Today let's discuss Harry vs the boa constrictor from Brazil.
The book
This chapter starts the story proper, picking up 10 years later after Chapter 1. Harry is now banished to a cupboard under the stairs, mostly ignored by the Dursleys. He is forced to cook breakfast for Dudley's birthday before they take Dudley to the zoo. I love the absurdity of Dudley getting 39 pressents. Unfournately, the usual babysitter for Harry, Mrs Figg, broke her leg, so the Dursleys are forced to take him with to the zoo,along with Dudley's friend,Piers Polkiss,who oddly only appears here, ,whose intials may be preparing us for an important plotline involving the traitor Peter Pettigrew. At the zoo, Harry goes to the reptile house and bonds with a snake. This, of course, foreshadows the events of Chamber Of Secrets,which involves snakes heavily. Harry accidentally releases the snake and is very confused. My question would be; how young can wizards perform nonverbal magic? Is it subconscious,or what? We do hear about some other odd incidents, such as levitating onto the school roof, which seems to me to be very advanced magic for a 10 year old. In the end, the Dursleys lock him up in his cupboard for the rest of the summer.
Pottermore
Now that users have gotten used to the navigation on Pottermore ,the site lets us start collecting items,which don't seems to serve any logical purpose as of now- in this chapter, a clock. The only bonus material is about the Dursleys and their courtship, which was interesting, particulary the interaction between them and the Potters. Vernon and James seem to not have gotten along,espelllically. One last touch that I liked was getting to read the sign about the snake. I'll be back Friday to talk about all the strange letters Harry gets, and what the boatman Vernon hires might symbolize.
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