I’ve noted before that while writing fanfiction I try to stay as close to canon as I can, and that necessitates re-reading the books (or portions of the books) before and during the writing.
I also make notes as I go, and these are some of my notes from the first Harry Potter book, along with my commentary.
NOTE: I am only, repeat ONLY, and furthermore ONLY considering the text as written in the books. The books are what they are, and that’s what I’m responding to here. Your mileage may vary, but please show some courtesy by not bringing anything from other sources up to me in response to this post.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I’m using the Scholastic, Inc., paperback “this edition first printing 2018” (but it looks like the 22nd printing overall)- the one with the black-and-white illustrative cover and the title in red. All page references will be to this edition.
Finally, I quote bits from the book under the fair use provision for review or commentary of US Copyright Law.
Point the first, and the one most likely to get angry comments from others:
Dumbledore is evil. Not just a barmy old man but actively evil.
Why do I say that? Because of this:
“…the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts” (page2)
And this:
“the cloudy sky outside” (page 2)
And this:
The weatherman says, “Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early – it’s not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight!” (page 6)
There’s our first clue as to the time of year – in the U.K., Bonfire Night, aka Guy Fawkes Night, is November 5. So it’s late autumn/early winter, depending on whether you go by the calendar or the weather.
Up until then, the weather references could have been to any time of year – it’s England, after all, and dull, gray, cloudy weather is not uncommon. But now, we know it’s the last week of October. (Specifically, it’s October 31, but that date isn’t mentioned until page 55.)
A quick web search (which would have been available in October 1998, when the book was first published in the U.S.) tells me that in Guildford (the county town for Surrey, where we learn Privet Drive is on page 34; specifically, it’s in Little Whinging, which is not a real place. Therefore, I chose the county town), in October, the average overnight low temperature is 51°F (11°C). In November, the average overnight low temperature is 45°F (7°C). Add some rain to that, and whatever the temperature actually was, it was going to be cold overnight.
Keep that in mind.
On page 13, Professor McGonagall asks why Dumbledore is at Privet Drive:
“I’ve come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They’re the only family he has left now.”
She protests:
“Dumbledore – you can’t. I’ve been watching them all day. You couldn’t find two people who are less like us. And they’ve got this son – I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets.” (Bold emphasis added.)
We all know Dumbledore’s response, that it’s better for Harry to be raised away from the fame that will be (already is) his in the wizarding world.
He’s very likely correct about that – we can all think of examples from real life of children who grow up in the spotlight and become, shall we say, less than respectable adults. Keeping Harry out of the spotlight is a good reason to have him raised in the Muggle world.
Dumbledore goes on to say that he has written the Dursleys a letter so they can explain everything to Harry when he’s older. McGonagall doesn’t think it all could be explained in a letter but chooses not to protest further.
By page 16, Dumbledore has “laid Harry gently on the doorstep” and tucked a letter inside Harry’s blankets. Then he and the other two go about their business, whatever that might be.
To sum up: Dumbledore left a baby wrapped in blankets (presumably with his face exposed, so he wouldn’t suffocate) on a doorstep in the middle of a cold (though not freezing), wet night. The doorstep belongs to people who allow their son to kick his mother without being punished. And then he leaves the baby alone there.
Harry’s age hasn’t been revealed yet, but later books establish that he was about 15 months old. By 15 months old, most babies are walking – which means there was nothing to stop baby Harry from (potentially) waking up, working his way out of his blankets (I doubt Hagrid knows how to swaddle a baby), and toddling off into … well, wherever babies might toddle off to in Little Whinging, Surrey.
I’m fairly certain child endangerment and child neglect charges could be brought against Dumbledore for what he did to Harry that night. Or, more accurately, didn’t do, which is ensure that Harry was safely delivered to people who would care for him.
McGonagall’s not much better. Despite having first-hand, eyewitness knowledge of the kind of people the Dursleys are, McGonagall capitulates to Dumbledore’s desire to leave Harry with them. While, yes, having him raised away from the fame and glory is a good idea, why did it have to be the Dursleys?
Remember – at this point, we know nothing of blood wards that have to be powered by Harry’s presence. We just know the Dursleys are horrible people raising a worse son.
So why didn’t McGonagall suggest Harry be placed for adoption with someone else?
More to the point, why didn’t she check on Harry, even once, after he was placed with a family she knew to be violent and abusive?
Because plot.
A lot of questions in this essay/review will be answered with because plot, and that’s not a sign of good writing.
Don’t get me wrong – Ms. Rowling created a wonderfully gosh-wow-cool! magical world, and I love it as much as anyone else, but sweet Jesus on a pogo stick, some because plot moments are just baffling.
For instance – why do the Dursleys keep Harry? They hate magic, they hate James and Lily, so why do they keep him, rather than turn him over to an orphanage? Presumably, whatever Dumbledore wrote in his letter persuaded them not to do that.
Following on that train of thought
, why aren’t the Dursleys jumping for joy when he gets his Hogwarts letter?
Sure, they swore to stamp out Harry’s magic when they chose to keep him, but clearly that didn’t work, so why aren’t they thrilled to be sending him away so magic doesn’t touch their lives anymore? Unless they just enjoyed beating the crap out of him?
Because plot.
Page 65 – why did Dumbledore send Hagrid, “who didn’t understand ‘Muggle money,’ as he called it” to retrieve Harry when Dumbledore knew Harry was in the Muggle world? Why not send a Muggle-born witch or wizard?
This is not actually a because plot answer. It’s a because gosh-wow-cool! answer. Hagrid as a character and as an introduction to the wizarding world is cool. Like I said, Ms. Rowling created a wonderful, rich world, and Hagrid is the first really gosh-wow-cool! part of it that we see.
On a side note – I realize it’s a gosh-wow-cool! thing, but really – one would think the wizarding world would have a clue about things like letters of credit and bank drafts rather than schlepping around heavy bags full of coin. The Knights Templar issued letters of credit well before the Statute of Secrecy was signed, so there’s really no excuse for that lack of convenience.
Pages 75-76. Why in the world would they remove the Sorcerer’s Stone from Gringotts (which “Like I said , yeh’d be mad ter try an’ rob it” and dragons) to take it to Hogwarts?
Even if Hagrid does think Hogwarts is as safe as Gringotts (and, bless the man, he’s a bit dim), why not let the goblins deal with anyone who tried to steal the Stone? Why put your students at risk? And not just the risk of Voldemort, because he hasn’t been revealed as a threat at this point in the story, but anybody who might take it in mind to live forever.
Because plot. And because Dumbledore is evil.
Here ends part one of this commentary/re-read. There’ll be more in the future, but no idea when.
