02 HP Philosopher’s Stone

[chantaldormand]

Ch2 Vanishing Glass

>The title sounds much more exciting than this chapter really is.

>So Harry helps with cooking, but any kind of skill he gained this way doesn’t translate to preparation of ingredients in Potions class. Nor him helping with cooking in DH.

>Also why Harry is sharing a living space with spiders? For bonus Poor Orphan points? Normally spiders would look for less frequented spaces.

>Harry remembers asking his Aunt Petunia how he had gotten his scar. 

Petunia: You were left on our doorstep by some idiot and wild animals molested you. I had to fight off 5 raccoons to save you!

>Well Harry, perhaps if you combed your hair instead of simply cutting it when they tangle beyond mortal help, they would look presentable?

>Here Harry predicts Dudley’s tantrum yet by the end of this book Harry will think that he can stall an experienced wizard who fooled supposed all-knowing and all-powerful headmaster. 

>Harry ridicules Dudley’s lack of interest in books now, but fast-forward few years and he absolutely cannot find book about breathing underwater.

>Now narrative tries to portray Durslays as unreasonable, but they are simply aware, that given chance the resident Gary Stu would outshine their son on his birthday.

>Strange things happen around Harry and telling Durslays about them is not good idea thus Harry tells about his dream. Our protagonist, Ladies and Gentlemen. +1 to Leap of Logic

>Either the Potters left REALLY strong impression on Vernon or living with his nephew is way more stressful than Harry believes.

>Now, Harry makes it look like Petunia was forced to buy him ice cream to look good, but she could simply tell the ice cream lady that Harry was allergic and not pay for any ice cream for Harry.

>Uncle Vernon rapped the glass, all while ignoring Do Not sign with list of actions you shouldn’t try to do. Among them rapping on the glass

>Now I don’t know about zoos in Great Britain, but here where I live, most of reptile houses have cameras installed, just in case some idiot tries to break glass and free the animals. Granted, it’s 1991, but even back then there were at least some kind of guards.

>Also +1 to Uncovered for whole glass stunt. Kinda makes me wonder why wizards need wands, if they can create this kind of chaos wandlessly. For control? Well little Tom and later in this book Quirrell disagrees. +1 to Death Count for potential death via snake.

>Harry is quite emotionless here- no fear of giant reptile making it for exit, no joy from seeing his bullies scared. Just ‘Meh, it only snapped at your legs. Why are you overdramatizing it?’

>Poor Vernon, he just wanted to spend nice day with his family. Now his blood pressure and Potter induced mental trauma renders him almost speechless.

>While Harry angst over his Cinderella back story, I cannot stop myself from slapping another +1 to Uncovered, for brainless wizards who bother their child celebrity. Also what is stopping any Voldie sympathiser or budding Dark Lord from kidnapping Harry? Or for that matter why none of those wizards go to the Prophet and tell reporters where they spotted our favourite child celebrity?

>On side note- if Petunia was anywhere as bad as fandom likes to claim she is, she could easily come up to random wizard and ask “Would you like to take this child? I will even include a letter from Albus Dumbledore.” Instead she grabs her nephew and evacuates from the shop.

>Harry has no friends before Hogwarts, because Dudley scared them off, yet after he joins magical society he befriends every student he meets. No, really!

>Chapter ends so abruptly that I borrowed my friend’s paperback copy just to be sure that my ebook wasn’t missing some text. Where was editor?

>While staying on the subject of editor- what was the point in making 2 starting chapters? If you get rid of the first one, Dumbledore ends up looking slightly better. If you trash the second one, you might as well trash the third chapter reducing this way a huge amount of angst and pointless drama from whole Letter Chase section of book. Either way, you end up with tighter plot.

Crime Count: 0, I wanted to give point for zapping glass with magic and releasing dangerous animal in public place, but I’m giving Harry pass this once- it was accident.

Death Count: 1 

Leap of Logic: 1

Uncovered: 2

Spell Count: 0 since all magic was done via accidental bursts of Harry’s Love

Comments

[chantaldormand]

How exactly the Scar Horcrux saves him?
Not that I'm criticising you, but now I'm wondering if I missed something.

[oryx_leucoryx]

Horcruxes are very hard to destroy. Other than some extreme magical means, as long as the Voldiesoul is there Harry can survive pretty much anything. (Now that doesn't mean he would survive it well and be able to enjoy a productive life. He might end up severely brain damaged and on life support, but he would live.)

[chantaldormand]

Horcruxes that are objects sure, but horcrux that is in living creature I'm not sure.
If this was Koschei the Deathless we were talking then yeah I would agree, but Jo's magic system is very wacky.

[jana-ch.livejournal.com]

It's never clear whether horcruces are intrinsically hard to destroy, or if Voldie put special protections on those he created intentionally. Nagini was destroyed by a simple beheading—although since Neville used the Sword of Gryffindor, I suppose it was an extra-special Gryffie beheading with Nobility and Courage added. Draco wielding the Scimitar of Salazar could not have done it, though he certainly had the motivation.

[oryx_leucoryx]

The Sword of Gryffindor was transformed into a Horcrux destroyer by supposedly absorbing basilisk venom, according to plot.