Will and Won’t
chapter three of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry waits for Dumbledore as we read the Daily Prophet articles about Voldemort’s return – and then Dumbledore arrives, scolds the Dursleys for their mistreatment of Harry, determines that Harry is the owner of Grimmauld Place, and takes Harry off with him to depart Privet Drive for the year.
Harry Potter was snoring loudly.
(by Maria Abagnale)
The minute hand on the alarm clock reached the number twelve and, at that precise moment, the streetlamp outside the window went out. Harry awoke as though the sudden darkness were an alarm.
(by Chantelle)
“Judging by your look of stunned disbelief, Harry did not warn you that I was coming,” said Dumbledore pleasantly. “However, let us assume that you have invited me warmly into your house. It is unwise to linger overlong on doorsteps in these troubled times.”
(by FizzingWhizbees)
The Dursleys, after quick, scared looks at one another, tried to ignore their glasses completely, a difficult feat, as they were nudging them gently on the sides of their heads. Harry could not suppress a suspicion that Dumbledore was rather enjoying himself.
(by Heather Campbell)
Before he could do anything else, Uncle Vernon shouted, “Will you get these ruddy things off us?” …. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” said Dumbledore politely, and he raised his wand again. All three glasses vanished. “But it would have been better manners to drink it, you know.”
(by Sheena Kristen Sy)
“And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”
(by Drew Graham)
about the chapter
Something You May Not Have Noticed
The idea that wizards come of age at seventeen – which, as Uncle Vernon points out, is a year earlier that their counterparts in the Muggle world – has been well established from the earliest books of the series. But it’s interesting to think about why that would be. One benefit of this rule, of course, is that all wizards are able to use magic from the moment they leave Hogwarts – whereas if they had to turn eighteen first, Harry (as one of the youngest in his class) would have to wait a couple of months after graduating before he could use magic in the real world. But I suspect there’s a more practical reason for the difference, and it has a lot less to do with the wizards and a lot more to do with the author – who had the series planned out well enough from the start that she knew her characters would need to be able to use magic in her final volume.
The Boy Who Lived
At first glance, it seems remarkable that despite his expecting Dumbledore’s arrival, Harry doesn’t even pack his belongings. Doesn’t he trust Dumbledore to keep his word? But when you think about it, I think it has a lot less to do with Harry’s faith in Dumbledore and a lot more to do with the emotional toll Privet Drive has on him; he says himself that he wasn’t able to “face” the thought of having to unpack again if Dumbledore didn’t show up. So, no matter how small the odds may be, he doesn’t want to take the chance. It has to be hard for us to imagine what that must feel like. But it does provide a brilliant ten minutes of Dumbledore sitting alone with the Dursleys while Harry throws his belongings into his trunk. Oh, to be a fly on the wall….
Something to Remember
There are about a dozen ways that Harry could have gotten to the Burrow far more easily than being personally escorted by the most important wizard in Britain. Harry began to learn just how important he is to the wizarding world a few weeks ago, when he first heard the prophecy. And he’s so unique that occurrences like this have become almost commonplace in his bizarre life. But for any other student, Dumbledore’s personally showing up on their doorstep would be unbelievably remarkable, and point to the idea that there’s even more going on than Harry knows.
The Final Word
(When asked, “Is there more to Dudley than meets the eye?”)
No. [Laugher] What you see is what you get. I am happy to say that he is definitely a character without much back story. He is just Dudley. The next book, Half Blood Prince, is the least that you see of the Dursleys. You see them quite briefly. You see them a bit more in the final book, but you don’t get a lot of Dudley in book six—very few lines. I am sorry if there are Dudley fans out there, but I think you need to look at your priorities if it is Dudley that you are looking forward to. [Laughter] –J.K. Rowling, August 2004
First to post! Wow! :)
Always nice to see more art by Sheena Kristen Sy.
Anna said this on February 9, 2010 at 5:42 pm
(I think my post didn’t work…I’ll try again, sorry if it comes up twice.)
Always nice to see more artwork by Sheena Kristen Sy.
Anna said this on February 9, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Feel free to delete one of those, John.
Anna said this on February 9, 2010 at 5:51 pm
“And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.” That may very well be my very favorite line in the entire series. I can remember going back a reading it a few times because it is just so perfectly worded.
Tallnerdygirl said this on February 9, 2010 at 6:43 pm
I started laughing out loud the moment Uncle Vernon opened the door. “I must say your agapanthus are flourishing.” Ha, ha!
Roonil Wazlib said this on February 9, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Dumbledore interacting with the Dursleys has to be one of my favorite scenes.
As for wizarding ages, it seems odd to me that despite the fact that they have long lifespans, they become of age early and have to choose careers in their 5th year. I think there was a discussion about this on the site somewhere in an earlier book.
I always love Chantelle’s drawings.
Mickey said this on February 9, 2010 at 7:09 pm
“Kreacher, shut up!”–first order Harry gives his new house-elf. I think I applauded or cheered when I read that!
Yes, to be a fly on the wall of the sitting-room while Harry was upstairs “finishing up” packing his trunk.
Half Blood Prince is one of my favorite in the series, for the simple fact that we do see more of Dumbledore in this book than we had previously. For all his faults, I still like Dumbledore very much.
Jimma said this on February 9, 2010 at 10:49 pm
I crack up every time I read this scene. Dumbledore + Dursleys = HILARIOUS!!!
hpboy13 said this on February 9, 2010 at 11:29 pm
I’m usually a lurker, but this chapter gave me the push to post.
First of all, your site is amazing. Thank you for all the work you put in this.
Secondly, this chapter is one of my favorite. Dumbledore’s actions toward the Dursley’s are everything I wanted to do to them myself. I think Phineas Nigellus’s words from OOTP are perfect here “you cannot deny he’s got style”.
ST-DL said this on February 10, 2010 at 4:52 am
“However, let us assume that you have invited me warmly into your house.” “- yet, sadly, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often.” Ha, ha!
This is simply my favorite chapter of the series.
Wasn’t it Aunt Petunia who pointed out that Dudley won’t come of age until he’s 18?
Kim said this on February 10, 2010 at 10:15 am
Yes, Petunia was the one that spoke up and said that Dudley wouldn’t come of age for another year–on his 18th birthday. I have always wondered why the legal age for the Wizarding world was 17.
Jimma said this on February 11, 2010 at 12:26 am
this was one of my favorite chapters i loved seeing dumbledore with the dursleys but what i loved was the scene with kreacher and his tantrum it just gave me laughs he made the chapter and dumbledore too. that was my favorite part
i was upset that they cut this out the movie
seekerbillpotter said this on February 11, 2010 at 2:52 am
I loved the picture of Maria Abagnale, but whenever I read this chapter, I always have to think about the image makani/heather campbell drew of Harry drooling against the window ^.^ This was one of my favorite dursleys-scenes, alond with the one from book 7 :). Great pointing out how special Harry actually is for being escorted by dumbledore!
kim said this on February 11, 2010 at 3:10 am
I like this chapter, too, but as much as I myself have wanted to give the Dursleys a piece of my mind for their treatment of Harry, I always thought Dumbledore’s behavior towards them bordered on being over the line. He doesn’t insult them to their faces, but he is actually quite rude and snotty to them — inviting himself into the house, speaking to Harry as if the Dursleys were not in the room, dragging a house-elf into their sitting room, and banging them on the head with glasses of mead. Certainly not equal to the years of abuse that Harry suffered at their hands, but I always thought the reason Dumbledore acted like this was to assuage his own guilt about leaving Harry in an abusive household for so much of his life. The first step in the slow but steady revelation that Dumbledore is far more flawed and human than we had any idea of.
Meri said this on February 11, 2010 at 11:20 am
Wow, Meri, I never thought of Dumbledore as being rude to them. The way I read it, Dumbledore was being more mischievous than rude and snotty. He is reacting and capitalizing on their rudeness and ignorance of good manners. I think of it as he is trying to teach them a lesson on good manners, as they so clearly have none. I never feel too sorry for whatever the Dursleys get, because they are really awful people. They abused Harry for his entire life simply because he was magic-if you take out the word magic and substitute another word (choose a group that is frequently abused simply because they are from that group) and I wonder if people would still feel like the Dursleys somehow have goodness in them. They don’t.
As for Dumbledore being flawed and human, yes, he is, and I think he’s been trying to get Harry to realize that for a while. At some point he says that he comes up with truly ingenious ideas, but correspondingly, his mistakes are also much huger than others.
I wonder if Dumbledore really had that much true guilt about leaving Harry with the Dursleys. He clearly knew what horrible people they were, but chose to leave him there anyway so that he would be as normal as possible. If he had been raised by another family, he would’ve known about his greatness far earlier in his life and it would’ve been impossible for him to be as humble as he turned out to be. I think Dumbledore certainly felt badly that this was the choice he had to make, but remember, he was for the Greater Good always. I just don’t know if guilt was the emotion he was feeling. Dismay, sadness, probably. Guilt? I just don’t know. Any other thoughts on that?
Jennifer C. said this on February 12, 2010 at 10:36 am
I had a serious problem with the actions of Kreacher here. What no one in the chapter seems to realize is that IF he has passed to Bellatrix instead of Harry, he can follow Harry’s orders VOLUNTARILY, to fool Harry and Dumbledore into thinking they can control him when they can’t. All through the book, I was expecting this to backfire on our heroes; I figured Bellatrix had gotten control of Grimmauld place and was concealing the fact for her own evil purposes. So during Xmas break, say, she and the other Death Eaters could break in and destroy the Order of the Phoenix all gathered together.
Jennifer said this on February 12, 2010 at 5:57 pm
I think Dumbledore probably regrets that the Dursleys were such horrible guardians, but as you say Jennifer C., leaving Harry with them was the better option. From the outset, Dumbledore has a very good idea that Harry will have an unfair life, and will experience a lot of terrible things ‘for the greater good.’
Though Dumbledore initially asked Petunia and Vernon to raise Harry as their own son, in the end he considers their treatment of Dudley more detrimental than Harry’s. Had Harry been raised by a family in the Wizarding world -where he was famous and praised with defeated Voldemort-, he could likely have turned out as spoiled as Dudley. The ideal option, having him raised by loving parents, ignorant of his fame, sadly wasn’t available.
I don’t see how Dumbledore would feel he made the wrong choice, so I don’t see how he would feel (legitimately) guilty. Leaving Harry with his aunt ensured his physical safety. Though I do wonder, with Dumbledore so aware of Voldemort’s upbringing, and likely at least partially aware of Snape’s, wasn’t it gambling a lot that Harry would turn out to be a decent human being?
Jennifer, regarding Kreacher – I never realized that possibility. Hm…
Inky Squirrel said this on February 12, 2010 at 9:38 pm
It occurs to me that if it weren’t for the whole “mother’s blood protects him” thing, Harry could easily have been adopted (technically, he was, but you get the point). Muggle adoptive parents would love him as much as his own parents did. I suppose there would be too much chance of him ending up like Tom Riddle, though, stuck in an orphanage and nobody wanting him.
Actually, something else occurs… Harry was literally left on the Dursley’s doorstep. How the heck did that get past the British equivalent of Child Protective Services? Even if the Dursleys didn’t jump at the chance to hand the infant Harry over to the police, someone must surely have looked into the circumstances of his adoption. Normally when a child is given a new guardian, even if it’s a relative, there is a ton of paperwork. I wonder how many Muggle civil servants were Obliviated to get around THAT.
Jennifer said this on February 13, 2010 at 12:27 am
@Jennifer
The Dursleys would not have dared to land Harry in an orphanage, since they could not afford to run afoul of Dumbledore. You remember the howler of Dumbledore, as Vernon had attempted to throw Harry out of the house in OoP.
Since Vernon was a manager of a company and somewhat wealthy and so a good taxpayer, officers of Juvenile Services wouldn´t make much trouble.A problem would it be, if mew guardians are unemployed or poor.
Marco said this on February 13, 2010 at 8:56 am
@ Jimma, most likly so Harry could legally use magic during Book 7.
Jeremy said this on February 13, 2010 at 6:03 pm
I would say that maybe Bellatrix could have ordered Kreacher to obey Harry’s orders so that the Death Eaters could capture the Order, but remember that the order that Harry gave Kreacher was simply to “shut up”. After that, Kreacher still threw his tantrum on the floor, except silently. He didn’t want to obey Harry, but he had to because Harry WAS his master now.
So that told me that Harry was legitimately Kreacher’s owner after Sirius left him to Harry.
Jimma said this on February 14, 2010 at 1:05 am
Jennifer, I don’t think the Muggles ever found out about the baby-left-on-the-doorstep. It was dark for most of the time, so the only person who would have seen him before Petunia did would have been the milkman. I’m sure Dumbledore could have Obliviated ONE Muggle.
I think the Dursleys probably did have to fill out a mountain of Muggle paperwork. But the bottom line is – they WERE his next-of-kin, so the Muggles would encourage them to adopt Harry. Petunia would have been too frightened of Dumbledore to admit that she didn’t want him.
Grace has Victory said this on February 15, 2010 at 4:34 am
I really wish some part of this chapter had made it into the movie. It makes me really appreciate Dumbledore!
wizardinventor said this on February 16, 2010 at 7:23 pm
You know, I never assumed the Dursley’s had *adopted* Harry. Maybe filled out paperwork to be his legal guardian, but no more. Is there anywhere JKR indicates that he was adopted?
Anna said this on April 8, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Sorry, I didn’t mean that they literally adopted him. I don’t think they did. But as you say, they probably would have had to be appointed as his legal guardians. It would have been more than simply a fostering arrangement, which is legally and psychologically unstable for everyone.
Grace has Victory said this on April 21, 2010 at 7:00 pm
I don’t even think the milkman would have noticed because didn’t Petunia find Harry and scream when she was putting out the milk bottles for the milkman? Before he arrived?
And, yes, I think it was a real crime that this chapter was not included in the film instead of the ridiculous scene on the railway cafe and platform!
Sorry, I know this is about the books – but had to say it! Thank goodness for the books to get the true perspective.
Electa said this on June 17, 2010 at 1:46 am