What did JKR know and when did she know it?

[blpurdom]

No: HPFGUIDX 38896

We've been discussing all of the things JKR has planned over the 
entire seven books, and cross-book foreshadowing, but I think that 
the most important book for foreshadowing, despite its size, is the 
first book, into which she put a tremendous number of things that 
proved important later.  There are undoubtedly numerous things that 
we still don't understand as significant, as we're still missing the 
last three books of the series.  Here's as much as I've been able to 
glean going quickly through the first couple of chapters:

Chapter One: The Boy Who Lived

1. McGonagall as cat Animagus
   (foreshadowing Animagus plots in books 3 and 4)

2. Some McGonagall/Dumbledore dialogue about Hagrid:

       "You think it--*wise*--to trust Hagrid with something as  
     important as this?"
       "I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.
       "I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said 
     Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's 
     not careless."

   This both foreshadows Hagrid later getting careless and telling 
Quirrell about how to get past Fluffy, and possibly gives us a clue 
to Hagrid's fate in a future book.  Perhaps Hagrid dies while saving 
Dumbledore's life?  I somehow don't think that Dumbledore's line is 
a casual one.  It also seems possible that Hagrid will do something 
else "careless" that is very, very significant.

3. Hagrid borrowing motorcycle from Sirius Black
   (at this point the good guys still have a good relationship 
   with Sirius, who isn't mentioned again until the beginning of 
   book 3)

Chapter Two: The Vanishing Glass

1. Mrs. Figg's broken leg
   First mention of Mrs. Figg, who seems to be Arabella Figg, of 
the "old crowd," mentioned by Dumbledore at the end of GoF.  Her 
house smells of cabbage (as does Polyjuice Potion) and the tents 
they use for the QWC remind Harry of Mrs. Figg's house.  The cats 
may be cats or they may be Kneazles.  

2. Dudley and Piers as Doppelgangers
   Dudley is always described in extremely uncomplimentary terms and 
his selfishness and self-centeredness later make Harry think of 
Dudley when he meets Draco Malfoy.  When Piers Polkiss is introduced 
(it's my understanding that "Piers" is a variation on the 
name "Peter") he is described as "a scrawny boy with a face like a 
rat.  He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their 
backs while Dudley hit them."  Who else does this remind us of?  
(Someone with the first name Peter and the last initial 'P' who is 
also a rat and who aids and abets a pepetrator of violence?)

3. Harry and his dreams
   Harry mentions having a dream of a flying motorcycle (a remnant 
of a memory of Hagrid delivering him to Privet Drive).  Harry has 
numerous dreams which are not frivolous in subsequent books.

4. The Snake
   The entire snake episode foreshadows the later Parseltongue 
revelation in CoS.  I don't believe for a minute that she didn't 
have the basic idea for CoS in her head when she wrote this.  Harry 
freeing the snake is also a wonderful instance of Harry as the one 
who frees the unjustly imprisoned/oppressed (Dobby, Sirius, Hagrid--
sent to prison during CoS) as well as foreshadowing his own imminent 
freedom, when he goes away to Hogwarts.

And these things are just in the first two chapters!  There are 
loads more throughout the first book.  She also employs a great deal 
of irony as well, as when Harry's baggy clothes (formerly Dudley's) 
are something that sets him apart and makes him an object of 
ridicule, and which he hates.  Yet--how would you describe wizarding 
robes EXCEPT "baggy?"  It's as though the very clothes he wore were 
proclaiming him to be a wizard, as though his true nature was 
seeping out.  (You'd think Petunia would want him to blend in more, 
wouldn't you?)

Anyway, that's all I have time for right now.  I may chime in with 
things I've found in Chapters 3 and 4 tomorrow...

--Barb

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