CHAPTER DISCUSSION: PS/SS 3, The Letters from No One

[zgirnius]

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CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone/Philosopher Stone

Chapter Three, The Letters from No One

We learn that following the boa constrictor incident, Harry was confined to his cupboard into the Summer Holidays. Once let out, he spends most of his time wandering outside away from the house, to avoid Dudley and his gang of friends. Summer also brings school preparations in the Dursley household - buying uniforms for Dudley for the private secondary school he will be attending, and dyeing Dudley's old clothes to approximate the uniform of the local state-run secondary school which Harry is to attend.

One day, Harry receives a mysterious letter in a parchment envelope with a wax seal, which causes consternation to Vernon and Petunia. Vernon destroys the letter and Harry does not see it. However, the next day Harry is moved by his uncle from his cupboard into Dudley's second bedroom, and two letters arrive, apparently addressed by an entity aware of Harry's change of room. Vernon again prevents Harry from seeing them. Each subsequent day, more of the letters arrive by ever less probable means, which Vernon keeps Harry from seeing. This culminates on Sunday, when a deluge of the letters arrives though the fireplace and Vernon orders everyone out of the house and takes them on a long, aimless drive. However, the following morning Harry receives more letters at the hotel where the foursome are staying. In his manic quest to avoid the letters, Vernon next drags his protesting household out across the sea to a run-down hut on a rock, in a storm.

At midnight, just as Harry turns eleven, there is a loud knock at the door of the hut, and the chapter ends.

Questions for Discussion:

1. This chapter seems to have a lot of over the top action in it. The Smeltings uniform (maroon tailcoat, orange knickerbockers, a straw boater, and a knobbly stick?!), the Stonewall uniform Petunia attempts to imitate (compared to elephant skins), and the extremes to which Vernon goes to avoid the letters. What was your reaction to these? Are there others in the chapter I missed? How do you feel they contributed to/detracted from the book, and how do you see them fitting into the series now?

2. Vernon is described as grayish white after he reads the first line of Harry's letter. Petunia is described as looking like she might faint, clutching her throat, and making a choking noise. What do you make of these reactions? What do you think is behind them?

3. "I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?" Harry and Dudley overhear Vernon saying these words to Petunia in their discussion of the letter. What does this tell us about Vernon and Petunia?

4. Why do you think Vernon and Petunia decide to move Harry into a bedroom?

5. Why does Petunia hand Vernon a fruitcake when he is nailing the mail slot shut instead of a hammer?

6. Any opinions as to why green ink is used in these letters (which we now know are his Hogwarts letters, of course)? Or purple wax?

7. The chapter  is called "Letters from No One". Who do you think it responsible for sending these letters to Harry? Why the misleading chapter title?

8. Feel free to suggest your own question.

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Next Chapter Discussion, Chapter 4, The Keeper of the Keys, on September 21,
2009.

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