PHILOSOPHER'S STONE: CHAPTER ONE

Philosopher’s Stone: Chapter One Discussion

Chapter One – The Boy Who Lived

Hey everyone! I’m the chairperson for this chapter, so I’ll be leading the discussion. The discussion will be open for one week, and everyone who participates could earn a possible fifty housepoints dependant of their participation in the discussion.

Remember – this is a discussion, not a debate, so any strong opinions which may invite debate should be kept out. It’s also helpful to re-read the chapter before participating.

That said, on with the discussion!

JK Rowling has said that she had to rewrite the first chapter of Philosopher’s stone several times; otherwise the ending of the whole series would be given away. This is one of the directions that I want to take this discussion in – what is there in this chapter that could have given away the ending?

Let’s start with a quick summary of the events in this chapter:

-We’re introduced to the Dursley’s, and told they are “perfectly normal, thank you very much”.
-We follow Vernon to work, and see his strange encounters with wizards. He suspects it might be something to do with the Potter’s son – and when he goes home he sees on the television, news about ‘shooting stars’ and ‘owls’.
-Dumbledore arrives on Privet Drive, and meets up with McGonagall. They discuss Voldemort’s demise, and what is going to happen with baby Harry.
-Hagrid arrives with Harry on the flying motorbike, and there is another discussion of Lily and James’ deaths.
-Dumbledore leaves Harry on the doorstep of the Dursley’s, a note tucked in his blanket.

On the surface, it doesn’t appear that much happens in this chapter. It seems to be a chapter of introductions and ‘setting the story’, but not much else. However, we need to look a little deeper.

Here’s a timeline from the HP Lexicon, detailing the events of October 31st and the following hours:



Lily and James were killed near midnight on October 31st, yet Harry is not brought to the Dursley’s until almost twenty-four hours later. This I think is important – what happens in those ‘missing hours’?

Well, I won’t monopolise the discussion any more in this post, I’ll give everyone else a chance to post. I hope I’ve given some things to think about – but don’t feel you have to stick to what I’ve touched on.

There are many more aspects we could look at – characterisations, why McGonagall waited there all day, not knowing what was going on etc.

So let the discussion commence…

I guess that McGonagall waited for practically an entire day to send Harry off was because, at first, she and everybody else would not have immediately known who to give Harry too. Sirius would obviously have wanted to take care of Harry, and McGonagall might have considered him an option before Sirius's arrest took place. Also, McGonagall would probably have needed to consult Dumbledore first and paperwork, which, if wizarding bureacracy is anything like muggle bureacracy, could take hours, if not days.

Also, getting Harry to his new home might not have been the first of their worries. Voldemort, James, and Lily had all been killed, and Sirius, James's best friend, was suspected of being a traitor. Getting a helpless baby boy, who probably wouldn't know the difference between the Dursleys and McGonagall or Hagrid, would definitely not have been their first priority.

Btw, I actually really disliked this chapter. The first time I picked up Harry Potter, I immediately decided not to read it because the first page had me bored. Since then, however, my perspective on Harry Potter has changed, but my view on the first chapter has not . . .

Also, I don't own any of the books, so if my info is a little off, sorry.

I think that the post you made in the 7ths book is interesting duck. The one about the hidden traitor - perhaps this may have been the ending thing that JK was trying her hardest not to give away?

Although saying that i am not sure whether i believe that mcgonalgall is a traitor but your post did make sense

I personally don't believe in the McGonagall traitor theory, but I posted it for others opinions.

I'm still interested in the 'missing hours'. Harry wouldn't have sat in the rubble for near to 24 hours, so where did he go? Who was with him? Did Hagrid take him somewhere before going to the Dursleys? These are things that we don't have the answers to and so can only speculate, and I'm sure these things pertain to the reason why JKR had to rewrite it so as not to reveal things.

There is a theory that there was someone else there that night although i think JK said there wasnt, though I still think that perhaps she is trying to throw us off the scent. there must have been someone there otherwise, as you say, who would have looked after harry in the missing hours? He would have surely died of cold if he had been alone.

i thin jk rowling said there wasnt anyone there and i dont think she was lying to put us off track. i think that there may be something in this - perhaps the ghost of lily looking after him? ok far fetched there - ill come back with something better lol

I do think that there was someone else and I believe it was one of two people. Either Sirius (which is the more likely option and would explain a lot) or Snape (although I believe this has been stated untrue by JK herself) I have heard a theory that the infamous RAB was there though I cant see where that fits

JKR's only stated that Snape wasn't there - but anyone else could have been.

Not sure about the RAB thing - if it is Regulus as has been speculated, he was killed by Voldemort.

Or on voldemorts orders sirius said. Perhaps RAB was killed after voldemort went and a deatheater killed him on the knowledge he was at the house?

My thoughts still stand with it being Sirius there though. It would explain a few things and it fits better than anyone else

I agree. I believe that if anyone was there, it would be Sirius. He would probably be the first to go to the Potter house at the sign of any trouble and would probably have wanted to take care of Harry until he was taken to Azkaban. But even if Sirius was there, what happened? Did McGonagall and Sirius fight over Harry (that would be funny ) or what?

mcgonagall didnt know until later though so sirius wouldnt have seen her. Perhaps sirius took harry for safety until he could inform dumbledore?

The Missing 24 Hours is possibly very important. This also ties in with why there were so many rewrites. I have read somewhere maybe at another fan site that she was going to put in the Potter's death. If she did that, then it would probably ruin the ending. I think that Harry was takin to Order headquarters or possible Hogwarts before the Dursleys becasue obviusoly the journey wouldn't take that long. Hagrid probably took the detour on Dumbledore's orders for the safekeeping of Harry. The death eater are still prowling around and possibly dementors too, so going to Hogwarts, or Headquarters seems to be logical.

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Feel free to continue discussing this chapter below, though the housepoint period is now finished. Take a look at other chapter discussions. HE will be going through every chapter one by one.

Well, I don't know where Harry was during those 24 some hours, but I have a few things to say about McGonagall.

Quote :

(Dumbledore) "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"
"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"
"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."
"You don't mean- you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four.

Okay, this was taken from page 13 of my copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

So from this quote we learn that McGonagall didn't know why Dumbledore was going to come, she just knew from Hagrid that he was going to be at number four Privet Drive sometime that day. Yeah, sorry to shot down some of your guys's ideas about her being there to take Harry or something, but she didn't know so she couldn't have been there because of that.

I find it odd that she knew exactly where to go. Look at the bolded text in the first quote. You think Hagrid would've been a bit more secretive about where he was meeting Dumbledore? I mean, he gave the ADDRESS.

Quote :

Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back.

Just thought that that was odd....McGonagall's not being very descrite (don't know how to spell it...), is she?

I think thats a valid point:

Elana wrote:

Quote :

Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back.

Just thought that that was odd....McGonagall's not being very descrite (don't know how to spell it...), is she?

I think though that she was to worried to be descreet (don't know how to spell it either...)

About her knowing exactly where to go is from Hagird, I can beleive he told her exactly, becasue look all throughout the first year and again in the fourth year.. Hagrid is always giving out information

Something isnt right with McGonagall from the start. If Dumbledore trusts her so much then why doesnt she know things that even Hagrid does?

Well, I would guess thats becasue she's not in the order, Well is she? Hmmm, maybe its because she lets her emotions run away with her