CHAPDISC: DH3, The Dursleys Departing

[aiwerks]

No: HPFGUIDX 177161

 "kneazlecat54"wrote:
> 1. The way Vernon calls to Harry speaks volumes about their
> relationship. What strikes you about this and what do you
> think it means? Is Vernon's behavior here consistent with
> that in the other books?

I did not see much of a difference between how Vernon acts
during this departure and how he acted previously. He's
really just a cross old fellow who believes that if an idea
didn't come from him or an authority figure that he trusts
then there must be something wrong with it. I think he has
begrudged Harry's intrusion into his household since the day
the toddler was dropped on his doorstep. Vernon is all about
protecting his own and Harry is not blood-related to him and
has the further problem of being unusual. Vernon was never
putting on an act, he is who he is.


> 2. Although Vernon is the chief disciplinarian at Privet
> Drive, clearly it is Petunia who sets the tone of the
> family's relationship with Harry. We learn in Book 1 that
> it is her rage and resentment towards Lily that is playing
> out in her treatment of Harry. What do you think Petunia
> sees when she looks at Harry, and how does it make her feel?

Harry embodies all that went wrong with her precious sister.
I believe Petunia loved her sister when they were children, before
Lily went away to Hogwarts and life changed. In effect, Lily died
to Petunia at the age of 11 and magic is what did it. Harry is an
added reminder of what went wrong in Petunia's childhood.

> 4. What do you think she would have said to Harry had she chosen
> to speak at this time? Will Harry and Petunia ever see each other
> again? Is there unfinished business between them?

I think her words would have been something simple like "Take care
of yourself." She's not the type who is going to break down in
tears and give a solliquy. Her words would have been a simple
gesture of apology and that's all.

I think that after a few years, Harry will feel a pull to visit
his blood relations one last time. There is unfinished business
between him and the entire family and he would want to make sure
that they are okay. He may not make it past the end of the driveway,
but he will check in on them.

> 5. After Dudley's encounter with the dementors in Book 5, fans
> wondered what experiences Dudley relived. From Harry's point of
> view, Dudley had never had a moment of fear, doubt or sadness
> in his entire life. But something life-changing happened to
> Dudley during that encounter, as we see in DH.  What do you
> think Dudley saw, and how did it change him?

As with many bullies, Dudley covers up his fears with anger.
He probably saw his friends turning on him, felt the lack of
his parents' love, and imagined himself without all the material
trappings that make his life so wonderful. Dudley is not an
introspective kind of guy and the dementors exposed him to
something he had never fathomed before. The experience was
probably something that he is still having trouble coming to
grips with and it humbles him that it is not something he can
attack and conquer.

> 6. What was your reaction on reading Dudley's unexpected defense
> of Harry?

I was shocked and then my heart warmed. It was beautiful how Dudley
had found that ounce of human compassion in himself and was able to
humble himself enough to admit that someone had done something to
help him. He acts like his parents are his servents, his friends
are his disciples, and the world owes him everything but he can
see that Harry saved his life and he appreciates it.

> 7.  Do you see Dudley and Harry having any further contact
> throughout their lives?

Probably just a couple of times when Harry checks on the family. I
don't think they're going to be penpals or anything but they'll
probably exchange a hi or something.

> 8.  How would Dudley's worries about Harry affect his relationship
> with his (Dudley's) parents?

I'm sure Vernon just pushes Dudley's scene of compassion aside
but it did affect Petunia and she may be slightly less acerbic
to Harry in the future.  Vernon may worry about Dudley being a
pansy for a couple of weeks and then will probably forget about
it. Petunia thought Dudley's gesture was wonderful but she already
thinks Dudley is the greatest person on Earth so there won't be
much change there either.

> 9. Compare Dudley's dementor experience with that of Bellatrix
> or Barty Crouch Jr.  Can we learn anything about the moral
> awareness of these characters by their reactions to encounters
> with dementors? Other characters have different kinds of
> reactions-think of Hagrid, for instance. How would someone
> like Mundungus Fletcher react to them?

I think when your character is dark, there is only so far down
you can go. In the case of DEs, withstanding years of living
with dementors is just like years of deep depression. When they
escape from the dementors grasp, it is like their depression has
been cured and they can go on with life. Their psyche was not
altered by the experience because it already exists in a place
of darkness.

With Mundugus, he is a petty thief, not a DE. He acts without
regard to the feelings of others but he still fears capture
and can be induced to do the right thing if it's not too
much trouble. He's a lot like Dudley in that being faced
with dementors may be a life-changing experience for him
as he realizes that he has a lot to lose.

> 10. The ways in which Harry arrives at and leaves Privet Drive
> every year are significant. What are your thoughts on this?
> Think of the way he first came to the Dursleys' home in PS
> and the way he left in DH. Think also of the ways he leaves
> and returns in each book. What can we learn about Harry from
> this?

That his life is not mainstream?  He doesn't just get to take
the taxi to the train station each year and catch the Hogwarts
Express.

> 11. How the Order was operating since Dumbledore's death? It
> didn't seem to be much of democracy while he was alive. How
> would decisions be made without him?

I'm sure they have some sort of group meeting among those order
members available where there is a lot of discussion and arguing
and they finally reach a conclusion that not everyone is happy
with but that everyone can live with. It's all about compromise.

> 12. Did you wonder what would happen to the Dursleys' lives
> while they were in hiding? Would Vernon lose his job? How
> would their bills get paid? Or were you happy to see the
> back of them?  *grin*

Honestly, it never occurred to me. I just assumed the Order
would take care of them. I'm sure Vernon will lose his job
but he's not going to take that lightly and will eventually
harrass someone in the order to "use their magic" to get it
back for him. He'll make sure all the important issues of his
mundane life are taken care of.

> 13. In PS and CS, Hedwig travels directly from Privet Drive to
> Hogwarts on the train along with Harry. In books 3-6, she is
> free to fly about on her own for a while before meeting Harry
> and returning to school. Here, she is confined to her cage and
> not happy about it. Did you see this as a foreshadowing of her
> fate in the next chapter? Was it meant that way?

I think the fact that Harry does not know where he is going to
be going directly after Privet Drive leads him to confine Hedwig
so that he can be sure she makes the journey with him. He wants
everything to be packed and ready to go, including his owl. He
probably fears for her life a little as well. I didn't see it
as foreshadowing to Hedwigs death, just as Harry finally getting
a little more responsible and having everything ready to go. I
guess fear of imminent death can help you learn to get your ducks
in a row.


Ali