Deathly Hallows Chapter 3

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

The Dursleys Depart

There’s just one word for this chapter. Awkward.

For one thing, Harry and the Dursleys actually have to converse. This is not something we’re used to, nor are they.

I think the main reason we even have this chapter is exposition for those who never read the first six books—or have forgotten the main storyline. I’m clued into this when Harry reminds us about seeing Dumbledore’s eye in the mirror the chapter before. Just in case we forgot that in the time it took to turn the page.

Vernon can’t make up his mind whether or not to accept the Order’s offer of protection. I can’t say I blame Vernon for being suspicious. Every encounter he’s had with wizards has involved them doing something nasty to him, his house, or his family.

Harry is torn between exasperation and amusement at Vernon’s dilemma. Those Muggles. So amusing when they are forced into relocation camps! Still, this is probably the most positive Harry’s ever been about his Muggle relatives. Even if Vernon’s eyes are still piggy and small and Aunt Petunia’s voice is shrill and squealing.

Harry’s favorite moment is when Vernon hurts his back trying to lift an unexpectedly heavy suitcase. Those Muggles! They are so amusing when they injure themselves!

There are plenty of timeline clues in this chapter and the one before. It’s four days before Harry’s birthday. Vernon has been changing his mind for the past four weeks, after Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley visited “a few days” after Harry arrived. This puts Dumbledore’s funeral about five weeks before July 31st. Shout out to timeline fans!

I’m still really curious why Harry bothered to come back to the Dursleys’ at all. I know Dumbledore asked them to let him, but I don’t see why that means he had to. Wouldn’t it have been simpler to move him to a safe house directly from Hogwarts? With all the people leaving the funeral, no one would have been able to track him if he portkeyed or side-Apparated.

The only thing I can think is that it took all this time to set up the protective wards. Which doesn’t make sense to me since it later takes Hermione about two minutes to do that sort of thing.

Also, I don’t really buy that Voldemort would go after the Dursleys. If he spent any time in Harry’s head (as he did in OotP), he’d know that Harry hates his relatives. Tom hated his relatives, too, so it’s something he could really understand. Plus, they’re Muggles. No one ever tells Muggles anything.

Harry tells Vernon that Voldemort tortured and killed Harry’s parents. Harry’s projecting a little here. Voldemort didn’t’ torture his parents. He only killed them. It’s a small distinction, I know.

Luckily, Dudley ends the argument by taking the offer for protection. Relieved, Harry goes back upstairs to remind us that Hedwig exists. She ignores him, reminding us that she hates Harry (it’s in the book!).

Now I’m wondering why Harry didn’t just let her go with Ron after the funeral—or send her to Ron at any time in the past five weeks. Surely that would be better than keeping her in a cage so she can stare at him resentfully?

Daedelus Diggle greets the Dursleys as “Harry Potter’s relatives.” Harry suspects that the Dursleys find this greeting annoying. I don’t blame them. Who would want to be addressed like that? “Hello, I’d like to introduce you to the new Secretary of State, Bill’s wife!” Yet again, the Dursleys are ridiculed for acting like normal human beings.

Daeleus Diggle tells us that they can’t use magic because the Ministry might think it was Harry doing it and arrest him. Just keep that in the back of your mind. It might come in handy later on when we take a look at the “Trace.” Then again, with this book, it might be utterly meaningless.

Vernon reacts with alarm when he learns that Daedelus can’t drive. Those Muggles! So amusing with their expectations of conventional skill sets!

Then we have a long and very awkward passage where Dudley must first realize (this takes a few paragraphs) that Harry isn’t coming with them, and then have Hestia realize that the Dursleys don’t realize that Harry is the Chosen One and then have Harry use the phrase “waste of space” so that Dudley can refute that. Man! That took forever, but we finally have the pay-off for Harry saving Dudley’s life back in OotP.

No pun intended, but this is one dud of a payoff. I guess it’s asking too much for something more, but “you’re not a waste of space” is more hmmm than ha! It’s like we just wandered into an episode of The Office. Maybe that’s it. JKR is channeling Ricky Gervais in this chapter.

I’m wondering… is Dudley actually mentally challenged? If so, that’s a pretty tricky twist by JKR. You know, she charmed us into laughing at Dudley for six books, only to reveal in the last one that Dudley is seriously handicapped and Harry just never realized it. That’s rather sad and touching now that I think about it.

It would also help explain why Petunia overreacts so whenever Dudley does anything at all.

The chapter ends with an odd moment between Petunia and Harry—a hint that maybe she’ll miss Harry? That she does feel something for him? Or that she wants to clear up that misunderstanding about who the “awful boy” was? We’ll never know, because she walks out the door and that’s the last we’ll ever see of the Dursleys.

Fan Service:
Dursleys go into hiding! Imagine the hijinks and hilarity to follow!
Dudley finally thanks Harry for saving his life two years later.

Fan Slappage:
The Dursleys are not eaten by dragons for abusing Harry all these years.

DVD Extras:
INT. DAY – THE DURSLEYS’ CAR

The DURSLEYS, HESTIA, and DAEDELUS are all scrunched into the rear seat of the car. Behind them, bluescreen footage shows a seaside road that they are currently driving on. CHEERFUL, BOUNCY MUSIC plays. Vernon, brow furrowed, glances from Daedelus to the driver of the car—a grey tabby cat.

VERNON
Explain to me again why a cat is driving the car?

DAEDELUS
That is Professor McGonagall. She kindly volunteered to chauffeur.

VERNON
But she’s a cat!

HESTIA
Actually, she’s an animagus—

VERNON
I don’t care if she’s an Anabaptist! I don’t want a cat driving my car!

DUDLEY
(pointing) Ha ha. Kitty!

PETUNIA
Perhaps we shouldn’t complain, Vernon. She’s doing very well.

VERNON
But she’s a cat!

PETUNIA
I know, but you’re making her nervous.

VERNON
How can you tell?

PETUNIA
Her tail is twitching.

The car suddenly starts swerving.

HESTIA
Professor! Keep your eyes on the roooooooooaaaaaa---

EXT. DAY –WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER

As the passengers SCREAM, the car drives off the road and over the cliff. It falls down onto the beach and bursts into flames.

The music swells as a chorus brightly sings:

CHORUS
MCGONAGALL, THE DRIVING CAT!

Comments

[tdotm.livejournal.com]

- “I’m still really curious why Harry bothered to come back to the Dursleys’ at all. I know Dumbledore asked them to let him, but I don’t see why that means he had to.”

You think? YOU THINK? Do you want to know the worst thing about Deathly Hallows? (Well, one of the worst.) It was filled with pointless, insubstantial fluff. What was the point of this chapter? WHAT? I remember a friend predicting that Harry and Petunia would be reconciled as she handed over vital belongings of his parents, destined to play a pivotal role in the book, and also told him more about his background. I thought it unrealistic that he’d salvage a relationship with the Dursleys, but he might get a clipped “Good Luck” after she filled missing pieces of the jigsaw. What did we get? Dudley succumbed to Harry worship, Daedelus and Hestia balked that the Senior Dursleys didn't do the same, then the family left - forever. A complete fizzling out of characters who should have had a better part (or any part)to play.

You’re 1,000% right, Harry should have gone straight back to the Burrow. The Dursleys, as they apparently had no further part to play in the story, could refuse to leave their house and be killed by a thwarted Voldemort. A Dark Mark over Privet Drive is a pet theory of mine. I do understand why he’d kill them – Petunia, however unwillingly, had kept Harry safe from him. Also a falsely accused Harry as a fugitive from muggle justice, would kill two birds with one stone. Harry couldn’t as easily hide from him in the muggle world. And you only have to know Harry in passing to know what a self-indulgent martyr he is - so heap on the guilt. (And hope he doesn't just shrug it off in the way he did Sirius)


- I agree 100% with Sistermagpie. Why not go after Hermione during that long weekend she stays with her parents every year? It doesn’t have to be about respect, just that she’s the easy target. Or kill her parents, making it publically known that they died because of her link with The Chosen One. (Pardon me if I'm unconvinced of the efficiency of any 'protection' that had been arranged for them) Even Hermione would take it as a body blow, and the golden Trio would grind to a halt immediately. Ron and Ginny would be too difficult to get to at first, but once the Ministry had fallen, Ginny was at a school run by Death Eaters, for crying out loud! In fact, why take Luna off the train and not do a search for other useful bargaining tools? Where was Ginny, hiding on the luggage rack?


- “Now I’m wondering why Harry didn’t just let [Hedwig] go with Ron after the funeral—or send her to Ron at any time in the past five weeks.”

So she can DIE! Mwah ha ha ha!! Seriously, though, it was bad enough Harry went back to Privet Drive, so obviously he should have let Ron take Hedwig at the end of Book 6. Her nonsensical death was a true highlight though, so I’ll let this 3627453th example of his idiocy pass. (I’m killing myself laughing, just thinking about it. Hee!)


- “I’m wondering… is Dudley actually mentally challenged? If so, that’s a pretty tricky twist by JKR. You know, she charmed us into laughing at Dudley for six books, only to reveal in the last one that Dudley is seriously handicapped and Harry just never realized it. That’s rather sad and touching now that I think about it.”
I think we all know that this beyond JKR. I think she was aiming for ‘comedy thick’. Dudley is the muggle Crabbe, destined for pratfalls, bullying, being fat and other such elements of comic relief. However, because he realised Harry’s innate nobility and goldenpolyjuicepotionness in the nick of time, he was spared being horribly burned to death in unquenchable flames of plot contrivance.


- DVD Extras – I approve, as long as McGonagall jumps free at the last moment. We don’t want to deprive Harry of his moment of chivalry near the end of the book.

[montavilla.livejournal.com]

- I agree 100% with Sistermagpie. Why not go after Hermione during that long weekend she stays with her parents every year? It doesn’t have to be about respect, just that she’s the easy target. Or kill her parents, making it publically known that they died because of her link with The Chosen One. (Pardon me if I'm unconvinced of the efficiency of any 'protection' that had been arranged for them) Even Hermione would take it as a body blow, and the golden Trio would grind to a halt immediately. Ron and Ginny would be too difficult to get to at first, but once the Ministry had fallen, Ginny was at a school run by Death Eaters, for crying out loud! In fact, why take Luna off the train and not do a search for other useful bargaining tools? Where was Ginny, hiding on the luggage rack?

I don't know. I suppose one could fanwank that Snape was spreading disinformation in the DE group about Harry's ties to other people. But he'd have to have Draco in on it, at the very least, and probably Lucius as well. And he'd have to count on neither Crabbe nor Goyle having enough smarts to ask their sons about the Chosen One.

I wrote a snippet once in which Headmaster Snape was conducting private interviews with all the returning Hogwarts students and methodically oblivating anyone who remembered Harry and Ginny canoodling all over the school last term. That's the only explanation I can come up with for why no one ever bothered to kidnap Ginny.

I mean, come on. Even Diary!Tom knew he could manipulate Harry by using a sassy red-haired girl.

[eir-de-scania.livejournal.com]

And he'd have to count on neither Crabbe nor Goyle having enough smarts to ask their sons about the Chosen One.

***That would be very likely, though. Wizards do NOT gossip, not even within the family. No-one at school with Snape&Lily told their children about it so their kids could spread word about it at Hogwarts. Not that Harry would know it, but at least Hermione talks to students in other years and houses.

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

***That would be very likely, though. Wizards do NOT gossip, not even within the family. No-one at school with Snape&Lily told their children about it so their kids could spread word about it at Hogwarts. Not that Harry would know it, but at least Hermione talks to students in other years and houses.


Ugh. Plot hole #3245.

[sunnyskywalker]

Maybe Snape has Obliviated EVERYONE. Every single character. That would explain why they're acting a bit off.

[merrymelody.livejournal.com]

Why not go after Hermione during that long weekend she stays with her parents every year? It doesn’t have to be about respect, just that she’s the easy target...Ginny was at a school run by Death Eaters, for crying out loud! In fact, why take Luna off the train and not do a search for other useful bargaining tools?

I fanwank it that Hermione and Ginny would be too annoying even for the Death Eaters. I mean, Luna would work my nerves, especially after a few months, but would anything, even world domination, really be worth having Hermione and/or Ginny in a confined space? Could JKR even plot out such a horror? Voldemort would probably fall in love with Ginny instantly (I hear she's very pretty and her hair dances like wildfire!) and Hermione would be running the whole operation by day 2.