PS Chapter Four

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

*Looking back, who would be able to identify Hagrid as "The Keeper of the Keys"? The chapter should have been called "Bringer of Dumb Subplots" or something like that.

*Is it really so stupid for Dudley to ask "Where's the cannon?" after being jerked awake by the sound of that door knock? I call unsportsmanlike use of adverb.

*It's Hagrid at the door. I hate this guy.

*Hagrid's first words are to ask for tea and then call Dudley a great lump. This no doubt shows what a good guy he is, as it will show how bad Draco Malfoy is when, iirc, he calls Neville a lump later.

*There's really no disguising that Hagrid is treating the Muggles rudely and obviously favoring Harry. Thanks, Hagrid.

*I believe the movie, in its frantic attempts to make Hagrid look better, has him actually mistake Dudley for Harry. Real Hagrid, of course, knows that Harry Potter would never be a fat kid.

*Why is Hagrid calling Vernon a big prune? And by his last name? I don't think they've ever even met. Oh yeah, he's a Muggle.

*Harry's all choked up at being given a cake, which knowing Hagrid is terrible, but as far as Harry's concerned it's his first good cake, because it came from someone who could do magic.

*Vernon orders Dudley to not touch anything Hagrid gives him. Wise words, Vernon. The narrator seems to see it as a rude thing to say to Hagrid, just as Dumbledore will books later.

*Hagrid makes yet another crack about Dudley's weight, saying his great pudding of a son doesn't need any more fattening. WTF? No wonder I loved Draco so much when he showed up in his scene.

*Also btw, I think this quashes all those attempts to list Hagrid under "heroic fat people who prove JKR doesn't portray being overweight negatively."

*Of course, Hagrid himself doesn't need anymore liquor but he'll keep drinking anyway. He's a Wizard so it's okay.

*It's even more blatant than I remembered the way Hagrid shows up and reveals that the Dursleys are little better than slaves as far as the Wizards are concerned. He doesn't treat them as people taking care of Harry or as Harry's family at all, just goes CAPSLOCK and starts yelling at them about not raising Harry to understand all about Hagrid's world that they themselves know nothing about.

*Oh man, I don't think I can wait until the red alchemical stage. I want Hagrid to die now, please.

*Through the red mist of rage I feel at the way Hagrid treats Muggles, I'm dimly aware that he's still dragging out the revelation that Harry's a Wizard interminably. "Don't you know what you are? " "What am I?" "About our world? " "What world? " "You didn't tell him? " "Tell me what? " "Tell you that…" "See here, don't tell him…!" GET ON WITH IT! The cormorants outside get it by now!

*Nice that Dumbledore lists all his jobs under his title of headmaster. Not everyone puts their Conflicts of Interests right on their business card.

*So what happens if somebody doesn't owl the school back? Or has that just never happened in the whole history of Hogwarts?

*Hagrid responds to McGonagall with the announcement that he'll be taking Harry away tomorrow despite his guardians saying no. I wonder if the Grangers are getting this same treatment?

*Hagrid's so frazzled by the Dursleys he forgets to cry all over his letter and leave his trademark tearstains before sending it. How will they know it's from him?

*Vernon continues to stand up to the Magical Giant threatening him, thus proving Vernon's a big bully coward.

*Petunia lets loose years of resentment about being related to a Wizard. Though I suspect we're only supposed to hear and be shocked that she called her sister a freak. Which is totally different than the way Hagrid's been throwing around the word "Muggle." That's just the truth.

*Petunia actually sounds upset that her sister was killed through her involvement with Wizards, but that must just be a typo. Muggles don't have real feelings, and family doesn't mean the same thing to them.

*Hagrid, meanwhile, is furiously offended that anyone could even suggest Wizards could die in a Muggle way. Even though Petunia's story kind of makes Wizards look better than the real one.

*Apparently Dumbledore told Hagrid there might be trouble getting hold of Harry. No doubt they discussed how they could talk to the Dursleys as equals and explain why it was better for Harry to go to Hogwarts.

*Bwahaha! Just kidding. I wonder if Hagrid was given license to kill if the Muggle scum got too uppity.

*Hagrid blubbers about Voldemort for a while. Luckily he doesn't pick this scene to explain how Voldemort is evil for his racist views against Muggles. That would just be confusing.

*Hagrid also reveals he can't spell, but in a way that should inspire our affection. You might have thought we were supposed to laugh at his ignorance since we've been encouraged to laugh at Dudley's. That's just what a dumb Muggle like you would think.

*Harry's mum and dad were just the nicest people, they make Hagrid blow into a handkerchief. Oh, was I ever naïve enough to believe Hagrid's opinion on anything?

*You know, Dumbledore was kind of stupid sending Hagrid to do this job. Snape could have done it much easier. The Dursleys would hear him insult Harry and James and be glad to send him off with Snape. They'd probably have been exchanging Christmas cards ever since.

*Because Snape's the Death Eater. Those are the people who hate Muggles. Sometimes it helps to remind people of that, since it's usually our Muggle-lovers who are actually bullying them.

*Hagrid mentions Voldemort killing some of the best Witches and Wizards, including the Bones and the Prewetts. Again, not that blood means anything, but these are totally the best families and we'll see that throughout the series.

*Hagrid then gets violent because Vernon, the guy whose son he just insulted, dared insult somebody back.

*Hagrid looks at Harry with that blazing look of warmth and respect, the one that says "You were fundamentally better than other people at birth, just like me!" (Don't worry--it's not Ginny this time, so they won't kiss.)

*Harry and Hagrid share their first smile over the fact that Harry's anger at others causes bad things to happen to them in revenge. And there was some doubt what house Harry belonged in?

*Hagrid declares that Harry will finally be going to school with his own sort! Now where have I heard that phrase before…someone else in the books uses it…who could it be?

*Vernon then makes a generic crack about Dumbledore and Hagrid maturely responds by trying to turn Vernon's son into a pig. This must be an example of that Gryffindor taboo against going after those weaker than you are. Hagrid's only picking on the man's child in self defense!

*At least Hagrid shows the proper remorse a grown man should feel after lashing out at a child by making yet another fat joke.

*Hagrid tosses Harry his coat, telling him not to worry if it wiggles because it's got mice in the pockets. Frankly, I'd be more worried about the smell than the movement.





Designated Hero
Hagrid arrives to save Harry from the Dursleys. Sort of a lateral move if you ask me. I'm surprised Hagrid doesn't casually announce he'll be bunking with Petunia as a bedwarmer.

Exploitation Filmmakers' Credo
Yes, the Dursleys know about Wizards and they haven't told you, Harry. Are we all up to speed yet?

Idiot Picture
Wizards are more powerful than Muggles, but not much different when it comes to brains.

Idiot World
Sure Voldemort sounds scary now, but you haven't seen one of his clever plans yet!

Misdirected Answering
Or in this case no answering. Stop dragging out the information we already know already!

Final score: 5

Signs of things to come:
Silly Vernon! You don't get to decide who comes into your house-you're a Muggle! If you don't open the door Hagrid will just knock it down.

Within a page of his appearance Hagrid has: insulted a fat person he's never met just for being fat, bullied Muggles, used Muggle as an insult, and explained that Harry is a great wizard because of his bloodline. Bonus points for the veiled hint that the Weasleys are superior by blood.

This is also our first hint that nobody likes to say the name Voldemort. Unsurprisingly, there's not explanation as to why anyone should hate to say his name.

Also first mention of Dumbledore being the only one Voldemort is afraid of. He just is.

Hagrid also does something completely unacceptable and asks Harry to cover for him.

Comments

[noblesse00.livejournal.com]

*Through the red mist of rage I feel at the way Hagrid treats Muggles, I'm dimly aware that he's still dragging out the revelation that Harry's a Wizard interminably. "Don't you know what you are? " "What am I?" "About our world? " "What world? " "You didn't tell him? " "Tell me what? " "Tell you that…" "See here, don't tell him…!" GET ON WITH IT! The cormorants outside get it by now!

Let your rage about how deplorable Hagrid treats Muggles not cloud your mind. The Dursleys are still awful. AND they did not deserve this.

I'd rather someone sic Child's Service on them. That would have been truly satisfying, to have fellow Muggles judge them for what they perceive to be rightful abuse of a magical child and in Muggle Court no less! The neighbours would certainly have something to talk about then! And they would have lost guardianship of Dudley as well, and maybe without his parents around Harry and Dudley could have become friends. Dudley does become nicer to Harry later on in the books.

*Nice that Dumbledore lists all his jobs under his title of headmaster. Not everyone puts their Conflicts of Interests right on their business card.

I can't be trusted with power! *DD cries in a corner*
Barf.

*So what happens if somebody doesn't owl the school back? Or has that just never happened in the whole history of Hogwarts?

If its magical children, they would just leave it be. It's the parents decision. Other than Harry that is. If Harry didn't go to Hogwarts the WW would die from shock!

*Hagrid responds to McGonagall with the announcement that he'll be taking Harry away tomorrow despite his guardians saying no. I wonder if the Grangers are getting this same treatment?

I doubt it. I'm pretty sure McGonagall should have been the one to bring Harry his letter if DD hadn't interfered. I'm very sure that McGonagall has more delicacy than that.

Hagrid thinks that it's alright to take Harry from his godfather just on DD's say so.

If the Grangers said no, I think McGonagall would try her hardest to convince them otherwise, and if that didn't work...You might be right that the Wizards would just do as they please.

To be fair, it's a question of survival for the Wizards. They can't have Muggleborns break the Statue of Secrecy and do as they please. It's not like they can bind Hermione's magic so that their world isn't endangered. And it wouldn't be fair. A child should not have to make such a decision and even less their parents for them. Muggleborns need schooling so that they won't harm others with their magic and so they will control it and not give themselves away.

*Vernon continues to stand up to the Magical Giant threatening him, thus proving Vernon's a big bully coward.

I think he's pretty courageous in this scene, but he IS a big bully coward when it comes to Harry. How else would you describe him tormenting a child to feel superior?

[noblesse00.livejournal.com]

*Petunia lets loose years of resentment about being related to a Wizard. Though I suspect we're only supposed to hear and be shocked that she called her sister a freak. Which is totally different than the way Hagrid's been throwing around the word "Muggle." That's just the truth.

No it is not. But Hagrid's faults are not her sister's. I don't like Lily, but I don't think she deserved this much hatred from her sister.

*Petunia actually sounds upset that her sister was killed through her involvement with Wizards, but that must just be a typo. Muggles don't have real feelings, and family doesn't mean the same thing to them.

I read it like this, too. I'm happy that Petunia still somewhat loved her sister a little bit, behind all that venom. Too bad Harry didn't profit from it at all.

*Hagrid, meanwhile, is furiously offended that anyone could even suggest Wizards could die in a Muggle way. Even though Petunia's story kind of makes Wizards look better than the real one.

No, it doesn't. Wizards do seem to survive a lot of things most Muggles would die from and if they had died in such a mundane way it would have been an embarrassment. They are supposed to be bright and good at magic, yes? Plus, protective magic. Remember Neville and the broom accident? A Muggle would have died. (It explains why Wizards are so careless about security). Of course it is offensive how condescending Hagrid is towards Muggles. People who have lost someone in a car accident must dearly hate Hagrid.
*Apparently Dumbledore told Hagrid there might be trouble getting hold of Harry. No doubt they discussed how they could talk to the Dursleys as equals and explain why it was better for Harry to go to Hogwarts.

*Bwahaha! Just kidding. I wonder if Hagrid was given license to kill if the Muggle scum got too uppity.

You are kidding, right? This would be totally out of character. But I'm sure DD primed Hagrid for some Muggle Baiting to make Harry all that more thankful to his rescuers.

*Hagrid blubbers about Voldemort for a while. Luckily he doesn't pick this scene to explain how Voldemort is evil for his racist views against Muggles. That would just be confusing.

JK is a very confused individual. She doesn't seem to know what she's trying to say ;)

Also I have the impression that V just used the divide in the WW to gain power and doesn't care about the cause at all, outside of exploiting it for his own gain. His primary goals are immortality and power after all.

*Hagrid also reveals he can't spell, but in a way that should inspire our affection. You might have thought we were supposed to laugh at his ignorance since we've been encouraged to laugh at Dudley's. That's just what a dumb Muggle like you would think.

Now that I think of it, we are supposed to think that Hagrid is endearing...Nope. Don't see it.

But maybe he has dislexia? After all he's very old and there is really no other excuse for not knowing how to spell V's name. In which case I feel bad for making fun of him.

*Harry's mum and dad were just the nicest people, they make Hagrid blow into a handkerchief. Oh, was I ever naïve enough to believe Hagrid's opinion on anything?

I was *hides*

*You know, Dumbledore was kind of stupid sending Hagrid to do this job. Snape could have done it much easier. The Dursleys would hear him insult Harry and James and be glad to send him off with Snape. They'd probably have been exchanging Christmas cards ever since.

DD wants Harry to be indebted to him. Snape is really not the person he wants to send. And everyone else might actually protest if they see Harry's living conditions. Hagrid IS the best choice. Plus I doubt DD wants the Dursleys to be more pleasant to Harry. The nastier they are the better.

[noblesse00.livejournal.com]

*Because Snape's the Death Eater. Those are the people who hate Muggles. Sometimes it helps to remind people of that, since it's usually our Muggle-lovers who are actually bullying them.

We only see more "Muggle-lovers" interact with Muggles. If Muggle-haters deigned to interact with Muggles they'd be surely just as bad. But I think that Snape would treat them better than most, lol.

*Hagrid mentions Voldemort killing some of the best Witches and Wizards, including the Bones and the Prewetts. Again, not that blood means anything, but these are totally the best families and we'll see that throughout the series.

I'd like to know who the DE lost. Or those who were suspected of being DE and just got unlucky. Supposedly the good side was just as bad as the DE at a point.

*Hagrid then gets violent because Vernon, the guy whose son he just insulted, dared insult somebody back.

Vernon has not insulted DD yet or he'd get violent all right!
Not-jokes aside, he did not get physical.

*Hagrid looks at Harry with that blazing look of warmth and respect, the one that says "You were fundamentally better than other people at birth, just like me!" (Don't worry--it's not Ginny this time, so they won't kiss.)

Well, no. To me it reads like more of that Boy Who Lived nonsense. Harry is a Hero after all, just like DD!

*Harry and Hagrid share their first smile over the fact that Harry's anger at others causes bad things to happen to them in revenge. And there was some doubt what house Harry belonged in?

It is disturbing that Hagrid thinks that way, but for Harry it must be happy memories. If I was in his shoes I'd think so, too. I don't think you think Snape was unjustified in getting revenge on the Marauders, same case with Harry.

Funnily, it doesn't tell me which House he belongs to. Two Houses fit the bill. G & S

I don't know about Hagrid. He must have caused damage without any magic with his size.

*Hagrid declares that Harry will finally be going to school with his own sort! Now where have I heard that phrase before…someone else in the books uses it…who could it be?

From almost every Character we hear some racist remark. Neville and Luna might be the exceptions. I don't remember them saying anything offending, maybe.

*Vernon then makes a generic crack about Dumbledore and Hagrid maturely responds by trying to turn Vernon's son into a pig. This must be an example of that Gryffindor taboo against going after those weaker than you are. Hagrid's only picking on the man's child in self defense!

Attacking Dudley is unacceptable. It was Vernon he had a problem with. And what kind of problem! Just for insulting someone! (Typical Gryffindor reaction though). It also shows Hagrid's priorities that he only gets really angry when DD is being insulted. Who cares about Harry being abused! Hagrid certainly doesn't. Utterly appalling.

*At least Hagrid shows the proper remorse a grown man should feel after lashing out at a child by making yet another fat joke.

Only Slytherins can be racists. Yeah. Someone should get their head checked. cough*JK*cough

[noblesse00.livejournal.com]

*Hagrid tosses Harry his coat, telling him not to worry if it wiggles because it's got mice in the pockets. Frankly, I'd be more worried about the smell than the movement.

It is an improvement from before, at least he won't get sick. Question is why Hagrid doesn't just transfigure another couch for Harry. Maybe he's not good enough? Or doesn't he simply not care enough to use magic for something like this. Naw, Muggle baiting is way more important!

Designated Hero
Hagrid arrives to save Harry from the Dursleys. Sort of a lateral move if you ask me. I'm surprised Hagrid doesn't casually announce he'll be bunking with Petunia as a bedwarmer.

There are Nargles buzzing around your head.**

Idiot Picture
Wizards are more powerful than Muggles, but not much different when it comes to brains.

Not at all. No difference at all. Muggles are Wizards without Magic.

Idiot World
Sure Voldemort sounds scary now, but you haven't seen one of his clever plans yet!

He seems clever compared to the rest of the WW. But then there is evil!DD. If it wasn't for his need to be righteous, not only powerful, he'd totally have gone to Slytherin. I wish the Sorting Hat would tell him that, he might just die from shock! Laughs evilly. What, me? Never! I can't be an evil, slimy Slytherin! I'm god! -I mean good! The bestest! the Greatest! For the Greater Good! *Wails* Wait, you must be an instrument of evil, you scoundrel! I shall murder/vanquish you! Aren't I just so noble? Pats himself on the shoulder. Smouldering remains of the hat: ....

[noblesse00.livejournal.com]

Signs of things to come:
Silly Vernon! You don't get to decide who comes into your house-you're a Muggle! If you don't open the door Hagrid will just knock it down.

DD could not have sent someone worse. I wish Minerva had handled things. NOT Snape. Petunia would have flipped. I changed my mind, I want to see that! Lol

Within a page of his appearance Hagrid has: insulted a fat person he's never met just for being fat, bullied Muggles, used Muggle as an insult, and explained that Harry is a great wizard because of his bloodline. Bonus points for the veiled hint that the Weasleys are superior by blood.

You forgot Harry being a Hero. A toddler hero. So ridiculous. Snorts in derision. Oh, our messiah!

This is also our first hint that nobody likes to say the name Voldemort. Unsurprisingly, there's not explanation as to why anyone should hate to say his name.

Pure superstition. Which is ridiculous, they're wizards! But nope, it makes sense, they are humans, no matter how much they think themselves better than Muggles. It's like there not being any number 13 on planes because its an unlucky number.

Also first mention of Dumbledore being the only one Voldemort is afraid of. He just is.

I think V's fear is more Freudian. DD gave him enough reason to fear him as a child. I don't think his fear is reasonable at all now that he is an accomplished Dark Lord. He should be able to beat an old man whose prime is long gone and who has supposedly a lot less knowledge about combative Magic (aka Dark Arts) and is very rusty when it comes to duelling. It is the the other way around, DD is the ONLY person V has to fear at all! The rest are sheep. Or Deux Ex Machina. But I don't count those.

Hagrid also does something completely unacceptable and asks Harry to cover for him.

I'm very sure that the truth came out and that this is the real way Dudley lost his tail. Imagine this happening in the real world. Doctor's confidentially would not have meant a thing under such circumstances. I'm very sure Dudley's tail was removed magically and the Dursleys were confounded. And DD was behind it all.