It is very interesting to reread the first book of a
series after having finished the last. You read with an entirely different
perspective. You are more keenly aware of minute details that, at first seem unimportant,
but take on an entirely different scope when seen in a new light. I believe
this is why I am enjoying the reread so much, it’s because I have a whole new
outlook on it all. It’s an entirely new discovery process, we have come full
circle. You know how sometimes it’s nice to eat dessert before dinner? I feel
that way about rereading the series once you know how it ends. It’s a real
treat!
In the first chapter of the book, on the night Harry is
dropped on the Dursley’s door step, we know exactly what led up to that event,
what went down in Godrick’s Hollow. It feels like you are privileged to certain
information that the characters in the book are not. We surely recognize
Sirius’ motorcycle right away and understand the symbolism of Harry’s godfather
being present in his life when he has just lost both his parents. The fact that
Hagrid was riding the motorcycle represents the “parental” role he will one day
play in Harry’s life. Basically, Hagrid arriving on Sirius’ motorcycle
foreshadows that Hagrid and Sirius will somewhat become surrogate parents to
Harry.
You also understand from the get-go that Dumbledore and McGonagall
will also be prominent and influential people in Harry’s life. Dumbledore is
the key to most of the mystery solving throughout the series. He is Harry’s
guiding light, pointing him in the right direction and giving him the tools and
information needed. But he was always conscious and wise in deciding what
information, how and when it was appropriate to tell Harry. I feel like his
character represents the voice of reason and also that information is power. Knowing
how to use the information one gathers is just as important as knowing it in
the first place. I see Dumbledore as being Harry’s mentor. He knows that this
is a battle only Harry can fight and is humble enough to understand it is not
his place to fight this battle, although one would think that with his status
and power he would attempt to be the hero. This is why he is a good influence
on Harry. Becoming known from a young age and propelled to fame, Harry needs to
remain grounded and humble. Dumbledore is the perfect person to teach him these
values. He knows far too well how quickly a good apple can go bad. Tom Riddle
seemed to be as good a student as they come, yet became the most notorious dark
magic wizard that world has known. Dumbledore seems to want to protect Harry
from going down that same path, especially since Harry and Voldemort were to
meet one day.
Also, I want to touch on the colour of Albus Dumbledore’s
robes. They are purple, a colour commonly associated with royalty. I think this
is a subtle way of pointing out his status in the Wizarding World. Dumbledore
is one of the best wizards of his time. Having rejected the post of Minister of
Magic, he shows that he is not on a quest to ultimate power, yet he is still
seen as some sort of king. He is noble, humble, intelligent and wise. All great
qualities found in a ruler. The difference is, he sees everyone as equals and
would never place himself above others. This shows us his level of integrity,
he does what he thinks is right, regardless of the way he is perceived. Therefore,
that is why I think he is portrayed as a leader because he is perceived by the
wizarding community as being their “king”. They feel safe as long as he is
around.
Now, on to McGonagall. She is the only teacher who showed
up on Privet Drive on that dreadful day. She seems to have a particular
interest in Harry’s fate. I think she too understood the magnitude of what had
happened when Voldemort tried to kill Harry. She might not have all the details
of the situation, but she is aware that this is as unusual as they come. To me,
McGonagall represent the structure and discipline in Harry’s life. She is very
strict and always punished him when it was deserved. She also contributed to
keeping Harry down to earth. It must have been hard to not show favouritism
towards Harry, especially since he was in Gryffindor, her house. She also
hand-picked him for the Quidditch team, which, like any other sport, develops
discipline, endurance and strength; all qualities that will benefit Harry in
the end. It might not seem like she did that much, but she definitely laid the
ground work to help mould Harry’s work ethic. Together, Dumbledore and
McGonagall take a keen interest in the way Harry is trained, both physically
and mentally. They made sure he would be prepared for everything, in a subtle
matter of course.
One of my ah-ha moments while rereading was to rediscover
how Harry and Ron became friends with Hermione. I had completely forgotten that
they weren’t all instantly friends. Of course Harry and Ron hit it off on the
train, but they couldn’t stand Hermione at first (even though Harry had thought
she would be an asset in helping them find the Philosopher’s stone.) That bond
only developed once they save her from the troll attack on Halloween. They had
noticed her “potential usefulness” but could not connect on a personal level.
It seems it took a near-death experience to bring them together. Little did
they know there were many more of those experiences to come!
I also noticed something that I had always overlooked in
my previous reads. It is mentioned in the very first book that Harry has a
dream/nightmare with a flashing green light and mean laughter in the
background. It is also the first time that his scar stings. Of course, we now
know that his dreams became more vivid seeing as he was in the presence of
Voldemort (Quirrel) during his entire first year at Hogwarts. This is our very
first sign that Harry is a Horcrux. I know it’s a little farfetched, but I do
think this is major foreshadowing!
No comments:
Post a Comment