Chapter 1 Discussion -- SPOILER WARNING

[plinsenmayer]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C4008
From: plinsenmayer
Subject: Chapter 1 Discussion -- SPOILER WARNING
Date: 7/12/00 12:33 pm  (ET)

Hi:

To kick off our Chapter 1 discussions, I have summarized Chapter 1 below
-- I have written the summary with knowledge of the entire book (and
the responses of others may reference later events), so SPOILER WARNING.

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Chapter 1 -- The Riddle House in Little Hangleton is the setting -- old,
derelict and the scene of a bizarre murder 50 yrs ago. Can't help but
wonder if it's 50 yrs from the time of GoF (Riddle/Voldemort is roughly
18) or 50 yrs from CoS when he was 16.

We learn that Tom Riddle's father came from money. We learn later that
Riddle Sr. had a fling with a village girl -- my impression is that he
never married her. Riddle's mother, the village girl, we already know
is a descendant of Slytherin.

Frank Bryce, the gardener, is taken in for questioning. He remembers a
pale teenager with black hair lurking about earlier on the day of the
murder. I don't know if I'm the only one, but I had a fleeting thought
that maybe the teenager would be Harry.

Bryce is cleared of the murders, since drs cannot say that the Riddles
were even murdered. Now, he is an old man and he sees lights on in
the old abandoned house. On investigation, he creeps up & eavesdrops
on the conversation of Lord Voldemort & Peter Pettigrew. Interesting
that V refers to P as "Wormtail," P's old Hogwarts nickname. It's been
suggested on hpanonymous that this could be V's way of reminding P of
what he's lost (his old friendships).

I'm not entirely clear on a few points here so maybe you guys can help. V
says that the "plan" cannot proceed until after the World Cup. On re-read,
I'm not clear what the "plan" was as of this Chapter. There's some murder
that Wormtail was to commit -- a murder that will clear the path to
Harry. Crouch Jr. was the one who killed Crouch Sr. after all. Wormtail
didn't murder anyone, did he? Am I forgetting something? Who is the 1
murder that will clear the path to Harry?

V tells Wormtail that he will have a task at the "end" that many of V's
followers "would give their right hand to perform." More foreshadowing
than we knew, eh?

Nagini, the large snake whose milk is sustaining V -- anyone else reminded
of Rikki Tikki Tavi?

V murders Bryce after Nagini alerts V & P that Frank was
eavesdropping. Harry wakes up with a vivid dream and his scar is hurting.

DISCUSS! Ready . . . set . . . Go!!

Penny