JKR's narrative strategy (Was: Whose point of view ?)

[pcaehill2]

No: HPFGUIDX 107190

> Pam wrote:
> > I also have thought that the Little Hangleton scene may be the
> > narrator presenting Harry's dream (remember his link to 
Voldemort), sort of like a television screen in his mind. In this 
sense, the scene isn't deviating from Harry's POV at all; just 
letting us into his mind as usual, but without telling us initially 
that it's his dream.

> James replied:
> I'll challenge you on this one. :D It seems to me that the POV in 
>this chapter is indeed the POV of Frank Bryce. Why? Because Harry's 
>dreams are always from Voldemort's point of view - as far as we 
>know he's never had a dream from the POV of someone close to 
>Voldemort or interfearing with Voldemort. The chapter, as I recall, 
>starts from Frank's point of view and at the very end merges into 
>Harry's only as Voldemort kills Frank and Harry wakes up.

And Pam responds:
As soon as I sent it, I started thinking of objections to my post!! 
You're right; taken alone, it's definitely from Frank's POV (the 
history of the Riddle family & his own past, his perception of 
trouble at the manor that night, etc.). OTOH (and there's *always* 
an 'other hand'!!), who's to say that Voldemort (via Nagini, 
perhaps?) couldn't have been aware of Frank from the start, delved 
into his past mind, and then tracked his movements until he climbed 
the stairs.  Then (and only then) could the first chapter have been 
Harry's dream/shared Voldemort mind. (But I admit, it's a stretch.)

Pam