Chapter Discussions - Chapter One, Dudley Demented

[flower_fairy12]

No: HPFGUIDX 68173

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "bluesqueak" <pipdowns at e...> 
wrote:
> Hi!
> 
> To kick off our Order of the Phoenix Chapter Discussions, we're 
> starting with a summary of Chapter One (surprise!).
> 
> I've included the questions that occurred to me as I summarised the 
> chapter. Rather than put a long list of questions at the end, I've 
> placed them where they arise naturally from the text.
> 
> 
> Order of the Phoenix Chapter One
> 
> Chapter Discussion Summary and Questions
> 
> This chapter starts with Harry hiding under a flowerbed, trying to 
> hear the TV news without being seen. It establishes that Harry 
isn't 
> a cute little boy any longer; he looks pinched and unhealthy, his 
> jeans are dirty and the soles of his trainers flapping.
> 
> Is this a choice of Harry's? Previously his clothes have been 
> secondhand and too big for him, but there was no mention of their 
> being worn out or dirty.


I don't think it is likely to be a choice to wear ripped trainers and 
dirty  clothes. Just more likely that he hasn't had the opportunity 
to go and buy new clothes with his wizard gold, so he is just wearing 
what he already has. 


> Harry sees Mrs Figg, and the reader is told that she has recently 
> taken to asking him round for tea. Harry wants to avoid her. Is 
this 
> a foreshadowing? Is Harry  unknowingly avoiding support and help 
> that he could have been given?

Harry doesn't know about Mrs Figg being a squib. Harry thinks she is 
just some batty old woman, lonely, wanting company. If he knew about 
her WW connection, I'm sure he would be a lot more interested in 
having tea at her house.


> Aunt Petunia tells Uncle Vernon that their son Dudley is out for 
tea 
> at the Polkiss's. Harry knows that this is a lie, and that Dudley 
> and his gang hang around and engage in petty vandalism each 
evening. 
> 
> Is this lack of knowledge about their son a development of the 
> Dursley's? Or a continuation of a previous theme?

Definite continuation, IMO. In the other books (GoF?) Petunia thinks 
he is just boisterous when there are reports from school about his 
bullying. They see Dudley through rose-coloured glasses. They refuse 
to believe he is anything other than perfect. 


> Harry is angry at Ron and Hermione – so angry that he threw
their 
> presents away (which he now regrets). Again, is this another 
> foreshadowing – is Harry's anger mainly harming himself? He
feels 
> that they are enjoying themselves at the Burrow while he is stuck 
at 
> Privet Drive. Does this prove to be fair?

He is forced to stay in the care of relatives who hate him. All he 
wants is some infomation on what is going on, and he doesn't get it. 
He assumes, from the letters, that Ron and Hermione must be staying 
in the same place - The Burrow. He also assumes that everything is OK 
at their end, but they know something he doesn't. He is fustrated by 
this. Harry doesn't think this is fair.


> Harry feels that he is much more capable than Ron and Hermione, 
> having survived the graveyard at the end of GoF. His godfather is 
> advising caution, which Harry feels is reasonable – though he
finds 
> it galling to be warned about rashness by Sirius. 
> 
> Is Sirius assuming Harry is James? Is Harry normally rash?

Not having the books with me, I can't think of any instances other 
than these:

1. PoA- Harry goes to Hogsmead the first time. Maybe this counts as a 
rash descision, because he goes straight to Hogsmead the minute F&G 
leave him with the map. 

2. In OoP, he goes straight into Snape's memory. 

And...I can't think of any more. Maybe Harry just isn't that rash??

 
> We find that Harry is having nightmares about Cedric's death in the 
> graveyard. He's also dreaming about a strange dark corridor. His 
> scar prickles constantly. He doesn't think that Ron, Hermione or 
> Sirius would be interested in that. Is this a reasonable 
assessment, 
> or is he again pushing away support and help that was available?

Harry thinks they would be more interested in info on Voldy. After 
all, his scar hurting was a sign Voldy was getting stronger but now 
he is back it is obvious Harry's scar will hurt from time to time.


> After a mere four weeks, Harry is full of impatience. He feels 
> abandoned by Dumbledore, his friends and his guardian. Has he been 
> abandoned?

He feels like it, but everyone else was just waiting for the right 
time to get to him. Four weeks felt like a long time to hear nothing, 
no news off anybody, just the odd "We would tell you but the letter 
might be intercepted..." kinda thing.


> Harry knows that he's expected to get in at the same time as 
Dudley, 
> so he heads off towards Privet Drive. Instead of ignoring Dudley, 
he 
> deliberately catches up with him and starts teasing him. 
<SNIP> 
> Is Harry just trying to get back at Dudley for his past bullying? 
Or 
> is Harry trying to bully Dudley? Who is showing more restraint? Why?

Harry is angry. He wants to take his anger out, and who should he 
see? Dudley. Perfect. Dudley is scared of him, and Harry knows he has 
the upper hand. I don't think Harry's intention were to *bully* him 
though. Just to annoy him. Dudley tormented harry from day one at the 
Dursleys, so just to have a few moments to take his fustration out on 
Big D must have felt better. =D  

 
> Dudley counter-attacks Harry, by telling Harry that he's been 
crying 
> out in his sleep `Don't kill Cedric'. Harry's also been calling out 
> for his dead mother and father to save him from Voldemort. This 
> makes Harry so angry that he pulls out his wand.
> 
> Why doesn't Harry explain the nightmares to Dudley?

I hardly think he would understand. I don't think he would *want* to 
either.
 


> 
> In the event, Harry is half stunned and his wand is knocked out of 
> his hand. In the crisis, Harry tries to protect Dudley. He warns 
him 
> to keep his mouth shut.  He also manages to light his wand without 
> touching it. Is this an example of true wandless magic? Could it be 
> useful to Harry to learn to do spells without his wand?

Very useful. Not even 15 year old Snape in "Snape's Worst Memory" 
could use spells without his wand. 


> The Patronus saves Harry, and Harry then turns his Patronus on the 
> Dementor attacking Dudley. Dudley is clamping his hands over his 
> mouth. Muggles are not supposed to see Dementors – is this a
sign 
> that Dudley has magic in him? Or is it a sign that Dudley trusts 
> Harry more than Harry thinks?
> 
> Is Harry rescuing Dudley a sign of Harry's inner goodness? Or does 
> Harry care for his cousin more than he thinks he does?

Even though Dudley is a bully, Harry is not likely to stand back and 
let the dementors get to his cousin and as good as kill him. But I 
still don't think he cares for Dudley either.
 


Rosie