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Dumbledore’s bio on his chocolate frog card: “Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.”
Interesting to note that Grindelwald was defeated in 1945, the same year as the fall of Nazi Germany during WW2. Knowing Rowling, this is not a coincidence. Also, Nicolas Flamel was a real historical person. If you were a British reader in the UK, where the original title of this book was “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, the connection would be pretty obvious about now. More information about Flamel can be read here:
JKR later said she wished she would have fought harder to keep the title “Philosopher’s Stone” in the States. But you have to remember she was still largely unknown at the time of the initial publishing and didn’t have the clout that she has now.
I have to admit a part of me was disappointed that the twelve uses of dragon’s blood were not instrumental in Voldemort’s downfall. We did get basilisk venom but no dragon’s blood.
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JKR later said she wished she would have fought harder to keep the title “Philosopher’s Stone” in the States. But you have to remember she was still largely unknown at the time of the initial publishing and didn’t have the clout that she has now.
I actually own the British versions of the books too, and that’s what I’ve been using for this re-read. But yeah, renaming “Philosopher’s Stone” to “Sorcerer’s Stone” really took away the mythological significance of said item. Of course the British versions contain several more differences based on British dialect vs. American dialect. There are less differences between the two versions when it comes to the later books. Here’s a list of some examples from book 1:
Excellent essay, Macy! I know you’ve been on vacay all week, so double thanks 🙂
Ahhhhhhh. Platform 9 3/4. I was an annoying American tourist who INSISTED that I had to find Harry’s platform when I was in London for a few weeks after college graduation.
Anyway, back to Chapter 6.
When Harry arrives at King’s Cross Station, he officially starts his journey into his new life. We talked about the Leaky Cauldron as a gateway to the wizarding world, or a liminal space, and as far as liminal spaces are concerned in our reread, Platform 9 ¾ is one of the big ones
*nods* In fact, I’d say Platform 9 3/4 is *the* liminal space in the series. You pass from one world into the beginnings of another without fully entering this second world. You can choose to move forward (to Hogwarts) or you can choose to go back (to London). It’s up to you. I think in a lot of ways, this is Harry’s last decision moment. He could choose to not approach the Weasley family and ask for help. Or he could choose to brave asking them about how to find a magical platform. He could choose not to get on the train. His fate, his future, is sealed by the choices he makes at the Platform. This Platform is rather flippin’ important.
So, for people who have never been to (or live in) London, from the small experience I’ve had (and POM can speak to this) I can assure that there are an impossible number of train stations. I mean…good lord. If I hadn’t had been with my aunt who lives in London, I would never have made my way around the city. So, there are tons of stations for JKR to choose…but she chose *King’s Cross.* King’s Crossing. It’s a fairy heavy name, symbolically speaking. The crossing of the King.
And when Molly finds out who that young boy was, her only remarks were “Poor dear – no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform”. Not an ounce of awe or celebrity worship – she just sees a young boy, all alone, who’s had enough troubles in his life and didn’t need to be reminded of them on his first day of school.
I think more than any other character in the series (Lily included simply because we never really meet her) Molly Weasley is the Mother archetype. Her entire being centers on being a mother, be it to her own children (including wayward ones) or to Harry and Hermione whom she “adopts” in a manner of speaking. The hallmarks of the Mother archetype are there: patience, persistence, caring, warmth, and utter devotion to her family.
Harry reveals that he’s worried that he’ll be last in his class, because of his upbringing in a non-magical household (and the large shoes he doesn’t think he’ll fill from the wizarding community). Ron says that because he’s the sixth boy, his parents probably won’t be impressed with anything he does, because his brothers have all done it before him. Hermione, for all of her “know-it-all” tendencies, hopes that all of her studying will “be enough”, because none of her family is magical at all. So our 3 core characters all feel that they aren’t good enough, albeit in different ways.
This is a very nice observation. We can contrast this to Draco who, on the outside at least, is 100% confident in everything he does. He “knows” he’s from the best family, will be the best at everything because he’s from vastly superior stock, and he need not worry about succeeding because his family will always ensure that he never has to want for anything. He is extreme over confidence. Is it any wonder that Ron and Harry take an instant dislike to him?
Draco already knows that Ron is a Weasley, a word he uses with contempt, and that his family is poor which Draco considers lesser than his own wealthy family. It seems apparent the reason for the contempt between Malfoys and Weasleys runs deeper than socio-economic poor vs rich. “You’ll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there”.
What a delightful child.
But a question to consider now, and for sure when we get to book 2 is: is Draco really “bad” or is he a product of his environment and family? Harry was raised in appallingly but came out a kind and generous boy who shares his sweets with the down trodden and poor Ron because he is capable of empathizing with the boy (ugh. that scene. feeeeeels). Put the question another way: if Draco had been raised by another family, would he still be…Draco?
Ron clearly doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with coming from a Muggle family, while we know at this point that Draco would not agree.
Imma play devil’s advocate for a second here.
Ron doesn’t think there is anything wrong with Muggle born wizards. BUT he doesn’t exactly accept the Malfoy or their ilk either. He’s the one, in this chapter, who voices his displeasure at the idea of going into the Slytherin house…something Harry is going to carry with him into the next chapter. Ron has certain prejudices too, though to be fair to Ron, it’s more intolerance FOR intolerance. In my book that doesn’t measure up to intolerance for those whom are different, but JKR does a fantastic job of showing that prejudices aren’t just based on family and blood…they can be wide and unwieldy.
What do you think would have happened if the Malfoys met Harry at the platform instead of the Weasleys? What if Draco had sat in Harry’s compartment instead of Ron?
Good question. Harry has met Draco before so he’s already wise to Draco’s “I’m better than everyone shtick.” I think Harry is just an innately good boy and it stems from his unfortunate life with the Dursley’s. I don’t think Harry would have been influenced by Draco to think like him but I almost (ALMOST) wonder if there’s something to be said about seeing both sides of the story.
I don’t think the Malfoy’s are RIGHT in their assessment of the world as voiced by Draco (some families are better than others) but it’s hard to understand a culture when you dismiss them as simply “bad.” Cultures, families, and individuals are complex and it’s our inability to see complexity that leads to intolerance and violence. Simply putting Draco in a “bad” box and writing him (and others) off as so one note is a disservice to the complexity of the human condition and situation. Something to think about.
How do you think Harry’s sudden friendship with Ron colored his view on Slytherin? Do you think it affected his decision in the next chapter?
YUP. And in fact, it might be the entire first part of my Chapter 7 analysis so I won’t say more now.
If the Malfoys met Harry at the barrier I doubt they’d even help. If the boy doesn’t know where the barrier was then they’d recognize him as someone unfamiliar with the Wizarding World…not one of their kind
Ah, but what if they recognized him as Harry Potter? Would they help him then? I…am inclined to say yes but not out of the goodness of their hearts. Harry Potter is, at the least, rumored to be powerful and as we can see from Draco, that family is drawn to that which is powerful. Draco sees that Harry is poor, under fed, and poorly clothed…yet he wants to make friends with him. Why? Because Harry Potter is a name in the wizarding world with a lot of influence.
One more thought:
this chapter ends almost exactly like Chapter 3…a knock/boom on the door. The first time (chapter 3) it signaled Harry’s end of his first life: the mundane world of being just “Harry.” This time around, it’s a beginning. A true beginning. He’s crossed the threshold–exited that liminal space–and now his journey is really going to begin.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"Ah, but what if they recognized him as Harry Potter? Would they help him then? I…am inclined to say yes but not out of the goodness of their hearts. Harry Potter is, at the least, rumored to be powerful and as we can see from Draco, that family is drawn to that which is powerful. Draco sees that Harry is poor, under fed, and poorly clothed…yet he wants to make friends with him. Why? Because Harry Potter is a name in the wizarding world with a lot of influence.
Something I’ve always pondered about is what WOULD have happened, had Harry made friends with Draco instead of Ron? Would he have gone into Slytherin? Would Draco’s bad behavior have rubbed off on him?
Something I’ve always pondered about is what WOULD have happened, had Harry made friends with Draco instead of Ron? Would he have gone into Slytherin? Would Draco’s bad behavior have rubbed off on him?
Under normal circumstances, I would probably say yes because our friends influence who we become and the sort of paths we take. That’s just human nature. But Harry doesn’t start from the same place as everyone else, emotionally speaking. He grew up with a “Draco.” His name was Dudley but he was the Muggle version of Draco. Because of that I think that Harry would have been safe from any of Draco’s influence. Now, I think they might have been friends in name only (in order to get ahead in life using their names and money) but very competitive with one another.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"what if they recognized him as Harry Potter? Would they help him then? I…am inclined to say yes but not out of the goodness of their hearts. Harry Potter is, at the least, rumored to be powerful and as we can see from Draco, that family is drawn to that which is powerful.
Ahhh, I forgot about the Harry Potter factor. So the key is IF they’d recognize him. If they did then yes they would toady up to the young boy because like you said they like power. Having an in with a famous person, no matter what the side, would be a wise move. If they didn’t recognize him, then that is a different story.
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
Ahhh, I forgot about the Harry Potter factor. So the key is IF they’d recognize him. If they did then yes they would toady up to the young boy because like you said they like power. Having an in with a famous person, no matter what the side, would be a wise move. If they didn’t recognize him, then that is a different story.
Exactly. And if the Malfoy’s didn’t recognize him, then I’m inclined to believe that they’d take Harry’s almost bumbling attempt to get into Platform 9 3/4 as proof positive that their family were the superior lot and that anyone not like them is not worthy of their time, their effort, or magic in general.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"Ron clearly doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with coming from a Muggle family, while we know at this point that Draco would not agree.
Imma play devil’s advocate for a second here. Ron doesn’t think there is anything wrong with Muggle born wizards. BUT he doesn’t exactly accept the Malfoy or their ilk either. He’s the one, in this chapter, who voices his displeasure at the idea of going into the Slytherin house…something Harry is going to carry with him into the next chapter. Ron has certain prejudices too, though to be fair to Ron, it’s more intolerance FOR intolerance. In my book that doesn’t measure up to intolerance for those whom are different, but JKR does a fantastic job of showing that prejudices aren’t just based on family and blood…they can be wide and unwieldy.
What do you think would have happened if the Malfoys met Harry at the platform instead of the Weasleys? What if Draco had sat in Harry’s compartment instead of Ron?
Good question. Harry has met Draco before so he’s already wise to Draco’s “I’m better than everyone shtick.” I think Harry is just an innately good boy and it stems from his unfortunate life with the Dursley’s. I don’t think Harry would have been influenced by Draco to think like him but I almost (ALMOST) wonder if there’s something to be said about seeing both sides of the story. I don’t think the Malfoy’s are RIGHT in their assessment of the world as voiced by Draco (some families are better than others) but it’s hard to understand a culture when you dismiss them as simply “bad.” Cultures, families, and individuals are complex and it’s our inability to see complexity that leads to intolerance and violence. Simply putting Draco in a “bad” box and writing him (and others) off as so one note is a disservice to the complexity of the human condition and situation. Something to think about.
How do you think Harry’s sudden friendship with Ron colored his view on Slytherin? Do you think it affected his decision in the next chapter?
YUP. And in fact, it might be the entire first part of my Chapter 7 analysis so I won’t say more now.
If the Malfoys met Harry at the barrier I doubt they’d even help. If the boy doesn’t know where the barrier was then they’d recognize him as someone unfamiliar with the Wizarding World…not one of their kind
Ah, but what if they recognized him as Harry Potter? Would they help him then? I…am inclined to say yes but not out of the goodness of their hearts. Harry Potter is, at the least, rumored to be powerful and as we can see from Draco, that family is drawn to that which is powerful. Draco sees that Harry is poor, under fed, and poorly clothed…yet he wants to make friends with him. Why? Because Harry Potter is a name in the wizarding world with a lot of influence.
My husband and I had a lot of really in depth discussions on these questions, which is why I decided to use them. It is entirely feasible that Lucius could have recognized Harry as James’ son on the platform (they were, briefly in school together, plus Snape), if Harry had asked for help. And in recognizing him, the Malfoys absolutely would have gone out of their way to be kind and hospitable to Harry Potter. I’m actually surprised Molly didn’t recognize him to be honest. She was in the Order of the Phoenix with his James and Lily, and we are reminded in every book how much Harry resembles his parents.
We both found it really interesting to think about the other side of this situation. Harry is so starved for attention, that his best friend for life is literally the first person he meets on the train for Hogwarts. Was this just because it was Ron or could it easily have been Neville, or Lee Jordan, or even Draco Malfoy? He trusts and admires Hagrid at face value, because he is the one that came to rescue him from the Dursleys. Harry is willing to believe anything anyone tells him, regardless of what is true or not, prejudice or not. We discussed this a little while ago, but remember how heartbroken you felt when you got to Book 7, and you learned more about Dumbledore? We believe everything we’ve read up until that point: he was the greatest wizard of his time, he was noble, he defeated Grindelwald! And now, as we reread we have started to see that Dumbledore is not so good, even at the very beginning. As my husband puts it, “talk about an example of moral ambiguity”. We were just as Harry is now, just taking the stories as they are given to us and looking at the world through rose colored glasses.
So Slytherin is bad. But is it? Not EVERY witch or wizard in Slytherin is evil, but certainly evil people came out of Slytherin. The Malfoys are vain and proud (and yes, snobs) but certainly lots of wizarding families are. And the Weasleys too exhibit behaviors that they consider to be better than others. Lucius and Narcissa absolutely love their son, that can’t be denied and even JKR wrote about Lucius “anyone who is still capable of love is redeemable”.
Harry was very susceptible to the “word” of those he met first, the victors if you will. He was also very naive about the world he was walking into. So in our discussions we found it intriguing to think about the possibility of Draco being the boy in the cabin, showing a different side to the world. Harry may have always come to the same conclusions, but it’s very easy to see how he could have thought “well, maybe I was mistaken.”
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Harry is susceptible, but he’s not stupid. He had a mind, opinions and while we see his abuse, he isn’t extremely damaged like some children would be. Based on his previous interactions with Draco, I still don’t think he would have been friends with him even if confined together for the train ride. He wasn’t too impressed by him in Diagon Alley and that was only a few minutes of conversation. Even before he insulted Hagrid.
If they had sat together and started talking more, I think Draco’s personality would have overwhelmed Harry. He wouldn’t have been comfortable with him. He’s comfortable with Ron because he’s just a clueless and worried about school as Harry is, despite Ron’s growing up with magic.
I just can’t foresee any situation where Harry would have befriended Draco after hearing him talk for awhile.
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
We both found it really interesting to think about the other side of this situation. Harry is so starved for attention, that his best friend for life is literally the first person he meets on the train for Hogwarts. Was this just because it was Ron or could it easily have been Neville, or Lee Jordan, or even Draco Malfoy? He trusts and admires Hagrid at face value, because he is the one that came to rescue him from the Dursleys.
Sometimes fate needs a little push, eh.
But your points about Harry and Ron are striking. Harry and Ron are a lot alike and that draws them together but it could have gone a myriad of other ways. It could have been any family in the train station that helped the little orphan boy, not necessarily the opposite end of the spectrum like the Malfoy’s but any old normal non-snobbish Wizarding family.
Speaking of fate, at some point we should talk about how magic works in this world. There are two ways magic can manifest, I suppose, in fantasy. It can be a general tool but without any sort of agency of its own. It doesn’t act on the world by itself and without a human aid and it doesn’t get regarded or elevated in religious terms (or ascribed to a godhead). Then there’s the other way in which magic does act on the world, it can break the fourth wall and cause X to happen because it needs X to happen. Obviously, there is no conversation in universe about gods but I do wonder if magic *acts* on this world (and yes, I’m taking JKR out of this equation. She’s the god here but she exists in our world and not within the characters world). Making sure the Weasley’s walked by at just that moment, making sure Ron ended up in Harry’s train car, making sure Hermione walked into Ron and Harry’s car just in time to have a conversation about magic that left a lasting impression on all three.
Just another thing I’m thinking about.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"
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