsavoury or illegal activities. These dark and light areas represent themes of good and evil that permeate the series.

And as secret as the Wizarding world is kept, some Muggles, such as the Grangers, need to know that it exists, while a few even marry into it, sometimes unknowingly. Later in the series, it is revealed that the incumbent British prime ministers communicate as needed with the Ministry of Magic, the wizard government. It should also be assumed that wizard banking must somehow be connected to human commerce so that Muggle parents can exchange their British currency for wizard galleons and sickles to buy their magical offspring basic Wizarding necessities. Fortunately, Harry does not need to exchange currency—his parents have left him a small fortune stored in Gringotts Bank. Combined with his magical talent and celebrity, this will make for a potent combination that aids Harry throughout the series. Harry, however, remains generally unaffected by wealth and fame, caring little for material possessions and shunning the spotlight; he will, however, be able to use his new-found inheritance to bolster his independence, provide all his own needs, and further distance himself from the Dursleys' control, though, unfortunately, he must remain bound to them until he is a legal adult.

Harry is amazed by Diagon Alley, but also that everyone knows who he is and that he is so readily accepted and respected by other wizards. He has been famous almost since birth, an apparent hero to an entire population, though unaware of why or even of his fame. Having been treated his whole life as if he barely existed, Harry's reaction to this attention is mostly astonishment at being acknowledged and embarrassment, feeling he has done nothing special to deserve the adulation. To readers, who still lack any knowledge of why Harry is so famous, his being treated as a "hero" may seem premature, but this label might presage future events and designate what he may or may not have already accomplished. We will also contrast Harry's behaviour with another character who constantly thrives on and seeks out fame in the next book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry remains curious regarding what Hagrid removed from vault #713. While it is unknown what the packet contains, there are clues that it must be valuable. Hagrid's behaviour suggests this, with the deliberate care and secrecy he shows when retrieving the package and asking Harry to mention nothing about what he has seen. Also, there being nothing else inside other than the packet indicates it is a high-security vault protecting only that one item. Storing nothing else in it prevents anyone from having a reason to access the vault other than this particular object. Any break-in attempt would reveal what a thief was after.

As Harry learns about the Wizarding world, so does he discover more about his parents, past, and relationship to Voldemort. Harry's wand plays an integral part in this relationship. A wand is a wizard's most important possession; without it, it is nearly impossible to perform magic. Ollivander tells Harry that the wand chooses the wizard, and a unique bond is created between it and its owner; this ability to select the wizard indicates wands may be somewhat sentient. The wood type and the core material apparently also play a part in this bonding process. Harry's wand, for example, is holly, a wood traditionally thought to repel evil, while a Phoenix is associated with purity and resurrection.

Harry learns that the wand destined to be his has a connection with Voldemort's wand; this seems to disturb him somewhat, as he shivers when Ollivander tells him that the core of his new wand and the core of Voldemort's wand came from the same phoenix. This fact implies a present connection between Harry and Voldemort, not just a past connection, and may foreshadow Harry's destiny. It also represents the darker, sinister side to what initially seemed to readers like a magical paradise; the Wizarding world may be far more dangerous than the unhappy Muggle one Harry is leaving behind.

Review

 * 1) Hagrid says that the Wizarding monetary system is simple. Is it?
 * 2) Why is there such an excited reaction to Harry when he enters the Leaky Cauldron with Hagrid?
 * 3) Why does Mr Ollivander believe Harry will be a great wizard? What does Harry think about his opinion and why?

Further Study

 * 1) Harry and Hagrid leave the island by using the same boat that Vernon hired to get there. If Hagrid flew there, and he and Harry take the only boat on the entire island back to the mainland, then how did the Dursleys return home?
 * 2) Hagrid says he flew to the island. Apparently, wizards can only fly with equipment such as a broom or a flying vehicle, or possibly with aid of a flying animal. How could Hagrid fly there, and why did he not fly back with Harry?
 * 3) How did the letters' sender know that Harry had been moved into the second bedroom, and then into the hotel and onto the island?
 * 4) How and why does a wand "choose" a wizard?
 * 5) Why would the "brother" to Voldemort's wand "choose" Harry?
 * 6) Considering how secret the wizard world is kept, why would someone as noticeable as Hagrid be sent to collect Harry and escort him through Central London to Diagon Alley?
 * 7) Why was nothing except the one small package kept in vault #713 at Gringotts Bank? Why does Hagrid ask Harry to say nothing about it?
 * 8) Compare and contrast the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. How are they different and how are they similar?
 * 9) What does the conversation between Harry and the boy in Madam Malkin's Robe shop reveal about wizard society?
 * 10) Even though the wizard world is carefully hidden, there appear to be connections and interactions between it and Muggle society. Give examples of what these connections might be and explain why they would be necessary.

Greater Picture
The "small, grubby parcel" that Hagrid removes from the vault is the titular Philosopher's Stone (US: Sorcerer's Stone), which will be central to this book's plot. With his limited classical education, Harry cannot understand why this Stone is so prized, but a classmate, Hermione Granger, will explain it to him.

Hagrid marvels at the things Muggles have created to live without magic. The reader will note that with very few exceptions (indoor plumbing, for example, and artificial illumination in some cases), the Wizarding world is not using any technology more recent than the invention of the printing press. It is uncertain why wizards have chosen to keep these older ways of doing things. Hermione later comments that the magical field around Hogwarts is so strong that technology simply doesn't work; this cannot be why Wizarding households avoid technology because technology still works perfectly around strong wizards like Harry and Hermione in their Muggle homes. It is possible that wizards feel that magic is more reliable than technology, or, especially in a certain segment of the wizard population, it may be a point of pride to avoid anything Muggle-made.

Harry's humility is shown here. While this character trait continually serves him well, it becomes masked by his unique position as "the Boy Who Lived". Harry will thwart Voldemort repeatedly until he comes to believe that only he can accomplish certain feats regarding the Dark Lord. Close examination will reveal that while he somewhat accepts his designation as a hero, he never capitalizes on his status; instead, it becomes an increasing obligation (and burden). Late in the series, the Ministry of Magic publicly begins calling him "The Chosen One" as it attempts to exploit him in a weak and misguided effort to show the public they are doing "something" to fight Voldemort. Despite being thrust into the limelight in this manner, Harry avoids exploiting his fame for personal gain, instead shunning it to continue the near-impossible mission fate has tasked him with, lending further evidence that he is destined to become the classic hero.

It is mentioned that Ollivander's window display contains only a single wand on a cushion. We discover later, notably in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, that Voldemort has been hunting artefacts belonging to the four Hogwarts Founders to make into Horcruxes. The wand in Ollivander's window might be Rowena Ravenclaw's. While this may seem related to Ollivander's disappearance in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the lost Ravenclaw artefact, a Diadem (tiara), was found and made into a Horcrux by Voldemort many years before he encountered Harry.

Griphook, the Goblin, and Mr Ollivander, the wand maker, are introduced here. Both will play significant roles in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Ollivander's claim that "The wand chooses the Wizard" is a crucial plot point in the larger story and particularly significant in book 7. It is possible that Harry's wand, related to the one the Dark Lord owns, chose him because it recognized Voldemort's soul shard that Harry carries within him, though no one, not even Voldemort, knows it exists.

Harry and Voldemort's wands are considered "brothers" even though they are different woods. According to the author, Harry's wand is holly, a wood traditionally believed to repel evil. Voldemort's wand is yew, a long-lived tree representing death and resurrection. What bonds them are their identical magical cores: Phoenix tail feathers. A Phoenix is a mythical bird that repeatedly dies by bursting into flames and then is reborn from its ashes. Harry will learn that the particular Phoenix who donated only these two feathers is Fawkes, Dumbledore's animal familiar. Fawkes saves Harry's life in the next book and heals his wound in book 4. The provenance of the magical core within his wand becomes vitally important in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Connections

 * It is revealed here that Harry's wand and Voldemort's are brothers, having cores made from the only two feathers provided by one particular phoenix, later identified as Dumbledore's animal familiar, Fawkes. The effect of Harry's and Voldemort's wands being brothers will be seen in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and explained as being the Priori Incantatem effect in a later chapter of the same book. Issues arising from the two wands being brothers will drive one of the many Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows subplots.
 * The Philosopher's Stone, of course, will power much of this book. It will be mentioned again in the final book. During the discussion of the Deathly Hallows, Hermione will argue that the Resurrection Stone is impossible, and so must be a misinterpretation of the Philosopher's Stone, which they know exists.
 * We find out that Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts, and his wand was snapped; we also learn that the pieces, apparently still functional, are hidden in his umbrella. Hagrid using this umbrella to perform magic is seen again in the next book.
 * The Wizarding newspaper that Hagrid subscribes to, the Daily Prophet, will reappear multiple times in the series, as will the Ministry of Magic, whose activities he complains about.
 * Places seen for the first time in this chapter will reappear multiple times in the series. We will see Quality Quidditch Supplies and the Apothecary each time Harry shops for supplies. Some locations are more significantly connected:
 * Harry will spend the end of his school break in the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
 * Flourish and Blotts will reappear in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Harry first meets Gilderoy Lockhart, and a physical altercation occurs between Mr Weasley and Lucius Malfoy. It is also where Harry later discovers the mythology behind the Grim in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
 * Madam Malkin's, where Harry first encounters Draco Malfoy, will be the scene of an argument between Narcissa Malfoy and Hermione in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
 * Harry will determine that it is necessary to break into Bellatrix Lestrange's vault at Gringotts Bank in the final book in the series.
 * The goblin, Griphook, who escorts Harry and Hagrid to the vaults, will be conscripted to assist Harry in the abovementioned break-in.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Philosopher's Stone/Chapter 3

Synopsis
The summer holiday has started and Dudley and his friends harass Harry daily, enjoying their favourite sport, "Harry Hunting". Dudley has been accepted to Uncle Vernon's old public school (US: private school), Smeltings, whereas Harry will be going to a local comprehensive (US: public school), Stonewall High.

In July, Petunia takes Dudley shopping for his school apparel. The next morning Harry finds his aunt dyeing Dudley's old clothes grey, to make Harry a "school uniform". As everyone sits down for breakfast, the mail arrives. Harry and Dudley have a short argument over who must retrieve the mail. Harry loses. Picking up the mail, Harry sees a letter addressed to him:

 * Mr. H. Potter
 * The Cupboard under the Stairs
 * 4 Privet Drive
 * Little Whinging
 * Surrey

Harry has never received a letter before and is unsure who sent it. The envelope is a thick, heavy, yellow parchment with a strange wax seal on the back. Uncle Vernon snatches the letter from Harry as he tries to read it. Vernon is shocked by the letter's content and immediately sends Dudley and Harry from the kitchen so he and Petunia can discuss it. Dudley and Harry listen to the conversation through the keyhole and the gap under the door and overhear they have decided to ignore the letter.

Uncle Vernon moves Harry into Dudley's second bedroom, but day after day, more letters arrive for Harry, now addressed to him in "The Smallest Bedroom", despite Vernon's attempts to block them. Vernon refuses to allow Harry to have the letters. On Sunday, when Uncle Vernon is confident no post will be delivered, letters begin streaming from the fireplace. Deciding enough is enough, Vernon packs everyone into the car and drives all day to a run-down hotel on a small town's outskirts. The next day "about a hundred letters" arrive at the hotel addressed to Harry. Next, Uncle Vernon finds a rickety old shack on a rocky island off the coast, accessible only by boat. As they settle in for the night, Harry stares at Dudley's watch, counting the minutes to midnight and his eleventh birthday. A storm is raging, but Harry thinks he hears something else outside the shack. Just as he counts the final second to his birthday, a huge BOOM shakes the shack. Something is pounding on the door.

Analysis
Harry is astounded to receive a letter formally addressed to him. Having been treated as a non-entity his entire life, this is among the few times he has been singled out as an individual, though he cannot fathom who could have sent it or why. He becomes even more determined to learn the letter's contents and its sender's identity. Harry has little idea that unknown persons have already determined that he will indeed receive his letter, whatever it takes, despite the Dursleys' feeble attempts to prevent it. When the letters begin arriving non-stop and en masse, Harry, even with his limited worldly knowledge, must suspect this is hardly a normal occurrence. However, he is undoubtedly unable to explain just what is happening. By now, he, and we, suspect some extraordinary magical means are underway here, though it is still unknown what that is.

Uncle Vernon's panicked attempts to block, then outrun, the letters are not only futile but analogous to those who ignore facts and deny reality. Avoiding unpleasant truths and the belief that refusing to admit something must therefore mean it is untrue is a common human weakness. While this can provide some immediate, though short-term comfort, the truth tends to return and strike you full force in the face, like the letters bursting from the fireplace. Unfortunately, this is a lesson Vernon Dursley resists learning, as determined denial and brutish ignorance are key components to his character. As the Dursleys frantically attempt to hide, an enjoyably tense, moody atmosphere builds, almost as if Harry's true identity and destiny are rushing toward him, no matter how hard and far the Dursleys try outrunning it. In an almost Gothic-type setting, on a remote island, in the dark night, and amid a raging storm, the tension mounts until "BOOM!" it slams into the door—the truth finally catching the Dursleys. Nothing in their lives, or Harry's, will ever be the same again.

As mentioned in Chapter 1, there are a few places in the series where days and dates do not line up. We have already seen that this book covers events mainly in 1991 and 1992. The Dursleys leave Privet Drive for the hotel on Sunday, leave the hotel and drive to the island on Monday (Dudley complains because he is missing The Great Humberto on TV), so Harry's birthday falls on Tuesday. However, July 31, 1991, is a Wednesday. This trivial error does not truly affect the story in any way and is included here more as a curiosity than as something for the scholar to concern himself with.

The loud boom heard at the end of the chapter is a cliffhanger.

Review

 * 1) Why does Uncle Vernon move Harry out of the cupboard and into Dudley's smaller bedroom? What might Dudley think about this?
 * 2) Why do the Dursleys leave town? Does Vernon really believe this will help?

Further Study

 * 1) How could the letters' sender know where Harry's room/place is at any given moment?
 * 2) Why do the Dursleys refuse to let Harry read his letter? Do they know who is sending the letters and why? If so, how would they know?
 * 3) Who might be sending these letters? Why?
 * 4) Who or what could be pounding on the island hut's door?

Greater Picture
Readers can see how far the Dursleys will go to appear normal to their neighbours and avoid drawing attention to themselves, although their actions are anything but normal. Their obsessive need to maintain this facade is why they often hide Harry in his room, including when they are entertaining guests early in the next book, and it is also the reason they never carry out their threat to throw him out of their house after the dramatic events at the beginning of Harry's fifth year.

The Dursleys' trait of attempting to eliminate unpleasant truths by ignoring or denying them, which we see in this chapter, is not, it should be noted, restricted to Muggles. We will see the same behaviour in the Wizarding world throughout Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, where the Ministry of Magic will use the same technique to refute Voldemort's return.

Interestingly, Vernon's actions during this chapter and the next are a reasonable depiction of someone suffering a stress-related nervous breakdown. Vernon has spent ten years trying to suppress the knowledge that Harry is a wizard and now sees that effort crashing down around him as the letters from the Wizard world start appearing. And here, we see the author's sense of humour show, as she has Vernon using a piece of fruitcake as a hammer and has letters appear inside eggshells.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Philosopher's Stone/Chapter 6

Synopsis
Back at the Dursleys', Harry must wait out the month before leaving for Hogwarts. Uncle Vernon agrees to take him to London only because Dudley also has an appointment with a surgeon to remove his pig's tail. The Dursleys leave Harry at the station, unable to find Platform 9¾ where his train is supposed to leave.

Spotting another apparent wizard family, Harry tags along to the Hogwarts Express platform. This family, who recognize him, are the Weasleys, and Harry meets three of the four Weasley children currently attending Hogwarts: Fred, George, and Ron, also a first-year, who shares a compartment with Harry. The oldest, Percy Weasley, is a Prefect and so rides in the prefects' compartment. Ron tells him about Chocolate Frogs and the enclosed Famous Wizard cards in each package; Harry gets Albus Dumbledore's card, among others. Ron also mentions a break-in at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in Diagon Alley; Harry is interested after his recent trip there.

During the train ride, other students stop by the compartment to introduce themselves to the famous Harry Potter. A shy boy named Neville Longbottom comes by, searching for his toad, Trevor; Hermione Granger, a rather bossy girl, arrives shortly after, helping Neville search for Trevor. She appears disdainful when Ron's attempt to cast a spell fails, causing the two boys to take a dislike to her. Later, Draco Malfoy, the boy Harry met in Madam Malkin's shop in Diagon Alley, stops by, flanked by his two friends, Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy attempts to coerce Harry into an alliance; that fails, partially because Malfoy bad-mouths the Weasley family, who are poor. The three try to steal the snacks Harry bought, but Scabbers, Ron's pet rat, stops them by attacking Goyle. Finally, Hermione returns, saying the train is about to arrive at Hogwarts, and they should change into their school robes.

At Hogsmeade Station, Hagrid appears and shepherds the first years to small boats that carry the students across the lake to Hogwarts Castle.

Analysis
Harry's journey to a new life and an unknown future officially begins aboard the Hogwarts Express. Although he is required to periodically return to the Dursleys' home until he is of legal age, Harry's emotional ties to his erstwhile family and the Muggle world are now forever severed; Harry will likely rarely, if ever, completely re-enter his former Muggle life once he becomes an adult, permanently leaving it, and his family, behind. On the train, Harry makes many new friends. However, most seem drawn by their curiosity to meet someone so famous, likely leaving Harry a little uncomfortable that everyone already knows so much about him while he knows nothing about them. Ron and Harry, being the same age, immediately bond, and Ron, generally unimpressed by Harry's celebrity, provides information about wizards, while Harry can share much about Muggles. Harry, feeling insecure and stressed, confides in Ron his worries of being the worst in the class, but Ron helps ease his misgivings. Ron will continually guide Harry (and later Hermione) about general wizard society. Harry is also reacquainted with Draco Malfoy, the snobbish boy from Diagon Alley, and meets his equally unpleasant companions, Crabbe and Goyle. By spurning Draco's offer of friendship, Harry becomes Draco's primary enemy at Hogwarts. Draco's condescending manner toward Ron and his family also gives us a closer glimpse into the lineage-related prejudice which plagues the Wizard world and which Hagrid had mentioned in passing after Harry's encounter with Draco. The early introduction of this theme in the series suggests it may be a major factor in the full story arc.

Hermione Granger, making her first appearance in the series, is portrayed as a proper grind–a girl whose "know-it-all" attitude is off-putting and will win her few—if any—friends, though she is likely far less confident than she hopes to appear. Harry and Ron instantly dislike her, though not as they dislike the anti-Trio—Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle—who they immediately despise for good reason.

Review

 * 1) How was Harry able to tell that the Weasleys were also wizards? How do they recognize him?
 * 2) How do the students on the train react to Harry?
 * 3) Why is Ron surprised that people in Muggle photographs do not move? What can this suggest about Ron's life up to this point?
 * 4) Why is Harry interested in the break-in at Gringotts Bank?
 * 5) Why would Ron's rat, Scabbers, attack Goyle?

Further Study

 * 1) Why would Draco attempt to befriend Harry?
 * 2) Why does Harry rebuff Draco's offer of friendship? Why does Draco react the way he does?
 * 3) Describe Hermione's character, and explain why Harry and Ron have taken a dislike to her. Are they being fair, and can their feelings about her change?
 * 4) How can Uncle Vernon convincingly explain to the surgeon how Dudley got his tail?
 * 5) Why do most students want to befriend Harry? How does Harry feel about it?
 * 6) How is Harry's budding relationship with Ron apparently different from the other students who want to befriend him?

Greater Picture
Hermione's rigid, rule-abiding personality gradually mellows during the series; little do Harry and Ron realize how integral she will soon become to their lives, particularly Ron's. The characters' ongoing maturation, especially Hermione and Ron, and to a slightly lesser extent, Harry, significantly helps make the overall story so compelling and realistic. And while Ron finds Hermione extremely annoying and about as opposite from his personality as anyone could be, he has little idea that he has just met his one true love; their road to romance will be difficult, however.

Albus Dumbledore's "Famous Wizards" card is the key that provides a crucial clue to the riddle that needs to be solved during this book. While much of what Harry reads on Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog card will prove essential to this book, it becomes even more significant in book 7. In an almost stunning amount of interconnection between the first book and the last, we discover that Grindelwald, mentioned on Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog card, was an influence on the young Dumbledore and has a pivotal, though not central, role in the series' final book.

It is a little curious why Draco Malfoy attempted to befriend Harry. Draco is already well versed in his family's "pure-blood" ethos and presumably knows that Harry Potter somehow felled Lord Voldemort. Whatever Draco's true motive was, it is never revealed. However, it is interesting to consider what might have transpired had Harry accepted Draco's offer of friendship and whether this would have affected his decision not to be sorted into Slytherin.

Harry's interest in the break-in at Gringotts Bank may foreshadow the episode where he, Ron, and Hermione successfully break into that very bank in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, to steal one of Voldemort's Horcruxes that is stored in the Lestrange's vault.

Also, Ron's beloved pet, Scabbers, will turn out to be something entirely different than a mere rat, but readers should note how he acts to prevent Draco and his companions from stealing Harry's and Ron's snacks.

Connections

 * Later in this book, Hagrid mentions that the "small, grubby parcel" that he had taken out of Gringotts was the business only of Dumbledore and "Nicolas Flamel". Dumbledore's Famous Wizards card mentions that Dumbledore and Flamel had been working on the Philosopher's Stone. Harry will make this connection when Neville Longbottom gives him another copy of Dumbledore's Famous Wizards card later still.
 * The connection between Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, also mentioned on Dumbledore's Famous Wizards card, will be expanded in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The duel with Grindelwald, and Dumbledore's treatise on the twelve uses of dragon's blood, will be mentioned in passing also. The treatise on the twelve uses of dragon blood will also be mentioned in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
 * The break-in mentioned here will be expanded upon in a later chapter of this book. It will be discussed again as Harry plans to break into Gringotts himself in the final book. The goblin Griphook will agree to help them partly because of this earlier break-in.
 * This is our first view of Scabbers, who will be a pivotal character in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Philosopher's Stone/Chapter 8

Synopsis
Harry's first few days at Hogwarts are trying, and the students constantly staring at him makes him nervous and uncomfortable. The vast castle is convoluted, and Harry and Ron repeatedly get lost on their way to class, making them late, or they are caught as they are accidentally about to enter forbidden areas, putting them (on their first day at Hogwarts) on the caretaker, Argus Filch's bad side. Moreover, the lessons are challenging.

Harry meets his teachers: Professor Sprout for Herbology, Professor Binns for History of Magic, and Professor Flitwick for Charms. He also has Professor McGonagall for Transfiguration and Professor Quirrell for Defence Against the Dark Arts, though he has met them before.

At breakfast on Friday, Harry receives his first owl post message from Hagrid, inviting him to tea after class. Harry then attends his first Potions class with Professor Snape, a double-length class shared with Slytherin first-years. Class does not go well, with Snape singling Harry out and ridiculing him for his limited magical knowledge. Snape, who apparently dislikes Harry's celebrity status, is continually harder on Harry than even the other Gryffindors in the class. In particular, when Neville melts the cauldron he shares with Seamus, Snape unjustly holds Harry partly responsible and penalizes Gryffindor House one point.

When Harry (and Ron) arrive at Hagrid's hut for tea, Harry finds a clipping from the Daily Prophet mentioning the Gringotts Wizarding Bank break-in. Hagrid refuses to discuss it, and Harry concludes that the burglarized vault was the same one Hagrid emptied during their trip to Diagon Alley.

Analysis
Many Hogwarts teachers, at least those who become substantial characters in this and future books, are introduced. While most teachers are delighted to have Harry Potter in their classes, Snape, hardly impressed, singles out Harry to ridicule or reproach him unfairly. This becomes an ongoing occurrence throughout the series, and it appears here that Snape's behaviour is fueled by his resentment over Harry's fame. This idea is reinforced in the next book, where Snape's negative reaction to a celebrity teacher is also seen. Only later is it learned why Snape resents Harry so much, and their mutual animosity grows throughout the series.

In Harry's conversation with Hagrid, we can see Harry's natural urge to understand and investigate. This quality will equip him to solve (with help) the many mysteries put before him throughout his seven-year story. This innate curiosity may lead him to the forbidden third-floor corridor, determined to discover what lies hidden within. However, his attempt to open that door in this chapter is purely accidental.

Meanwhile, Harry's first days at Hogwarts are somewhat stressful as he copes with a new environment, unwanted fame, and his discomfort over other students constantly staring at him. Overall, though, he is happy, and there is no other place he would rather be: hero-worship, unwelcome as it may be, is a form of acceptance and is far better than what he receives at home. In addition to adjusting to his new magical life and struggling with his studies, he learns more about wizard society as he becomes acquainted with his classmates. His initial impression may have been that all wizards were pretty much alike, though Draco Malfoy, in Diagon Alley, gave an early indication that at least some social differences exist. Harry quickly learns more about wizard backgrounds and that some, like the Malfoys and the Weasleys, are pure blood, while others are half-bloods like Harry, whose father was a pure-blood Wizard while his mother was a Muggle-born witch like Hermione, with no magical family. Seamus Finnigan is also considered a half-blood, with one magical parent (his mother) and the other (his father) a Muggle. Neville Longbottom is pure-blood, though his family feared he had no magical ability whatsoever until the ability appeared later in his childhood. Even among pure-blood families, there are class differences, as seen by how the Malfoys consider the Weasleys inferior because they are poor and have different views regarding Muggles and Muggle-born wizards. At Hogwarts, all students are treated equally, regardless of their backgrounds, and they are supposed to be judged solely on talent and performance rather than their lineage and connections. There are, however, wizards, mostly Slytherins, that believe "pure" bloodlines are superior to mixed ones, and some, like the Malfoys, advocate that only the old, pure-blood wizard families should be allowed to attend Hogwarts and study magic. These prejudicial beliefs become an increasingly prominent theme throughout the series.

The exact date that Gringotts was broken into is also learned; the clipping on Hagrid's table states it occurred on 31 July, the same day Harry was in Diagon Alley. From this, Harry concludes that the thief was after Hagrid's "grubby little parcel".

Review

 * 1) Why does Hagrid invite Harry to tea?
 * 2) Why do the students stare at Harry? How does this make Harry feel?
 * 3) What does Harry learn about the different kinds of wizards there are. How does he fit into this social division?

Further Study

 * 1) Why didn't Snape call on Hermione when she raised her hand?
 * 2) Why does Snape seem to dislike Harry so much?
 * 3) What makes Harry so convinced that the vault that was burglarized at Gringotts is the same one Hagrid removed the package from?

Greater Picture
Snape's ongoing dislike for Harry is a central feature throughout the series. Harry's first-ever Potions class with Snape foreshadows events in the upcoming books. In his introduction, Snape says he can teach the students to "brew fame, bottle fortune, and even stopper death." (The US book has a slightly different wording; see below.) This scene's many connections, as described below, to later parts of the series have led many fans to speculate, following the events in the sixth book's conclusion, that Dumbledore and Snape conspired to fake Dumbledore's death. In fact, the potion mentioned had been used in that book, though we do not discover that until late in the final book; Snape had prevented or delayed Dumbledore's death caused by his touching a cursed ring. The discussion of aconite or monkshood, and the associated Draught of Living Death, reappear in the sixth book, first when Professor Slughorn has Harry's class brew this potion, and possibly (in the US edition only) atop the Astronomy tower, when Dumbledore attempts to convince Draco to switch sides and tells him that can make Draco and all his family appear to be dead. (The reader should note that there is no immediate connection to the Wolfsbane Potion that appears in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; that is a completed potion, and apparently, a complex one, while the Wolfsbane mentioned here is a potion ingredient.) The Bezoar that Snape asks Harry to describe will play a small role in the fourth book and a much larger one in the sixth book.

In the book's British and Canadian versions, Snape's wording in the scene mentioned above, "and even stopper death," is somewhat ambiguous; some readers have suggested that it means placing death in a bottle. This seems overly simplistic, as poisons are so common in the Muggle and Wizarding worlds that they hardly merit mention. The more likely meaning is to prevent death from acting, stoppering it inside a bottle. In the US / Scholastic version of the books, this phrase appears instead as "and even put a stopper to death." As we learn later in the series, the US version of Snape's speech is better aligned with his actual meaning, though many editors feel that the original British wording is more elegant.

We briefly look back to the other two draughts that Snape mentions among the top achievements of Potioneering: a fame-potion does not appear to be mentioned in the series again (unless, perhaps, that is one of Gilderoy Lockhart's unmentioned skills), but bottled fortune is an obvious reference to Felix Felicis, which again will play an essential role in the sixth book. One may wonder whether the author took her own hint from the first book or consciously put bottled fortune in this scene, already knowing she would need it later.

Harry and Ron constantly getting lost shows the castle's magical qualities and overall enormity. Hogwarts harbours countless secrets, many of which become important later in the series. Because the castle is so confusing, Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione will later end up in the third-floor corridor; escaping Filch, they enter that corridor by accident and will thereby learn something fundamental to the overall story.

Although Neville says his family believed he might have been a "Muggle", a more accurate description would be a "Squib." Without specifically mentioning yet what exactly they are, the author appears to be dropping a hint regarding their existence in wizard society. It will be learned later that Squibs are born into wizard families but, through some genetic quirk, lack any magical ability. In addition to the pure-bloods, half-bloods, and Muggle-borns noted in the above "Analysis" section, Squibs are yet another, though tiny, division within that social order. They are the polar opposite of Muggle-borns, born into a family they are entirely different from. Unlike Muggle-borns, who are identified early on and brought into wizard society, Squibs are often treated as outcasts and encouraged to integrate into Muggle society. Having been raised in a purely magical household, however, a Squib would likely find it challenging to adapt to Muggle society and have the additional burden of hiding their wizard affiliations.

Readers also learn later that Mrs Figg, Harry's odd Privet Drive neighbour, and Mr Filch are Squibs who function in the Wizarding world despite lacking magical powers. Neville's family employed extreme lengths to coax out any magical powers he might possess, most likely fearing the social stigma that having a Squib family member, particularly a pure-blood one, generates. As extreme (and downright silly and dangerous) as they attempted to prove otherwise, it finally resulted in Neville showing that he is indeed a wizard. However, it initially appears his magical ability is relatively weak. However, this changes as the series progresses, partially due to Harry's patient efforts.

Ironically, Neville's family may have created his problems, though their intentions were good. It will be learned that Neville's parents, who were Aurors (Dark wizard catchers), were tortured into insanity by Voldemort's Death Eaters. Neville's relatives may have applied potent memory charms to alleviate Neville's painful recollections about this traumatic event. Unfortunately, these charms, applied too strongly or liberally, can damage a wizard's mental and magical abilities, perhaps permanently, particularly in one so young. Another character, Bertha Jorkins, later in the series, will suffer a similar affliction after Bartemius Crouch casts a powerful memory charm on her to erase some very damaging information, though he, unconcerned about inflicting lasting injury, probably used little restraint. Neville's and Bertha's similar conditions suggest some similarities in their causes.

Considering the connections between Harry and Neville, revealed in the fifth book, it is interesting to note that they are polar opposites. While Harry's Muggle family tried to "squash the magic out of him," the Longbottoms tried to force-feed Neville magic. We will find out that, according to Trelawney's prophecy, it could have been either Neville or Harry who would end up facing Voldemort; it might be interesting to speculate, as Harry does later, what would have happened had Voldemort thought that Neville, being pure-blood wizard, was the infant the prophecy referred to.

The social stigma associated with having a Squib relative is mentioned twice. In speaking about his own family, while aboard the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Ron says he has a relative who is an accountant, but his family rarely mentions her. And we will see, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, that when Dumbledore's sister was hidden from the neighbours due to her mental affliction, the immediate, though incorrect, assumption by others was that she was a Squib.

Connections
One episode in this chapter is particularly freighted with connections going forward in the series. Harry's first Potions lesson contains the following statements by Snape:
 * "I can teach you how to bottle fame..." While nothing is explicitly stated, this could hint at how Gilderoy Lockhart, who plays a significant role in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, has become famous despite his many and various failings. At one point, Lockhart does claim skill in Potions, but we never see that demonstrated.
 * "... brew glory..." This would seem to reference Felix Felicis, the "liquid luck" potion. This potion is introduced in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It is used several times in that book: to trick Ron into goaltending well in Quidditch, to give Harry the luck he needs to get a vital memory from Professor Slughorn and to assist members of Dumbledore's Army in defending the castle from an expected Death Eater attack.
 * "... and even stopper death." This likely refers to the potion that Snape will use to preserve Professor Dumbledore's life when he runs afoul of the curse in the ring Horcrux (revealed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows).
 * "... the Draught of Living Death." The preparation of this potion appears in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, where it is used to show the superiority of the marginal notes in the textbook Harry is using over the standard text. While the UK/Canadian version of the book does not include this passage, in the US/Scholastic edition, Dumbledore, bargaining with Draco late in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, mentions that if Draco wants to hide from Voldemort, it is possible to make him and his entire family seem dead. While the technique is never mentioned, it may include this potion.
 * "As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite..." possibly foreshadows the arrival of Remus Lupin in the third book.
 * "Where would you find a bezoar?" It's a vital part of an antidote Harry is brewing in Potions class in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; it is noteworthy because Harry, agitated by the proximity of the Yule Ball, forgets it. A bezoar constitutes Harry's entire answer to an antidote quiz in Potions class Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and reappears shortly after that, where Harry uses it to save Ron's life.

Other connected events include:
 * When Harry and Ron are caught by Filch trying to get into the forbidden third-floor corridor, Professor Quirrell, chancing to pass by, extracts them from Filch's clutches. We will learn later in this book that Quirrell has been trying throughout the book to get to the Stone that was hidden under that passageway.
 * We are here introduced to Snape's hatred of Harry and of Gryffindor House to a smaller extent. The reasons are explained later in the series, but this hatred will be a constant background throughout the series.
 * The break-in at Gringotts, which we read about in the clipping on Hagrid's table, was also discussed a week earlier, and we learn here that it occurred immediately after the vault in question was cleared. This leads us to believe that it was the vault that Hagrid had cleared a month earlier when he and Harry visited Diagon Alley and Gringotts. It is worth noting that Harry meets Professor Quirrell in the Leaky Cauldron on that occasion, as we will later be led to believe that it was Quirrell who broke into Gringotts. It will be mentioned again as Harry plans to break into Gringotts himself in the final book. The goblin Griphook will agree to help them partly because of this earlier break-in.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Philosopher's Stone/Chapter 9

Synopsis
It is the school's second week of classes, and Harry is dismayed that flying lessons are also shared with Slytherin House. Because he has not yet learned to fly, Harry knows he will be ridiculed by Draco Malfoy, who is as well-loved by Harry as cousin Dudley.

Neville's grandmother has sent him a Remembrall, a device to help him remember things. Draco attempts to steal it during breakfast, but Professor McGonagall's arrival interrupts him. At the flying lesson, Neville falls off his broom, injuring himself. The instructor, Madam Hooch, takes him to the hospital wing, ordering everyone else to remain on the ground. Spotting Neville's dropped Remembrall, Draco grabs it and takes off on his broom to place it in a tree for Neville to fetch later. Harry flies after him, discovering that he has a natural talent for flying on a broomstick. Draco, to avoid a mid-air conflict, hurls the Remembrall away, but Harry dives and catches it mid-air, just inches above the ground. He is immediately accosted by Professor McGonagall, who has been watching from her office. She drags him away, apparently in disgrace, but to his surprise introduces him to the Gryffindor Quidditch team captain, Oliver Wood, saying Harry is the new Seeker.

Later, surprised that Harry has avoided being expelled, Draco challenges him to a Wizard's Duel in the trophy room at midnight. Harry accepts, and Ron volunteers to be his second. As Harry and Ron sneak out later that night, circumstance adds Neville and Hermione to the party, though both Harry and Ron are unhappy that they are tagging along. Hermione, particularly, is unwelcome, as she keeps nagging Harry and Ron in an attempt to prevent the duel. Reaching the trophy room, they hear Filch approaching. Evidently Draco never intended to show up, but instead informed Filch that students would be there after hours. Peeves sees the students sneaking away, and yells that students are out of bed. The students run off, diving into the forbidden third-floor corridor. They evade Filch, but find their hiding place is occupied by a huge, ferocious three-headed dog. They escape back to the common room, where Hermione mentions that the dog was atop a trap door, apparently guarding something. Harry concludes the dog must be guarding the same package Hagrid retrieved from Gringotts Bank.

Analysis
This is among the happiest chapters, at least initially, in Harry's early school career. We saw how he felt displaced – apart from the natural dislocation he feels being in a new school and a strange new world, Harry copes with sudden celebrity, and the associated ongoing feeling that he is somewhat a fraud. This is compounded by his seeming inability to perform magic with the same natural fluidity that many of his peers demonstrate, such as Hermione, who seems to know anything that can be learned from a book, while Harry muddles along. Harry is also concerned that his years among Muggles, particularly those Muggles, may have crippled his magical abilities – most other students have had magical upbringings and come equipped with an understanding that he lacks. However, Harry seems to overlook that Hermione, and other students, also grew up in Muggle households, with no more magical background than he has; Hermione, who has a stable home life, may just be more confident, plus she is an avid book learner, giving her a greater initiative and confidence to use her abilities than Harry.

Imagine Harry's joy to discover that flying on a broomstick is something magical that he can do, not only naturally and well, but better than anyone else in the class. Compound this with the discovery that his father was also a talented flier and that the school will be providing him with a top-quality broom for Quidditch matches—by dinner time, Harry could likely fly from sheer joy, without a broom.

Harry is also showing a growing independence by his tendency to break rules, almost from his first day at Hogwarts, as demonstrated by his ignoring Madam Hooch's command at the flying lesson that all students remain on the ground during her brief absence. Harry also sneaks out after curfew to meet Draco for their duel. This rule-breaking attitude may partially stem from his disdain for the Dursleys, who have constantly abused their authority to torment and unfairly punish Harry when he does nothing wrong, while Dudley is continually spoiled, despite his abysmal, bullying behavior. And even though Harry's nature is showing a certain disregard for authority, it is never motivated by rebellion or to engage in mischief; he instead feels justified if he believes his actions serve some noble purpose, such as retrieving Neville's Remembrall or upholding his honor by dueling Draco. In this instance, Harry's breaking the rules and demonstrating his natural skill at flying is rewarded rather than punished. This may serve to reinforce his tendency to ignore restrictions which he feels are unjustifiable.

Ron's following Harry to the Trophy Room for the midnight duel is the first time we have seen Ron breaking rules. We expect that, given the relationship between Harry and Ron, any further rule breaking by Ron will be from following Harry's lead rather than by Ron's own initiative. In contrast, Hermione, to Harry and Ron's continued annoyance, is the boys' polar opposite, memorizing and obeying every school rule, though rarely considering the logic behind them. While Hermione does nag at the other two when she catches them breaking regulations, we have not yet seen her report them to anyone. We do not yet understand why Hermione seems to have attached herself to Harry and Ron, but it could be surmised that she is trying to protect Gryffindor's reputation against the two troublemakers in her year group who may possibly lose House points due to their activities.

The wizards' duel, which may appear somewhat arbitrary, is a natural progression and says much about Harry's, Ron's, and Draco's characters; Draco has been humiliated, and therefore must have his revenge. And for Draco, betraying Harry (and, peripherally, Ron) to Filch would be as satisfying as defeating him, if he could, in a duel. It also lessens the risk he will be further humiliated – what if Harry actually beat him in a duel? Getting Filch to do his dirty work increases the chance that Harry will suffer, while effectively shielding Draco from the consequences, if any. Draco's cowardice is also glimpsed here, and it later lands him in more trouble than he can imagine. Unlike Draco, Harry shows courage and integrity by honoring his agreement to meet Draco at the appointed time. Ron also shows bravery and loyalty by offering to act as Harry's second. Not even Hermione's bossy threats will stop either boy from going, and, after getting herself locked out of Gryffindor, she instead resigns herself to tagging along, ostensibly to monitor their actions, but likely intrigued as well. Hermione's obsession with rules, and her threats to report the two boys, seem more bluff than actual substance, showing that her peers' opinions about her overrule her need to obey authority. Throughout the series, Hermione, though disapproving, will rarely interfere with the boys' activities, and her curiosity often compels her to trail along, and, eventually, join in. Regardless, neither Harry or Ron want her there, though her presence proves beneficial.

This scene also provides further evidence that there is a mystery for Harry to investigate. Harry already suspects that the grubby little package Hagrid brought back to Hogwarts is tied to the break-in at Gringotts. The students' midnight foray may have led them in the right direction to find it, if they come to believe that its necessary. Once again, Harry's rule breaking pays off when Hermione's keen observation notices the trap door in the third-floor corridor that the fierce, three-headed dog is apparently guarding.

Review

 * 1) Why does Draco challenge Harry to a duel?
 * 2) Why did Neville's grandmother send him a Remembrall? Will it help?
 * 3) Why does Draco take Neville's Remembrall?
 * 4) What does Hermione notice is by the three-headed dog, and why would the creature be guarding it?

Further Study

 * 1) Why does Draco fail to show up for his duel with Harry?
 * 2) Why does Ron volunteer to be Harry's second for the duel? What does this say about his character?
 * 3) What does Harry believe the three-headed dog is guarding? What evidence is there for this?
 * 4) Why is Harry allowed to become Gryffindor's Quidditch Seeker, even though he is too young? Is he ready for this responsibility?
 * 5) Hermione threatened to report Harry and Ron to a prefect for sneaking out to the duel. Why didn't she report them and instead go with them? Why does Neville tag along?

Greater Picture
The trap door under the three-headed dog is one among Hogwarts' many secrets foreshadowed in the previous chapter. The guarded hatch poses a huge question that needs to be answered: "What is under the trap door?" If the dog is guarding Hagrid's parcel, then one must question what else might lie beneath the castle's floors. Hogwarts holds many secrets for Harry to discover in this and also later books. Like the castle's shifting staircases, Harry must navigate a dangerous and ever-changing path before finding the answers.

The reader should remember that, at this point, Harry has no need to worry about what is in the parcel, or how it is guarded. The fact that it is likely under the trap door that the dog is guarding is an interesting bit of information, but of no use to Harry. However, over the course of this year, Harry's curiosity will drive him to try and find out exactly what was in the parcel, and he will determine that it is the Philosopher's Stone of the book title. At the same time, Harry will gradually become aware that others are seeking the Stone, either for their own benefit or in the hopes of re-animating Voldemort, and will attempt to warn the authorities of his worries. The authorities, notably Professor McGonagall, will disregard his warnings, and Harry will conclude that he alone can save the Stone. It is arguable whether he has reached the correct conclusion; however, in the end he will act and will successfully keep the Stone safe.

Although Harry's fears that his difficult Muggle upbringing has permanently damaged his magical abilities are generally groundless, this belief is not entirely invalid. Whatever their backgrounds, pure-blood, half-blood, or Muggle-born, young witches and wizards do have varying talents and levels of proficiencies, and these can be affected by their respective histories. Neville Longbottom, a pure-bred from a powerful wizard family, is particularly weak in magic. But rather than lacking talent or ability, he has been emotionally (and possibly physically) crippled by events in his life that are at least as traumatic as Harry's; this similarity of background becomes a factor that bonds the two boys. Harry is probably experiencing some early difficulties for similar reasons, as well as being insecure and new to magic, though he quickly overcomes these obstacles and catches up to his classmates; Neville, who may have been impaired by his well-meaning family's memory charms to alleviate trauma over his parents' tragic fates, will take longer to progress, though he does eventually develop into a competent wizard.

Hermione retreats from her threat to report Harry and Ron, and she will continue to overlook their constant rule-breaking in future books, even after she is appointed as a Gryffindor prefect. The only time she actually reports their activities to a teacher is in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In that instance, she reports Harry to Professor McGonagall, not for any rule breaking, but because she was legitimately concerned for Harry's safety. Both Harry and Ron react angrily, however, shunning her for months, deeply hurting Hermione, and nearly ending their friendship permanently.

Connections

 * This is the first time we hear of a "Wizard's Duel." The concept of a Duel is reintroduced in the second book, and plays important roles in the battles in future books, particularly Harry's and Voldemort's interactions in the fourth and seventh books, especially with the Priori Incantatem phenomenon appearing in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
 * Draco chooses Crabbe as his second. This suggests that he believes Crabbe to be the more powerful wizard, and so albeit by a tenuous chain of circumstance, may foreshadow the fact that Crabbe will die in the last book, and the way he dies.
 * This is also the first time we see the Trophy Room. At this time, the location of the duel may seem unimportant, but the location serves as a puzzle piece Harry uses to solve the mystery he pursues in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.