CHAPDISC: DH3, The Dursleys Departing

[Hagrid]

No: HPFGUIDX 177216

> --- "kneazlecat54" wrote:
> 
> CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
> Chapter 3, The Dursleys Departing

> QUESTIONS
> 
> Oh, the Dursleys
*shakes head*
> 
> 1.  The way Vernon calls to Harry ... what do you think it
> means?  Is Vernon ... consistent with ...other books?

Aussie:
Some things stay the same, and some things remain constant. Vernon 
is basically constant. He is only related though marriage to Harry, 
while Petunia and Dudley are blood relatives to Lily.

> 2...What do you think Petunia sees when she looks at Harry, and   
> how does it make her feel?

Aussie:
Because of things we wee later, she may be seeing the things she 
feared from the only school aged wizard we find out she met - SNAPE. 
He hit her with a branch using magic. If Petunia met other wizarding 
students in her youth, she may not have become so biased. (And yes, 
she also saw Lily's eyes)

> 3.  ... Jo (as she usually does) surprised us by giving us
> Petunia's back story in another context.

Aussie:
The Dursleys deserved a bit more background to be given to 
understand them. She timed that suprise well.
 
> 4.  ...Will Harry and Petunia ever see each other again?  Is 
> there unfinished business between them?

Aussie:
The Dursley's Greatest Fear was if neighbours found out about Harry 
being a wizard. They hid that fact from everyone. To restore that, 
Petunia should be proud of her nephew ... and her sister. 
 
> 5.  After Dudley's encounter with the dementors ... something 
> life-changing happened to Dudley ... What do you think Dudley 
> saw, and how did it change him?

Aussie:
Dudley always had someone to support him - Dad, Mum or his gang. If 
Harry even looked like doing something against him, he'd run to his 
mummy ("He's doing it again"). Dudley saw himself without loving 
relatives or friends facing danger ... exactly what Harry saw every 
day of his life at the Dursleys until Hagrid brought the Happy 11th 
Birthday cake.
 
> 6.  ...Dudley's unexpected defense of Harry?

Aussie:
Good on ya, big D.
 
> 7.  ...Dudley and Harry having any further contact throughout
> their lives?

Aussie:
Dudley (17 years later) would try to visit Harry, or let him visit 
his home, and be willing to let his kids know there's a wizard in 
the family. ... Who knows. Maybe Victorie was Dudley's daughter.
 
> 8.  How would Dudley's worries about Harry affect his relationship
> with his (Dudley's) parents?

Aussie:
What do you expexct us to say. Vernon will be so worried, he'll have 
an early heart attack and Petunia will look for a wizard to remarry? 
No. Dudley may show more interest in finding out about the wizarding 
world as rebellion against Vernon, but not much more.
 
> 9.  Compare Dudley's dementor experience with that of Bellatrix or
> Barty Crouch Jr.  ... Hagrid ... Mundungus Fletcher 

Aussie:
Dudley never even knew they existed. He was caught unaware. A 
shocking experience. Bellatrix had too much in common with the 
dementors, so she came out as mad as she went in. Barty was young 
when he went to Azkaban. It effected him badly, and the kiss in GoF 
didn't help either. Hagrid has had a lot of bad experiences, and 
dementors bring all those feelings back at the same time. He dreaded 
going back to Azkaban. Mundungus follows a life of crime, and knew 
he was risking Azkaban, but kept stealing. He could probably handle 
dementors better than being away from a pub. The worst victims of 
dementors were the muggle-borns waiting for Umbridge to call in. If 
they were scared about what would happen to them in the trial, the 
dementors depressed them more and didn't allow them to prepare a 
defence.

> 10. The ways in which Harry arrives at and leaves Privet Drive 
> every year are significant.  What are your thoughts on this?  ... 
> Think also of the ways he leaves and returns in each book.
> What can we learn about Harry from this?

Aussie:
PS/SS - Hogwarts Express introduced us to more of the Wizarding World
CoS - Rescued from a barred window was rebellion to Vernon.
PoA - Blowing up his aunt and running away showed independence
GoF - Floo powder after destroying the heater and choking Dudley 
with the twins' toffee. 
OotP - Dementors and Howlers, not the best Muggle relationship. 
Loved meeting Tonks.
HBP - Except for this book, the Dursleys felt attacked leading up to 
Harry's departure. This time, they sat with Dumbledore for a 
friendly chat over a drink (that bounced on their heads). 
DH - Didn't you love Vernon requested Kingsley but was told he is 
guarding the Prime Minister, then he comes to protect someone 
greater than the Prime Minister, Harry.
 
> 11. How the Order was operating since Dumbledore's death?  ...
> How would decisions be made without him?
 
Aussie:
Moody would be the next senior and experienced Order member. Follow 
him ... oops, that leadership didn't last long ...

> 12. Did you wonder what would happen to the Dursleys' lives while
> they were in hiding?  Would Vernon lose his job?   

Aussie:
Vernon would change jobs and Dudley change schools. They would have 
needed support of they would have gone back to Privot Drive too soon.
 
> 13. ...Hedwig ... is confined to her cage ...  Did you see this 
> as a foreshadowing of her fate in the next chapter?   Was it 
> meant that way?

Aussie:
Harry was going to need to hide. Hedwig would have been too 
recogniseable. Jo had to make her a casualty of war. She always 
wanted us to understand Voldemort is Evil, and so some close to 
Harry had to perish. (I didn't expexct it thought)