Unresolved issues in HP and the Philosopher's / Sorcerer's Stone

[sueeeyqbong]

No: HPFGUIDX 70622

Hello everyone. I've started re-reading the Harry Potter series 
again, to reassess them in the light of OoP. What interested me in 
particular were the clues and things which, by the end of OoP, still 
weren't explained or resolved... an which might point to what's 
contained in books 6 and 7.  I thought it might be useful to make a 
list of them, and would love it if people would add to it the things 
I've missed. I know that lists of unresolved issues already exist eg 
in the lexicon, but mine might be a bit different from them since I 
also wanted to include things which aren't actually unresolved 
mysteries, but which were just details which haven't been  followed 
up yet - for example names of people who might appear later in time-
honoured JKR tradition.  I'll just 'do' one book per post, to keep 
it simple...hope it's something which will interest people. All page 
references refer to the british edition, so sorry all non-brits...I 
don't own any other version. Here's the list of things for book 1 :

1)  p.7  'Mrs Potter was Mrs Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met 
for several years'. 

When was the last time that they met? It seems as though quite a few 
years elapsed between Lily and James leaving school and their having 
Harry...at least six years...and therefore probably at least 7 years 
between Lily and James leaving school and the time of the first 
chapter of PS/SS. During this time, Voldemort was in power....How 
much did Petunia know of the affairs of the wizarding world during 
this time? If, by the beginning of PS/SS, they 'had not met for 
several years'...'several years' could easily be construed as less 
than 7 (easy to shoot this theory down, I know, but go with me...) 
and so Petunia might have had contact with Lily and the wizarding 
world before LP and JP's deaths. And this might be connected to 
Petunia's  mysterious involvement with the dementors/Dumbledore etc 
at the beginning of OoP.

2)   p.16 'but the house was almost destroyed' (when Hagrid got 
Harry out after V's atack). Why destroyed?? Everyone has already 
said all there is to be said about this in previous posts, so no 
need for me to add more.

3)In chapter 1, there are TONS of mentions of all the wizards and 
witches in the streets around Vernon's place of work, all 
celebrating something. (Vernon assumes they're collecting for 
charity...then gets angry because they don't have collecting 
tins...then hears them discussing Harry and the Potters....then  in 
chapter 2, (p.27) the 11 year old Harry reflects on the peculiar 
srangers who often bow/shake hands then disappear. This implies that 
there is a sizeable magic community in Little Whinging...yet there's 
never any other mention of them, and in OoP, I'm sure I remember 
Harry being amazed that there was anyone magic living near him (on 
discovering that Mrs Figg was magic).

4)  p.45, Hagrid says (discussing why Voldemort went after Harry's 
parents')  'maybe he thought he could persuade them, maybe he wanted 
them out of the way'.  Evidently Hagrid doesn't know of the 
prophecy, or any other reason why V targeted the Potters.  And yet 
he was in the order at the time. Do you think Ddore kept everyone in 
the order in the dark (except, presumably, those mentioned in the 
prophecy). If so, this seems like a risky way of conducting a 
resistance movement. Wouldn't it make the order members' job easier, 
to know who V might target next?

5)  p.47 (Hagrid discussing what might have happened to V after his 
demise) 'Cause there was something about you which finished him. 
There was something going on that night he hadn't counted on _ I 
dunno what it was, no-one does'. Same point as point 4 above, 
really...puts Ddore's reticence with the truth in OoP in a new 
perspective.

6)  some names in Harry's first visit to the Leaky Cauldron which 
may ( or may well not!) appear later...
Doris Crockford, Dedalus Diggle, 

7)   p. 57 'it's about the you-know-what in vault 713'. Just a point 
already mentioned in pre OoP posts : wasn't Sirius' vault later 
mentioned a number 712...ie next door to the one used by Ddore to 
store the philosopher's stone? Significant? Insignificant? Anyone 
have a clue?

8)  p.63  in Olivander's shop, Harry learns that his father's wand 
was 'good for transfiguration' and Lily's was good for 'charms 
work'. I wonder will this be important later.

9) p.70 on platform 9 3/4...the first of many mentions that Ron 
is 'tall thin and gangling'. I mention this merely because I like 
the theories of the many people pointing out how Ddore looks very 
similar. BRILLIANT IDEA if they were somehow connected...time turner 
anyone?

10)   p.75   'mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant but we 
never mention him' gains extra significance after reading the Black 
family tapestry scenes in OoP

11)  p.77   the chocolate frog card also mentions Ddore's work on 
the 12 uses of dragon's blood (which is also later mentioned during 
their first year exams - p.167). Interesting. Also, of course, 
mentions Ddore's defeat of Grindelwald (interesting world war 2 
parallel.) Already been discussed with great depth and insight by 
you guys.

12)  p.82  why did Scabbers attack Malfoy and crew when they were  
attacking the trio on the train? Can't see any reason for 
this...Pettigrew doesn't seem the type to put himself out for anyone 
but himself.

13) More names from the sorting list as yet undeveloped... (p.89)

Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones (mentioned since I know but will she be 
developed further?), Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, Morag 
McDougall, Moon, Nott, Sally-Anne Perks, Blaise Zabini


14)  p.93   Seamus describes how horrified his dad was to discover 
his mum was a witch. Interesting that Tom Riddle's dad behaved in a 
similar way. Is this parallel an intentional foreshadowing on JKR's 
part? (especially in light of Seamus' estragement from Harry for 
much of OoP). 

15)   Also on p. 93 is Neville's mention of his great uncle 
algie...will he come up later if the Longbottom story is elaborated 
on?

16)  p.99   first mention of Mrs Filch's 'lamp like ' eyes...a 
description which crops up a lot. Also here is mentioned that the 
cat's eyes are 'just like Filch'...what is the story with this cat? 
It's got to come up later..it just has to.

17) p.105 another mention of 'vault 713'...just to hammer home the 
thought that it's a significant number. See point 7 above

18) p.148   Ddore returns JP's invisibility cloak to him, 
saying 'your father left this in my possession'. What's the story 
there? I bet it'll come up in bok 6 or 7

19) p.155   Ron's mirror of Erised vision of  being head boy, 
holding the house cup, and being quidditch captain'...lots of people 
have produced some great foreshadowing theories here

20)  p.156   Dumbledore says 'I don't need a cloak to become 
invisible'. He usually knows what's going on amongst the students, 
and it's often referred to. I hope we find out just how he knows all 
this stuff...someone put forward a great theory that he travelled 
between his portrait on the chocolate frog cards. Any other  ways of 
Ddore being omniscient / omnipresent?

21)  p.185  Ronan answers Hagrid's query as to  whether he'd seen 
anything strange with 'always the innocent are the first 
victims'...probably a reference to Cedric's death and Sirius' death. 
Ominous.  Plus 'mars is bright tonight' etc etc

22)   p.189   Firenze tells Harry that anyone who drinks unicorn's 
blood (ie Voldemort) will have a half life, a cursed life, from the 
moment it touches your lips' ....will this have any significance in 
V's further development in books 6 and 7?

23)  p.188  Bane tells Ronan that 'we are sworn not to set ourselves 
against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the 
movements of the planets?'   So the entaurs are evidently quite 
clued up as to what will come...why doesn't Voldemort target them to 
learn of how to vanquish Harry? Where will the centaurs' loyalties 
lie post OoP?

24)  p.213   'your mother needn't have died'. Well, OK, we now know 
it was Harry V was after all along, not the Potters per se, but is 
there still a reason why he'd have been prepared to spare Lily her 
life? I'd like to think so

25) If Quirrelmort couldn't touch Harry because 'it was agony to 
touch a person marked by something so good' why can he do so later 
in GoF and OoP. Oh, yes, I think I remember why...was it because 
Harry's blood was now in V after the resurrection in GoF? Still, 
I'll leave this point in because it's still significant and possibly 
still open ended (IE THERE MAY BE MORE TO THIS STORY THAN WE KNOW)

26)  Dumbledore explains to Harry why Snape hated his father...saved 
his life, etc. Presumably this is the defining event which made 
James become a nicer person, and which helped Lily to fall in love 
with him (or is it?) But if it is, we still don't know the whole 
story, I think.  

27) Oh, that's it. There is no number 27. Thank goodness. Sorry it's 
such a long post.

Any responses? Would love to hear.

Sueeeyqbong