The Boy Who Lived
Day 1
Ch. 1 & 2:
The Boy Who Lived + The Vanishing Glass
Welcome to Day 1 of this Harry Potter deep dive. I’m approaching this series a little differently than my usual deep dives. Instead of dissecting every scene, I’m using a set of discussion questions I found online to guide my reflections. Think of this as a conversation rather than a recap: a space where I react, theorize, and wander through the details that catch my attention without trying to retell a story that the world already knows by heart.
Let’s get into it.
Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived
When Rowling describes the Potters as “UnDursleyish,” what does that even mean?
From what we’ve seen so far, the Dursleys are the kind of family obsessed with appearances. You know the type. The ones who try to keep up with the Joneses by out‑doing the Smiths, then look down on the Smiths for not having what they have. Petunia is a gossip, Vernon is rigid and judgmental, and together they form this tight little bubble of “normalcy” that’s really just fear wrapped in superiority.
So when Rowling says “UnDursleyish,” I read it as: anything they consider beneath them, above them, outside their worldview, or simply different. Honestly, it feels like a polite way of saying they’re prejudiced — and at the risk of going too far, their behavior mirrors racism in the way they treat people different from them as an inferior, shameful “other.”
What strange things does Mr. Dursley notice on the day the Potters die?
This chapter is full of subtle magical disturbances, but the ones that stood out to me are:
• People wearing brightly colored cloaks in broad daylight
• A cat reading a map
• Whispers about the Potters and a boy named Harry
It’s the perfect blend of whimsical and ominous.
If Dumbledore is the only wizard Voldemort feared, why does he say Voldemort has powers he never will?
McGonagall hints that Dumbledore does have those powers, but he’s too noble or honorable to use them. So when Dumbledore says Voldemort has powers he never will, I think he means he will never wield magic the way Voldemort does. It’s not about ability; it’s about choice.
How are we first introduced to Harry Potter?
Technically, we meet Harry as an orphaned baby asleep in a basket on a doorstep, a strangely peaceful image considering the tragedy that just unfolded. Then, after a ten‑year time jump, we meet him again asleep and dreaming.
Chapter 2: The Vanishing Glass
How have the Dursleys brought Harry into the family after ten years?
Short answer: they haven’t. There are no photos of him. No clothes of his own. No proper room. No affection. No sense that he belongs. He’s tolerated, not included. He’s a permanent outsider in his own home.
What is Dudley like, and how does he treat Harry?
Dudley is the product of unchecked spoiling: loud, demanding, and used to getting everything he wants. He treats Harry the way his parents do - like a punching bag, and an inconvenience.
Where do the Dursleys take Dudley for his birthday, and why does Harry go too?
They take Dudley to the zoo. Harry only gets to go because his usual babysitter, Mrs. Figg broke her leg and the Dursleys couldn’t find anyone else on short notice.
What magical moment do Harry and the snake share?
Harry and the boa constrictor have an actual conversation. A moment of connection that feels more genuine than anything he’s experienced with the Dursleys. Then, when Dudley’s friend Piers catches them talking, the glass suddenly disappears and the snake escapes.
Closing Thoughts
These opening chapters are quieter than I remembered, a bit melancholy. They set up a world where magic is both wondrous and dangerous, and where Harry’s loneliness is as important as his destiny.
If you’re reading along, tell me:
What detail in these first two chapters hits differently for you now than it did when you first encountered the story?
🔮 Tarot Tie‑In: The Fool
If I had to choose one tarot card to capture the energy of Chapters 1 and 2, it would be The Fool. And I don’t mean that as an insult, but as the archetypal beginning of a hero’s journey. These chapters are all threshold energy: a baby on a doorstep, a boy in a cupboard, a life quietly waiting to unfold. The Fool represents innocence, potential, and the moment before everything changes, which is exactly where Harry stands. Magic flickers at the edges, like the universe nudging him toward the path he doesn’t yet know he’s destined to walk. Even in his loneliness, there’s a sense of forward motion, of something waking up. The Fool reminds us that every epic story starts with a single, uncertain step, and Harry’s first chapters embody that beautifully.
I’ll meet you for Day 2, where the letters start arriving. The universe begins knocking and Harry’s world tilts in ways he can’t yet understand. If you’re reading along, I’d love to have you with me as we watch the Dursleys unravel, and the story finally crack open.
See you then, wand at the ready.
