Chapters 1-4

[sarvalsha at yahoo.com]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C1594
From: sarvalsha
Subject: Re: Chapters 1-4
Reply To: [Yahoo! #1591] Chapters 1-4
Date: 6/2/00 7:14 pm  (ET)

1. Now that I have read and re-read and listened and re-listened to
each of the books, I usually skip most of the Dursley material. Except
I do love some of the stuff in these chapters. Like the snake and the
letters. It isn't so much that they sent Harry to the Dursleys in the
first place that I find hard to understand. It's that they continue to
send him knowing what it's like. So I'm going to be very interested in
the explanation. Also why the Dursleys continue to take him back.

2. Not only is it great what she didn't say. It's that we don't find
out the significance until TWO books later. Makes you wonder what other
things you've just passed by.

3. I never thought about that time gap. Maybe Hagrid was just having so
much fun being able to do magic that he took as much time as possible. Of
course Professor Dumbledore wasn't expecting him until then either. The
one thing that always bothers me though reading about the celebrations is
how little mourning is being done for the Potters. I mean Voldemort's gone
but at a great cost. And other than Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore,
all we hear about is how wonderful it all is.

4. I too love the letters. I think that was when I realized how special
the book was going to be. It's all handled so imaginatively. I also
love the idea of owls delivering the mail. Not just that it's owls. But
also that they are capable of delivering mail to people even when the
sender doesn't know where they are. And when Hedwig shows up at the
Leaky Cauldron after Harry ran away; and when she went to Hermione in
France so Harry would get a birthday present.

Another thing that I always notice about the letter thing is that even
though Dudley wants to know what's in the letters, when his father makes
him get the mail the day after the first letter arrives, Dudley tells
everyone another one has arrived instead of simply reading it. Not a
very bright boy, is he?


Margaret