SPOILER ALERT! I'm assuming if you're reading this blog, then you've read the entire Harry Potter series. But just in case you haven't and you don't like spoilers, I would suggest you not read this post.
Also, please note that page numbers are from the American paperback version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Right from the very first sentence of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, we are introduced to the Dursleys and their personality. They are "perfectly normal" (1) hinting towards what they will be like later in the book.
Our first glimpse of the magical world comes on page 2. "None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window." We will later learn that these owls are the mail carriers of the wizarding world.
Mr. Dursley encounters some strange people throughout his day. At one point, he bumps into a "tiny old man" (5). This seems unlikely, but could this man possibly be Professor Flitwick? We find out later in the books that Flitwick is a short man, and though he changes later in the movie series, he is at first portrayed as an older man. The man's squeaky voice could also match up with Flitwick's squeak when he sees Harry in class later in the book.
Much of the first chapter has foreshadowing. The strange events Mr. Dursley sees during the day and on the news hints at what is to come. He even hears talk of the family the Dursleys try to forget - the Potters and their son, Harry. We see more and more bits of the magical world.
On page 9, we see Albus Dumbledore and his Put-Outer, which we learn later in the series is called a Deluminator, and as we know, it will play a big role especially in Deathly Hallows. Dumbledore meets up with Minerva McGonagall, who can become a cat. They mention You-Know-Who, or Voldemort as Dumbledore calls him. The fact that he has a nickname such as "You-Know-Who" indicates that this is a person who is greatly feared.
On pages 12 and 13, the pair discusses Lily and James Potter's death. Dumbledore says that Harry is to be left with the Dursleys. From McGonagall's reaction and what we've seen so far in the book, this will not bode well for Harry.
Sirius Black, who we know will come into play later in the series, is mentioned on page 14. Hagrid is bringing Harry to Privet Drive and says he has borrowed the flying motorcycle he was traveling on from Sirius. Young baby Harry is left on the Dursleys' doorstep, completely unaware of his fame in the wizarding world.
After reading the series before, it was sort of interesting to go back and begin to reread the books again, but through a different lens. Hopefully as I continue to read through the story, I will discover more connections to future events in the book or later books. My notes on Chapter 2 are ready to go, so expect their analysis soon. Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave your own thoughts on the book!
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