Lumos Nox - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Lumos Nox - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - The Letters from No One

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The Letters from No One

Analysis
The fact that Harry has no friends or relatives to rescue him is something emphasized in this chapter and the last. Harry is stuck with the Dursleys, they won't even allow him to read the one piece of mail that he's ever received, and his greatest hope for escape is that he is set to be attending public school in the fall while Dudley is being sent to Smeltings. In the previous chapter the narrator points out: "When he was younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relations coming to take him away, but it had never happened...." This is an interesting contrast to the events of the next chapter, but it is also a recurring theme in Harry's life. In the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry discovers that his godfather is Sirius Black, that if his godfather hadn't been in prison that he would most likely have been rescued by him, perhaps even against Dumbledore's wishes. In the Order of the Phoenix Sirius tells Harry that he lived with James during the summer, was like an adopted son to the Potters, so Sirius is almost like an uncle.
But as we find out in the Chamber of Secrets and each subsequent sequel, during the summer Harry is still alone. He is cut off from his friends and the wizarding world by the fear and hatred of the Dursleys. As we will see later in this book and series, when it comes to the hardest battles, he is always alone. After the events in the Half-Blood Prince i believe that this theme will continue, and nowhere will it be a starker contrast to most people's lives then in the upcoming Deathly Hallows.
Dialogue and Character Changes Nitpicks Interesting Revelations...
Still no Mrs. Figg.
We get to see Vernon burn the letters... instead of hear him report that he has burnt the first and force Harry to move upstairs against Dudley's wishes.
When the Letters start streaming in the parlor chimney (instead of the kitchen chimney), Vernon says that they are "going away" to get away from the Letters. The movie then starts a new scene by jumping to the Hut-on-the-Rock, cutting out the events of the mad wandering, the confused hotel hostess, and the excuse for dinner after rowing out to the Hut. All of the events that take place in the Hut are therefore moved to the next scene, while the chapter ends with Hagrid knocking.
Harry doesn't get to step on Vernon's face. (:
They don't stay at the hotel and get asked about the hundred letters at the front desk the next morning.
Aunt Petunia is dyeing Harry's uniform in the background as Harry brings the mail in (for more see Deleted Scenes).
Regarding Harry's letters: the Hogwart's seal is in purple wax, the ink is emerald green. Lion, Eagle, Badger, Snake: the houses' order of preference on the part of Rowling? Also, how do TPTB at Hogwarts (presumably McGonagall) know that Harry sleeps in the cupboard under the stairs and did she have to address every single letter that was sent to Harry? Or perhaps she only signed them and they had a slew of House Elves writing them?
Vernon's use of a drill instead of nails and a fruitcake to seal the mailslot is an amusing bow to his job at Grunnings.

Quality Quill Quotes On the Telly

"By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remot control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches."
~ narrator (31)

"...He didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back."
~ narrator (34)

"Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up her without it."
~ narrator (38)

"Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat -- something alive!"
~ narrator (29)

"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?"
~ Dudley (43)

The Vanishing Glass « » The Keeper of the Keys

daniel radcliffe * rupert grint * emma watson

Lumos Nox * Swish + Flick * source
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updated 04 * 28 * 07

Analysis
The fact that Harry has no friends or relatives to rescue him is something emphasized in this chapter and the last. Harry is stuck with the Dursleys, they won't even allow him to read the one piece of mail that he's ever received, and his greatest hope for escape is that he is set to be attending public school in the fall while Dudley is being sent to Smeltings. In the previous chapter the narrator points out: "When he was younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relations coming to take him away, but it had never happened...." This is an interesting contrast to the events of the next chapter, but it is also a recurring theme in Harry's life. In the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry discovers that his godfather is Sirius Black, that if his godfather hadn't been in prison that he would most likely have been rescued by him, perhaps even against Dumbledore's wishes. In the Order of the Phoenix Sirius tells Harry that he lived with James during the summer, was like an adopted son to the Potters, so Sirius is almost like an uncle. But as we find out in the Chamber of Secrets and each subsequent sequel, during the summer Harry is still alone. He is cut off from his friends and the wizarding world by the fear and hatred of the Dursleys. As we will see later in this book and series, when it comes to the hardest battles, he is always alone. After the events in the Half-Blood Prince i believe that this theme will continue, and nowhere will it be a starker contrast to most people's lives then in the upcoming Deathly Hallows.
Dialogue and Character Changes	Nitpicks	Interesting Revelations...
Still no Mrs. Figg. We get to see Vernon burn the letters... instead of hear him report that he has burnt the first and force Harry to move upstairs against Dudley's wishes. When the Letters start streaming in the parlor chimney (instead of the kitchen chimney), Vernon says that they are "going away" to get away from the Letters. The movie then starts a new scene by jumping to the Hut-on-the-Rock, cutting out the events of the mad wandering, the confused hotel hostess, and the excuse for dinner after rowing out to the Hut. All of the events that take place in the Hut are therefore moved to the next scene, while the chapter ends with Hagrid knocking.	Harry doesn't get to step on Vernon's face. (: They don't stay at the hotel and get asked about the hundred letters at the front desk the next morning.	Aunt Petunia is dyeing Harry's uniform in the background as Harry brings the mail in (for more see Deleted Scenes). Regarding Harry's letters: the Hogwart's seal is in purple wax, the ink is emerald green. Lion, Eagle, Badger, Snake: the houses' order of preference on the part of Rowling? Also, how do TPTB at Hogwarts (presumably McGonagall) know that Harry sleeps in the cupboard under the stairs and did she have to address every single letter that was sent to Harry? Or perhaps she only signed them and they had a slew of House Elves writing them? Vernon's use of a drill instead of nails and a fruitcake to seal the mailslot is an amusing bow to his job at Grunnings.
Quality Quill Quotes	On the Telly
"By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remot control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches." ~ narrator (31) "...He didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back." ~ narrator (34) "Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up her without it." ~ narrator (38) "Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat -- something alive!" ~ narrator (29) "Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" ~ Dudley (43)
The Vanishing Glass	« »	The Keeper of the Keys