Kevin's Watch

As much as the Dursleys try, they cannot create the perfect life with Harry around. Eleven year old Harry looks skinny and scruffy; somehow after years of their insults and Dudley's beatings he still has the gumption to be defiant; and worst of all, impossible things happen around him.

Case in point, Dudley's birthday. Old Mrs. Figg, who usually babysits Harry while Dudley is out being given a good time, has broken her leg, and the Durleys have no choice but to cart Harry along with the zoo party.

Harry, who doesn't have friends, makes a friend. The friend is an extremely bored boa constrictor, and it seems to know Harry understands. Indeed, Harry does – better than he expected to. As the mysteriously released boa heads for the door, it seems to speak to Harry.

Oh, this is big trouble. The Dursleys are even more terrified than they should be in the circumstances. Harry, stuffed into the little closet that is his bedroom, is being punished for something he couldn't have done.

This is the point, at the end of the chapter, where Rowling gives us a sketch of what Harry's ten years have been like living with the Dursleys. Longing for family who would love him, the disgrace of the household, grotesque in Dudley's outsized old clothes, but honored by strangers in the street. And somehow the honor from strangers makes everything worse at home.

Lively word pictures characterize this chapter: photos of Dudley the angel/pig, Harry's aunt screeching him awake in his cupboard bed, Dudley's mountain of birthday presents. Then Harry's glasses, so often broken by Dudley; Harry's hair, so resistant to haircuts; and Harry's dream of a flying motorcycle, which nearly sends his uncle into an apoplexy. At the zoo are still more vivid pictures of unfairness, until our sympathies couldn't be any more strongly with Harry if they had dragged him to the zoo by his hair tied to the car bumper. Yet it's all so entertainingly written that we aren't bummed out.

Weird things are hinted at when the Dursleys start discussing what to do with Harry during Dudley's birthday zoo trip. They aren't willing to leave him alone in the house, they aren't even willing to bring him along and leave him in the car. "That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone…." snarls Uncle Vernon. It's as if they think he's going to destroy it. It's so manifestly unfair, but there's nothing Harry can do about it.

Sure enough, the snake incident proves them right. Harry can't understand it. So he is left, alone in his dark cupboard, pondering his bewildering fate. And we can't wait for the something that must save him.

Exactly, we are given just enough of a taste to make us want to save him. But enough of counteractions as his unexplained defenses not to pity him too much. Excellent dissection DL.

One of the things that impresses me over and over with Rowling is the intricate nature of her work. For example, the title of this chapter can be read as a bit of a metaphor. The magic that is inherent in Harry and obvious to those "in the know" (like his Aunt & Uncle) becomes pretty much impossible to ignore at this point. I mean--not only does a sheet of glass vanish then reappear but Harry successfully has a conversation with a snake!

Clearly, Harry's magic is reaching a point where he needs training. He needs a wand.

But there's also a lot of little details that don't become obviously important for a long while yet. The fact Harry even CAN talk to a snake will prove an important plot point in Book Two, and reason WHY is vital to the whole series!

Well, the thing is the Dursley's didn't SEE Harry talking to the snake. Only that their precious IckyDudders is somehow behind the glass. That chaos ensues from the release of the reptile leads the Dursleys to the inescapable conclusion that Harry is behind it all.
This snake was friendly to Harry which is a good thing. Had it been malicious it may have changed the dynamics a bit for later on in the series.
The story begins to get fun with this chapter. Poor oppressed Harry now getting his (unintentional) revenge upon those who torment him daily.
Soon, the owls come.

Great dissection, Joy! I'd forgotten so much from this book - like the point about haircuts. What was the significance there?

The horrible haircut is just one of the examples of "odd" things that happen around Harry that he can't explain. Other examples would be how he accidentally ended up on the school roof when Dudley and his gang were chasing him, how the horrid orange sweater shrunk to doll size while Petunia was trying to force it on Harry and how his hair grew back overnight after Petunia had practically shaved his head in a fit of frustration over his hair never lying flat.

OK, thanks CJ.

In the books, Harry's hair remains untameable, yes? Even after he leaves for Hogwarts? I always thought it was an unconscious rebellion of his magical self to defy the Dursley's in that way.

Except that it is mentioned a few times in the book that James' hair stuck up straight too. I'm not sure how many times this is alluded to but off the top of my head, I know for sure it's brought to attention when Harry is behind James during OWLS in Snape's memory.

Seafoam Understone wrote:Well, the thing is the Dursley's didn't SEE Harry talking to the snake. Only that their precious IckyDudders is somehow behind the glass. That chaos ensues from the release of the reptile leads the Dursleys to the inescapable conclusion that Harry is behind it all.

Seafoam, that was in the movie where Dudley ended up behind the glass. He didn't in the book. And in the book, Dudley's friend (who isn't in the movie) comments that he saw Harry talking to the snake.

Zahir wrote:But there's also a lot of little details that don't become obviously important for a long while yet. The fact Harry even CAN talk to a snake will prove an important plot point in Book Two, and reason WHY is vital to the whole series!

If foreshadowings were allowed in the dissections, the dissections would be a lot more revealing!

Cameraman Jenn wrote:Except that it is mentioned a few times in the book that James' hair stuck up straight too. I'm not sure how many times this is alluded to but off the top of my head, I know for sure it's brought to attention when Harry is behind James during OWLS in Snape's memory.

*nod*

Yes, I had forgotten about that.

Dragonlily wrote:

Seafoam, that was in the movie where Dudley ended up behind the glass. He didn't in the book. And in the book, Dudley's friend (who isn't in the movie) comments that he saw Harry talking to the snake.

For some reason I always thougth Piers Polkiss, the above mentioned friend was going to be the one who did late life magic in the books. Especially since he was described as a skinny ratfaced boy, I thought maybe he was distantly related to Peter Pettigrew.