PHILOSOPHERS STONE : CHAPTER THREE

The chair person for chapter three is : MarieC

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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!

Philosophers Stone: Chapter Three Discussion

The Letters from No One

MarieC is the chair person of this discussion, but I will open it up with a short summary

Summary of the second chapter:

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After the boa constrictor incident, Harry isn’t let out of his cupboard until the summer holiday, when he must spend most of his time hiding from Dudley and his gang, whose favorite sport is “Harry hunting”.

We learn that Dudley will be going to Smeltings, the school that Vernon went to when he was a boy (horrifying thought). Harry is left at Mrs. Figg’s (who for some reason -- I wonder why -- was very nice to him that day) while the Dursleys go out to get Dudley’s uniform, complete with the “Smelting stick”, used for hitting people when the teachers aren’t looking. Harry will be going to Stonewall High (or so he thinks! ). Harry is glad that he doesn’t have to go to school with Dudley anymore.

One morning, Vernon sends Harry to get the mail, and Harry finds a letter addressed to him. He’s never received mail before, so he’s very curious to see what he’s gotten. He’s about to read his letter when Dudley comments on the fact that Harry’s got mail. Vernon, suspicious of this, snatches the letter out of Harry’s hands and reads it. Once he realizes what it is, he kicks Harry and Dudley out of the kitchen. Harry and Dudley, listening from the floor and the keyhole, respectively, overhear Vernon and Petunia talking. They don’t learn that much though -- only that Vernon and Petunia know who sent the letter, that Vernon wants to ignore it, and that Petunia isn’t sure that will work. They refer to the mysterious sender of the letter as “them”.

The next day, Vernon comes into Harry’s cupboard and tells him that he will be moving into Dudley’s second bedroom (much to Big D’s dismay). The next morning, Vernon sends Dudley to get the mail instead of Harry. Dudley yells that Harry has gotten another letter. Vernon and Harry rush over to Dudley, and the three of them proceed to fight over the letter. Vernon wins and orders the two boys out of the room.

The next day Harry got up early so he would be at the door when the mail came, but Vernon had expected this, and had slept by the door that night to prevent that very thing from happening. Harry was sent three letters that day, and Vernon tore them to pieces.

Vernon stayed home from work that day and nailed the mail slot shut, explaining to his wife that “if they can’t deliver them, they’ll just give up.” Petunia isn’t sure that’ll work.

The next day, twelve letters arrive for Harry, forced between the cracks on the edges of the door. Vernon is starting to show signs of insanity. He burns the letters and boards up all the cracks around the doors so that no mail can get in, singing “Tiptoe through the Tulips” all the while and jumping at small noises.

But the mysterious letter-sender is much smarter than that. The next day, they receive two dozen letters inside the eggs delivered through the living room window. These go straight into the food processor.

On Sunday, Vernon believes they are safe from the barrage of letters, but it is not so. As soon as he mentions it, a flood of letters burst through the fireplace. Furious, Vernon orders the family to pack their bags and be ready to leave in five minutes. They drive all day until they arrive at a hotel just outside an obscure town. But they can’t escape the letters even there! The next morning, the hotel manager informs them that Harry been mailed “about an ‘undred” letters that morning.

They all get back in the car as Vernon searches out an isolated location for them to hide. They arrive at the Sea as it starts to rain. And this is when the ever-brilliant Dudley finally observes that “Daddy’s gone mad”. Vernon finds a miserable shack on a rock somewhere out at sea, and borrows a rowboat from a toothless old man with a rather wicked grin.

They arrive at the shack, eat the food that Vernon got (a bag of chips and a banana each) and settle in for the night, Vernon and Petunia in the only bedroom, Dudley on the couch, and Harry on the floor. Harry, who is unable to sleep, counts down the minutes and seconds to his birthday.

Are we able to start the conversation if the chair person hasnt posted?

Well there was great importance with Harry getting the letter and reading at least one to be able to go to Hogwarts. Besides their dislike of witches and wizards, it seems as if there is another reason that they don't want Harry going.

That reason might be they know what dangers await him, and that evil people are after him and they might chase him back to Privet Drive. I think it was for their own protection.

I think the Dursleys view about witches and wizards is a bit more than dislike - it is an atitude of hysteria rather seen in the middle ages, which could explain why they were so reluctant to let Harry go there. Maybe they were also afraid - with they little muggle minds - that Harry would one day come back as a fully trained wizard and punish them for the way they treated him and for hiding his parent's true reason of death all those years.

I like what Chrisitna said but I also think that Petunia new what dangers they were getting thmeselves into, maybe Vernon didn't but I'm pretty sure Petunia did becasue of Lily.

I have a question - slighty off our topic, but it might bring a new explanation: do you believe it possible that Petunia cared for Lily and had suffered so much after her death that she didn't want Harry to go to Hogwarts and be in danger of dying like Lily? Maybe because deeeeeeep down inside she cared for Harry as her sister's son?
hmm *ponders* I find it a bit improbable myself but you never know what allegedly mean people have in their hearts.... :/

you know I have thought of that too, and it sorta mistakes I think she just puts on a face for her husband or is too overwhelmed by jealousy to show how she really feels.

by jealosy you mean the fact that her own kid is... well, Duddleykins.. and that Harry, is actually a perfectly nice boy, and she knows that? Still, she never actually showed any signs of trying to be nice to Harry, although she didn't ever act quite like Vernon.
But the fact that she might have just put on a face for her husband makes sense, as I think keeping her own family united would have been much more important to her than Harry. I mean, think of the shock Vernon would have had to find out his wife was actually pro-wizards and pro-Harry... divorce and taking Dudley away! I also think Vernon is the main reason why the Dursleys never speak of wizards - Petunia herself wouldn't have had any problems with that, as she was used to living with Lily.

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by jealosy you mean the fact that her own kid is... well, Duddleykins.. and that Harry, is actually a perfectly nice boy, and she knows that? Still, she never actually showed any signs of trying to be nice to Harry, although she didn't ever act quite like Vernon.

no, I mean that Lily was this great Witch and her parents were really proud and she was a muggle.

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Petunia herself wouldn't have had any problems with that, as she was used to living with Lily.

I dont know about that, she knows the dangers and the revenge possible, she knows that her family oculd get hurt and she might be jelous ans mentioned above and cant stand to have it rubbed in her face.

KatieBellaTrix wrote:

no, I mean that Lily was this great Witch and her parents were really proud and she was a muggle.

duh... where was my brain? XD

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Petunia herself wouldn't have had any problems with that, as she was used to living with Lily.

I dont know about that, she knows the dangers and the revenge possible, she knows that her family oculd get hurt and she might be jelous ans mentioned above and cant stand to have it rubbed in her face.

yeah, but she still would have at least had the courage to talk about the wizarding world, right? And at least her reasons are a bit more mature than Vernon's ...

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yeah, but she still would have at least had the courage to talk about the wizarding world, right?

idk it still might be to poainful of her to think about it and having Harry could be like torture