Comments on: Will and Won’t

By: Colin

Colin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:04:14 +0000

This is my first time commenting on the site, and I have to say, I love it. I’ve been following it since I started my re-read in July.

I just wanted to say that I always found it significant when Dumbledore says to Aunt Petunia, “We have corresponded, of course.” Harry notes that this is an odd way of reminding her that he sent her an exploding letter, but that Aunt Petunia doesn’t challenge the term.

It seems like Dumbledore wouldn’t use the word “Correspond” for just 2 letters in 15 years, do you think that they actually have had additional letters? Harry never seems to leave the Dursleys on good terms, maybe he needs to send a little note EVERY year to remind Petunia that she needs to take him back?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:50:24 +0000

Oh, I just grin my way through this entire chapter. Dumbledore is awesome. Nuff said.

By: John Kearns

John Kearns — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 17:45:02 +0000

Nat, that’s a brilliant observation. Petunia is fascinating, and I keep meaning to write an essay about her. One of these days….

By: Nat

Nat — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 10:57:17 +0000

So I know it’a been a while since anyone has commented on this chapter, but I thought I would post something I noticed while rereading this book.

Well, I’m not positive about this, but wouldn’t this be the first time that Petunia has ever actually met Dumbledore? I just think it would be interesting to know what is going on in her mind during this scene.

I mean this is the man she wrote to, begging to be admitted to Hogwarts. It must bring back a lot of memories from her childhood that are unpleasant for her. I know that she has heard from him since then, in his letters regarding Harry, but it must have been startling for her to finally put a face to the name.

By: Pam

Pam — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 21:19:39 +0000

That is great observation about the flowers!

I don’t think DD had much choice about leaving Harry with the Durselys. Harry needed protection from Voldemort, and Lily’s blood was the strongest possible protection, so he had to leave Harry with the Durselys. (That said, I sometimes imagine Harry growing up with the Weasleys – it always gives me some great mental pictures;-)

While the Dursleys are truly horrible to Harry, I don’t see them as completely evil. They did take Harry in and they did at least give him some nominal care. He wasn’t routinely beaten, for example.

By: hpboy13

hpboy13 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:46:33 +0000

Hidden gem alert!! I’m just rereading this book for (I believe) the 8th time, and I finally decided to look up what “agapanthus” was. According to Wikipedia, it is a flower known as “LILY of the Nile.” Make of that what you will – Dumbledore being clever, Jo being clever, symbolism, or pure coincidence (which are quite rare in the HP books, btu they do occur). Just thought I’d point this out.

My take on this one is that Dumbledore is saying that Harry (the son of Lily) is flourishing despite the Dursleys best efforts. Thoughts?

By: Austen

Austen — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:11:15 +0000

One of the most brilliant things Dumbldore ever says is (this is NOT verbatim) “At least Harry isn’t as damaged as Dudley”. Pure Brillance.

By: Irene M. Cesca

Irene M. Cesca — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:37:30 +0000

After reading some of these comments I’ve realized Dumbledore was really, REALLY lucky with the Dursleys.
Sure, they could have been lovely relatives and guardians for Harry and that would have made him lucky as well, but from Dumbledore’s perspective the Dursleys’ abuse of Harry could have been much worse and have much direr consequences (do you even say “direr”?!).

Who are the other kids we know who went through abusive childhoods?

Snape: abusive Muggle father Who would beat his mother (and maybe him as well) – turned out to be too fascinated with the Dark Arts for anyone’s good and losing the only good thing in his life made him topple over to the Dark Side.

Sirius: crazy racist parents and other relatives who turned on him when he got sorted into the wrong house – ran away from home at 16, tried to have a classmate killed, bordered on delinquency, sold his best friend to Voldemort and killed 13 people before being dragged laughing to Azkaban (as far as Dumbledore knew, when he left Harry with the Dursley).

Voldemort: conceived in a fake-love union, an orphan within his first day of life, grew up in abandonment – well, we all know how that went.

Ariana: beat up because of her magic – her mind and consequently her powers got screwed up to the point where she killed her mother and was unable to take care of herself.

This last case in particular, of which Dumbledore had cause to be more aware than anyone, should have made him think twice before leaving The Boy Who Lived with just anyone. Vernon says it himself: “nothing a good beating wouldn’t have cured”. What if the Dursley really had tried to beat magic out of Harry?? Their fear of Dumbledore’s wrath? Petunia might have been swayed by that, but what about Vernon? I don’t think he was that impressed with magic before the letters started arriving and Hagrid showed up…

By: David Kenny

David Kenny — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:26:17 +0000

I loved reading this chapter! The Dursley’s reactions to Dumbledore’s wizardish behaviour are comical.

By: Electa

Electa — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:46:45 +0000

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.