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

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 188715


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> 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?

Potioncat:
This was a very humorous Vernon-over-the-top moment. I think Vernon and Petunia are hyper-sensitive to any referernce to magic and would have reacted--at least with a flicker of emotion-- had anyone said "magic word". Had it been anyone other than Harry, Vernon would have realised that "please" was intended and let it go--but this was Harry speaking so he went directly to CAPSLOCK.
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?
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> 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?

Potioncat:
The first time, I'm sure I was too busy turning the page to even wonder--but I would expect it to be a stranger, just because of the wording, and a magical stranger because of what had happened earlier.
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> 4. Who, or what, did you think the eyes in the bushes belonged to?

Potioncat:
I was as curious as Harry, and also delighted that the books were still surprising and we didn't know everything about the WW yet. (or maybe we still don't!)
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> 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?

Potioncat:
I'm not sure what I thought--that somehow their letters weren't getting through, or maybe I wasn't expecting kids to write letters at all. Because at one point I was surprised that Ron and Harry would write letters. I didn't think kids in the RW really would and found it a little difficult to believe. Since then I've to understand that RW kids are *always* writing each other via TEXT messages IMs and Facebook.
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> 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?

Potioncat:
As someone else said, the Masons didn't have to know about Harry. Vernon wanted to showcase his family and to his mind, Harry isn't a part of the family.
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Thanks for the interesting questions.