PS Chapter Four: "The Keeper of the Keys"

[for_diddled]

* I remember how in the good old days before DH came out this chapter title spurred much interesting speculation regarding potential Hagrid-St. Peter parallels.

Comments

[spongebending]

I have a head-canon that maybe Vernon got the gun because he knows about wizards, so he has this extra fear that other non-magical people don't really worry about. Most of them just go about their business oblivious, you know, but Vernon, he KNOWS that there are these powerful beings out there that could kill him instantly or even erase his mind! If I knew wizards were real, I'd probably go buy some sort defense against them this instant.

Maybe Lily warned the Dursleys (and her parents) about Voldemort and Death Eaters. Lily is a hot target, as she's a muggleborn and a member of the resistance; her non-magical family is at very high risk. Vernon and Petunia have a young son, I could see Vernon acquiring a gun while the war is going on. Especially if something happened to Petunia's parents (I always thought I was odd that all Harry's grandparents were dead, and they died awfully young for it to be of natural causes).
Vernon puts his gun away after the the threat of the Voldemort goes away, but then when the magical folk start pestering his family, he brings out his old gun from before.

[hwyla]

The shotgun connotations for me seemed to be part of 'Country House Weekends' - something Vernon would have (probably along with his golf clubs) to get ahead in business.

I've probably read too many stories about that type of weekend in murder mysteries. I have no idea if that's the implication for those raised in the UK, but I doubt their first thoughts of 'hunting' is 'redneck' (not that all hunters in the USA are rednecks, but many associate hunting as such).

[seductivedark]

I've lived in 'redneckville' for a while now, even worked at a convenience store selling hunting licenses during season. Hunting takes place in what are considered to be 'redneck' areas, but not all hunters are what one would consider to be rednecks. Just to clarify, of course, since not everyone is U. S.

I'd wondered if the shotgun was for hunting, or for posturing to be a hunter for clients who were. It might even help if he doesn't practice except while with clients, so the clients can do better than he does, so he can compliment them.

[hwyla]

It's interesting, in many ways I now associate hunting with 'foodies' - mostly because the one hunter I knew best was into cooking and wine. And these days (with the tail-to-snout' movement), it seems even more likely. But yes, it seems unfair to connect hunting to 'rednecks' when really, where else would the game be?

I must say that I'd hate the idea of someone hunting the animals in a large city park - although some of the deer in those parks probably could use culling. Still, too much chance of bagging a cross-country runner.

[seductivedark]

The park where I grew up had an alligator in it for a while - not usual for southern California. Could have used some hunters then!

How many points for a cross-country runner? Would it be more for someone training for a marathon?

The hunters that I knew were cooks. They'd make their own sausage from their take - one even made himself a smokehouse - then they'd give any excess for gifts. After hunting season, in the dead of winter, they'd all sit around the store's eating area and trade recipes for home-made goodies, like chocolate cake (from scratch!) and variations on the sourdough starter, 'herman.'

[seductivedark]

Oh, I like that head-canon! It would make sense, especially after James and Lily are killed, though he could have gotten it well before then, say around the time of the prophecy. Then, there would be a time when no one, wizard or Muggle, knew what would come next, plus, they had James and Lily's son at their house, a sure Voldie-magnet.