The Boy Who Lived
In which we meet the Dursleys, and Harry is rescued and brought by flying motorcycle to number four, Privet Drive.
"There was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening."(6) Reading the first chapter again reminded me that, as brilliant of a writer J.K. Rowling is, she really has gotten much much better as the stories progress—which is a great thing, because as the children who read this book when they were six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, or twelve grow up, they grow alongside Harry, and the writing only improves. It's pretty clear by the way the first chapter of the book is presented; the almost cartoonish descriptions of Mr. and Mrs. Dursley and their son Dudley, the strangely-clad people in the streets, and the very simple and straightforward concepts; that the first book is primarily geared toward a younger crowd. But it becomes even more evident, mainly when Harry arrives at Hogwarts, that there are much deeper concepts at the root of the story that even grownups can benefit from.
The Dursleys are normal to the point of abnormality, so the way the events in the first chapter unfold that you instantly know magic is at work despite their uneasiness even thinking about the subject. Owls fluttering about sending messages, people in strange cloaks, falling stars. Clearly something has happened, and it involves wizards, much to the dismay of Vernon and Petunia. It's really amazing the level of distress Lily has unintentionally caused Petunia, for Mrs. Dursley lives so much of her life in fear of her sister, James, and their son Harry. It's sad, really.
The planning that went into this book just amazes me, sometimes. Especially when I come across little things like the newscaster whose name just happens to be Ted. I heard a tiny rumor that the Ted who allows himself a small grin while giving the evening forecast in this chapter is Ted Tonks. I'm not sure if it's a coincidence or not, but it blew my mind all the same.
Then we meet Albus Dumbledore. "Everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome"(9) on Privet Drive. The description of Dumbledore in this passage is very colorful and suggests that he is kind of a wizard-hippie, at least to me. Despite his quirky qualities, he's still an obviously very prominent wizard. Rather peculiar, but influences people every day. If wonder what he knew that night, if he had any hunches about the years that would follow. I think he might touch on it in the fifth book, but I honestly don't remember too well. Something really brilliant about Dumbledore is that he never underestimates Voldemort's abilities. The two share a mutual fear of each other that carries throughout the series and makes them seem more human and less hero.
After a brief talk about the state of the wizarding world comes one of the most iconic moments in the entire series. The moment when Hagrid swoops down to Privet Drive on a motorcycle with the one-year-old Harry Potter in his arms and delivers him safely to the place that will be his home for the next eleven years. "One small hand closed on the letter beside [Harry] and he slept on, not knowing he was famous . . . He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: 'To Harry Potter—the boy who lived!'"(17)
Near the end, Dumbledore says something like "every child in the world will know his name." I know J.K. Rowling couldn't have predicted any of the success that Harry Potter has brought her, but the statement is true, even to us muggles.
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