CHAPTER DISCUSSION Chamber of Secrets ch. 1, The Worst Birthday

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 188710

> CHAPTER DISCUSSION:  Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets Chapter 1: The Worst Birthday
<snip excellent summary, which reminded me how similar the opening of CS is to OoP>
 
> 1. In this chapter Harry reminds Dudley to say please by asking him to "say the magic word." Vernon goes beyond anger and into CAPSLOCK. Referring to "please" as a "magic word" is common but Vernon doesn't seem to know this. Was he really upset over the use of the word or was it another excuse to yell at Harry?

Carol responds:
Interesting question. Since Harry, who is almost isolated from other people except at school, has heard this expression, Uncle Vernon has surely heard it, too. I don't suppose he's more than forty or so, if that, and most likely has not forgotten his childhood--though possibly his family didn't say "please" and "thank you." I think that he's willfully misunderstanding the word, allowing the word "magic" to set him off like a firecracker. He really does hate magic. OTOH, he also seems to enjoy yelling at Harry on the pretext that it's good for Harry. A bit of both, I suppose.
> 
> 2. It seems that Harry is always doing the work at the Dursleys' but today Vernon banishes him from the house so Petunia can clean. Why did you think Vernon did this?

Carol:
I don't think that Harry cleans Aunt Petunia's precious kitchen. He only cooks and does a few other chores unless he's being punished, as in OoP. Vernon wants to make a good impression, and Petunia's almost fanatical cleanliness is much more likely to do that than Harry's hit-and-miss, half-hearted efforts.
> 
> 3. Harry is bored before he sees the eyes in the bushes. He wishes he could hear from any witch or wizard, even from Draco Malfoy. The chapter ends with someone on Harry's bed. Who did you think it might have been?

Carol:
I really don't remember, but I certainly wasn't expecting a sickeningly submissive Gollum rip-off, which was my first impression of Dobby. (Needless to say, I like him better after DH. Still hate the movie version, though.)
> 
> 4. Who, or what, did you think the eyes in the bushes belonged to?

Carol:
Again, no clue. Maybe a cat since they were round and green--or Harry's imagination. It's difficult if not impossible to recall my first reaction after so many readings.
> 
> 5. Neither Ron nor Hermione has contacted Harry in a month. Before you found out the reason why they didn't, what did you think?

Carol:
Maybe Vernon or Petunia hid the letters? Then, again, I wouldn't have put it past Ron not to write. Most twelve-year-old boys (or girls) in the late twentieth century never developed the habit of letter writing. (It's even worse today.)
> 
> 6. The Dursleys have a valid reason for Petunia's nephew living with them. He has gone to school so it is no secret in the neighborhood. Why would they try and hide Harry from the Masons?

Carol:
They can't hide him from the neighbors, but the Masons are casual acquaintances who aren't likely to visit again and whom the Dursleys are trying to impress. They're probably afraid that he'll say something to embarrass them (he didn't know about Hogwarts or wizards when he went to school). Possibly, they're also subliminally ashamed of the way they dress and treat him and don't want the Masons to know that they have a Cinderella nephew living with them who's forced to wear Dudley's old clothes. Maybe they're also afraid of accidental magic (he's turned a teacher's wig blue). Whatever it is, they're afraid that he'll somehow lose them that contract--and they're right, though, of course, the pudding incident isn't Harry's fault. 

Carol, trying to get back into HP mode now that Christmas is all but over (it's the tenth day, if my count is correct)