The very first time we met Harry Potter in the first move, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, he was living in a cupboard underneath the stairs in the Dursley home. It was completely unfit for someone to live in, yet there he was with barely enough room for his toy soldiers.
Then, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, we saw Harry in a bedroom upstairs. Have you ever wondered why his aunt and uncle moved him into a proper living space? Was it an act of kindness on their part? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Keep reading to find out the real reason why Harry was given a room.
Video of Harry Potter In His Cupboard Under The Stairs
Here is video of Harry being woken first by Aunt Petunia, then by cousin Dudley who knew exactly where to stomp so that dust would fall on Harry.
This video shows Harry seven years later taking one last look at the cupboard.
Why Do I Call This A Movie Mystery?
No explanation was given in the second movie as to why Harry was no longer in the cupboard but it was explained in the books. I've written this so that anyone who has wondered about this will finally get an answer. Oh, and if you are wondering why Harry wasn't in the bedroom all along, I'll answer that, too.
Harry's School Letter Scared Vernon And Petunia Dursley
This answer comes from the book... Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
It was the letters that Uncle Vernon was so determined to destroy that hold the answer to this mystery. Take a look at how the letters were addressed:
Mr. H. PotterThe Cupboard under the Stairs,4, Privet Drive,Little Whinging,Surrey
Vernon and Petunia were horrified to see that the sender knew exactly where in the house Harry was living, which is sadly ironic because they should have been horrified by the thought of a child being forced to live in such deplorable conditions, including a lock that kept him inside.
"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address - how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"
"Watching - spying - might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Vernon and Petunia solved this dilemma by moving Harry out from the cupboard and into a room. Which brings to me another mystery. Why didn't Harry have a proper bedroom sooner? Well, Uncle Vernon answers that when he tells Harry about the impending change.
"Er - yes, Harry - about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking... you're really getting a bit big for it... we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Ah ha! Dudley had two bedrooms, the little git. In fact, we were about to find out that there were four bedrooms in the Dursley home, and none of them were Harry's until the first letter to Hogwarts arrived.
The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Writing about this mystery has made me realize just how horrible Harry's situation. Who knows how long Harry would have been forced to sleep in that tiny room if not for the fear caused by the letter? Perhaps the most telling aspect of this is that we can see how truly frightened Vernon and Petunia were of Dumbledore (and magic).
Were You Confused By Something In One Of The Movies?
Send me an email with your question about what you didn't understand from one (or more) of the movies and I'll do my best to answer it here on my website.
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