Chapter Discussions: Chapter 3, the Advance Guard

[Ali]

No: HPFGUIDX 76055

I apologise that this is a bit late, and also rather long. It seemed 
to get longer after every amendment I made. Anyway, discuss away:


Harry sent to bed by his aunt and uncle after the Dementor attack/ 
Owl deluge immediately writes to Sirius, Ron and Hermione demanding 
answers and details of his removal from Privet Drive. He's full of 
anger and self pity, hating his confinement and child-like treatment.

Harry snaps at Hedwig when she returns from hunting, but regrets his 
behaviour once he has lost her soothing presence – his only friend 
at Privet Drive. He directs Hedwig to peck his friends until they 
give her answers, and then falls asleep still in his clothes.

*4* days follow in which Harry is confined to his room, segregated 
from the rest of the household with his Aunt providing food through 
the cat flap. The segregation seems to suit all concerned as Harry 
isn't actually locked in his room but isolates himself from the 
Dursleys for fear of provoking further confrontations leading to 
possible unintended magic. Aunt Petunia refuses to engage Harry in 
any further discussions about her wizarding knowledge/connections. 
Harry's bedroom door seems to be a prop that Petunia now needs to 
rebuild the barrier she has towards the WW of which Harry is of 
course, a constant and visible reminder. Harry spends his time 
either full of restless energy or in a state of torpor that lays him 
out on his bed for hours at a time. He aches with dread at the 
thought the MOM hearing against him wondering whether he will end up 
in Azkaban.

(Q1) Harry is a teenage boy who at this stage in the story is 
lacking any guidance, but does he have a hygiene problem? He goes to 
sleep in the same dirty, ill-fitting clothes that he is wearing when 
we first see him in Chapter 1. He doesn't comb his hair when 
confined to his room, but is this a symptom of a wider lack of 
looking after himself? His clothes might only have been dirty 
because he had been hiding in the flower bed, but is he actually 
allowed to wash his clothes? Has Petunia washed her hands of all 
responsibility towards Harry's physical appearance perhaps 
encouraging his delinquent appearance as it so obviously sets him 
apart from her and what she stands for, allowing her to despise him 
even more?

(Q 2) Is the behaviour exhibited by Harry – waxing between total 
inactivity and inability to stay still, a sign of depression or Post 
Traumatic Stress Disorder? We see him wanting to externalise some of 
the internal pain and frustration he is feeling by having Hedwig 
peck his friends this does seem to be an unwelcome development in 
Harry's character from the boy we left in GoF.

(Q 3) Is Petunia's order that Harry is not to leave the house a 
further acknowledgement that she knows that Harry is now only safe 
*in* the house?  But her insistence that Harry be confined to his 
room seems to be for her benefit as she cannot stand his presence.

(Q 4) Is Hedwig's ability to follow Harry's orders, as we later find 
out that she has pecked Ron and Hermiony, an indication of her 
having a special talent or are all owls capable of more than 
messenger duties?

After 4 nights the Dursleys are lured out of the house as they 
believe they have been short listed for the All-England Best Kept 
suburban lawn competition. Vernon is typically smug when he tells 
Harry that the Dursleys are going out, but he, Harry is not allowed 
to even leave his room. After Vernon tells Harry that he is not to 
leave his room, steal food or touch the Dursley's possessions, he 
seems taken aback by Harry's lack of interest and decides to lock 
Harry up anyway.

The path is now clear for Harry to be rescued. 

Harry first hears a noise in the kitchen and thinks there might be 
burglars. The crash turns out to be Tonks breaking something.

(Q 5) How did the Advance Guard arrive? Presumably they all 
apparated, but Harry didn't appear to hear any "popping" sounds 
which were so loud when Mundungus disapparated that half of Privet 
Drive seemed to hear him leave – unless the sound is louder when 
disapparating or when the apparition is carried out in the open air?

Harry's jumps off his bed and makes to his door which magically 
unlocks, wand in hand. When Harry reaches the top of the stairs he 
hears Mad-eyed Moody's voice, but doesn't trust him. He only 
descends the stairs after he has been reassured by Professor Lupin 
and he has seen a large group of wizards in the hallway.

Harry is very uncomfortable and self conscious to see all the 
wizards staring at him. Just as Harry was unsure whether the Moody 
was the real Moody, so Moody asks for confirmation that Harry is 
actually Harry – even suggesting Veritaserum as a means to confirm 
Harry's identity.  Lupin asks Harry about his Patronus.

Harry is introduced to the members of the Advance Guard. Only Tonks 
and Kingsley Shacklebolt have any great role in OoP . Moody stops 
Harry from asking about Voldemort saying it is  not safe to speak 
there.  Harry learns that he is to fly to his new safe haven.

(Q 6) Are the likes of Elphias Doge and Emmeline Vance the 
equivalent of the "Red shirts" in Star Trek, crew members introduced 
to be killed off? Sturgess Podmore gives us an indication that this 
might be the case, as to date; his function has been to be Imperioed 
and imprisoned.

 Harry learns that Tonks is a Metomorphmagus and an auror who seems 
to greet everyone with the East London term "Wotcher" although we 
are given no other indication that she has a London accent, so this 
phrase could just be an affectation or habit. We learn that being a 
Dark Wizard catcher is the only career that Harry has ever 
considered.

(Q 7) Will Tonk's special talent come into play later or is JKR 
really overplaying the changing appearance card?

(Q 8) At this stage in OoP, Harry hasn't been banned from Quidditch, 
so why has he never considered Quidditch as a professional career? 
He loves it and appears to be exceptionally gifted at it, yet here 
seems content to continue it as a hobby. 

Tonks helps Harry to pack his trunk and then they return to the 
kitchen where  Moody places a Disillusionment Charm on Harry so 
that, chameleon-like, he resembles his surrounding background. After 
a signal, Harry and his guard fly to his safe haven. Harry learns 
that there is a rear guard as well.

(Q 9) The size of Harry's guard is partly due to intrigue about 
Harry, but seems absurd when compared to his trip to the MOM when 
Harry has only Mr Weasley to accompany him. Is Harry really unsafe 
or is it just a combination of Moody's paranoia and other peoples 
general nosiness?

Harry becomes very cold flying but experiences real pleasure, 
forgetting his problems for the first time in weeks. Harry and co 
finally land in an unkempt square in a dilapidated almost slummy 
part of London. We are reintroduced to the Put-Outer first used by 
Dumbledore at the beginning of PS/ SS. The chapter finishes with 
Moody giving Harry written details of the Order of the Phoenix HQ 
which he tells Harry to memorise.

(Q 10) Does the use of the Put Outer here show that it is used 
solely as its name implied or is it an indication that Harry is 
again provided wit Multi-layered protection without him realising?

(Q 11) Why when the MoM appear to monitor Harry's presence in Privet 
Drive, do they not monitor – or question – his sudden disappearance 
from there?

(Q 12)  Much of this chapter could be viewed as superfluous 
narrative. Is this a chapter which a more rigorous editor would have 
stripped down to a few lines? Has JKR's success actually meant that 
her editors are now reluctant to offer advice and guidance which 
might have lead to the OoP being a shorter and punchy book?

Ali