Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: First Impressions

Chapter 3

Written June 11, 2020 - 9:00

As expected, Dudley is moving up in the world. He was accepted into private school where he will be away from Harry, who apparently didn't make the cut and is stuck in public education. Mr. Dursley is so proud. Proud of Dudley, the good one, of course.

Harry is asked to do the simple chore of retrieving the mail, but the insolent brat tells the family to f—off. He didn't even need to leave the house; the letters were pushed through a mail slot in the door. Ingrate.

Harry didn't have a library card. Smart thinking, Mr. Dursley. You wouldn't want a paper trail where that Voldemort dude could find Harry's address.

A letter comes for Harry. Mr. Dursley's first thought is about letter bombs before he takes the envelope to inspect it, possibly checking for Anthrax. Now that someone knows where Harry sleeps, Mr. Dursley relocated the boy's living conditions, most likely to prevent an attack. This man has some moves. I'm starting to think that Mr. Dursley is actually a covert operative and that the whole drill business is just a front. That would sadden me. I wanted to read a book about a boy learning to be a businessman, but it now looks like it's going to be about a spy who adopts a kid and has to protect him from a murderer he saw when he was younger. Oh, well. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

Another letter comes and Mr. Dursley needs to check it again, but Harry attacks him from behind and tries to strangle the poor man. The next morning, Harry tries to sneak away, but Mr. Dursley is outside on guard duty protecting the family like a boss.

More letters arrive to where Mr. Dursley fears for the family and forced them to flee in their car. The next scene is of some of the evasive moves he must have learned in spy school, making quick turns and going back over the route he previously traveled. He drives all day and night and stops at a hotel. In the morning, the hotel clerk brings the family hundreds of letters he found addressed to Harry. The threat is real. As good as an operator as Mr. Dursley is, I wondered if he thought to look under his car before leaving home to make sure no one tagged along Max Cady-style.

By this point I think it's pretty obvious what's going on. If you don't want to know my theory, read this paragraph no further. (SPOILER ALERT: There are only four people that knew where Harry was at all times. One of them is Harry. He's mailing the letters each day, probably filled with horrific threats on his own life to scare Mr. Dursley for his own amusement).

Mr. Dursley has the family move once more. He heads to different areas and disappears on the family for a while, returning later with a long brown bag. He takes them deep into the country to a small shack on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere, accessible by only one rickety boat. He tries to keep the family's spirits up as the lay down for the night because a terrible storm is approaching.