Hogwarts Herald

The second chapter of the book starts out an astounding 10 years after the end of the first. It seems our fears of leaving poor Harry with the Dursleys are confirmed. There are no pictures of him, nor any sign that he lives in this house. But he is there, living in the cupboard under the stairs. With the spiders. Harry wakes up on the morning in question to his Aunt screeching at him to get out of bed. After all it’s “Duddykins” birthday, and everything needs to be perfect. Treated more like a servant than a relative, it is Harrys responsibility to watch the bacon while everything else is prepared. Uncle Vernon comes down to the kitchen and bellows at Harry to “Get a haircut”. Poor Harry. Can you imagine 10 years of being treated like this?

“Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel — Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.”

When Dudleys gifts are opened, all 37 of them (with the promise of two more on the day out), Aunt Petunia gets a call that Mrs. Figg has broken her leg and won’t be able to watch Harry after all. It is brought to our attention that every single year on Dudley’s birthday Harry is left in the care of Mrs. Figg, a crazy cat lady for all appearances. Thus begins a discussion between Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon which shows us exactly what Harry has had to deal with for all these years. With comments like: Aunt Marge? “Don’t be silly she hates the boy!”. When Harry volunteers to just stay home while the family visits the zoo the response is a ridiculous one. Uncle Vernon proclaims that he wouldn’t want to come home to the house in ruins. It makes me wonder what exactly Harry has ever done to provoke this kind of reaction.

But strange things seem to happen to little Harry. His hair grows back overnight, ugly sweaters shrink inexplicably while trying to be forced onto him, and once he ended up on the roof of the school kitchens, when all he was trying to do was jump behind the garbace bins. What exactly were Harry’s parents, and how are these things happening to him? And how did he get that scar, which is the only thing about his appearance that he likes? Aunt Petunia says he got it in the car wreck in which his parents died. Car wreck? That doesn’t make any sense. But there is a definate rule of “Don’t ask questions” which Harry must abide by. Even the slightest thing could set of a fountainf of Rage in Uncle Vernon. The mere mention of a dream Harry had, (which we know to be a repressed memory) of a flying morotcycle sends him off the deep end. Harry makes a promise that he won’t do anything funny at the zoo, although he doesn’t remember doing anything in the past either.

Sure enough, though, something strange does happen. After most of what turned out to be a surprisingly good day, the Dursleys, Piers Polkiss, and Harry find themselves in the reptile house. Dudley very quickly becomes bored, after unsuccessfully trying to irritate a large boa constrictor. While Harry is looking, the Boa looks up and winks at him. Not something you would normally see a snake do, but as so many strange things happen to him, I think he’s used to it at this point. Harry starts talking to the snake, and strangely enough, gets responses. That is one smart snake!!! When Piers notices that the snake is finally moving he calls Dudley and Uncle Vernon. Dudley, finally seeing something interesting, gets Harry out of his way by punching him in the stomach. Suddenly, for no reason at all, the glass disappears. Dudley and Piers jump away, and the snake slithers off. Harry is sure he hears him say “Brazil here I come, thanksss amigo.” It seems as though the zoo authorities will take the wrath of Uncle Vernon, until Piers has the presence of mind to mention that Harry was talking to the constrictor.

Upon arrival at home, Uncle Vernon is in such a temper that he can’t even speak properly. Harry is sent to his cupboard without any meals, and in his cupboard waiting to be sure that the Dursleys are in bed, Harry does some reflecting. He doesn’t remember the car accident that killed his parents, but he seems to remember a bright green light. He dreamed, when he was younger, for some unknown relation to come and take him away, but he has long since given up hope. Again I am struck by the tragedy of his situation. Harry Potter is 10 years old, and his biggest aspiration is to be left home alone so perhaps he can watch what he wants on TV, and he has completely given up hoping for a better life. This is what he was given, and it is all he will ever get. The only thing that helps, is that sometimes he is shown kindness by complete strangers. And there are none stranger than those that show him kindness. Weird people in weird clothing, shaking his hand and waving to him for no reason. Perhaps that is enough reason to hope for better things in life. Perhaps not everyone will be as awful to him as the Dursleys have been for the rest of his life.

Previously: The Boy Who Lived
Next: The Vanishing Glass: In Depth
Tomorrow: The Letters from No One