It’s almost hard to believe, but nearly 30 years ago, the fantasy genre changed with the release of the first installment of J.K. Rowling’s globally successfulHarry Potternovel series in 1997. With people all around the world falling in love with Harry’s magical story and longing to find out more about Hogwarts, Warner Bros. turned the novel series into one of the best fantasy movie series, which enchants fans to this day.
Even after all these years, there are two things that will probably never change: the love for the story and the discovery of unexpected connections. While there are numerous connections and hidden Easter eggs in theHarry Pottermovies and books, there is a significant theory circulating online regarding the Christmas gifts which the Dursleys sent to Harry. Let’s take a look at them and explore their meaning.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
A 50-Pence Piece
Harry’s first year at Hogwarts was not only the first time he ever had the chance to learn about magic and be surrounded by other wizards and witches, but it was also the first time in his life he was finally free from his cruel relatives. Having lived with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and cousin Dudley all his life, the relief of being far away from them is undeniable. During Harry’s first year at his new magical school, his relatives sent him a Christmas gift, which certainly came unexpected. However, the initial surprise quickly dissolved whenHarry found out that it was a 50-pence piece. While this gift was clearly not meant as a nice gesture from the Dursleys, J.K. Rowling might still have had an intention behind it.
A coin can be seen as a representation of two faces. Apart from the fact that it could refer to Harry being a half-blood or, in general, only being the half of something, since he is one of Voldemort’s horcruxes, which could have easilyturned Harry into a dark wizard, and neither can live while the other is alive, there is another meaning relating to the three magical objects of the Deathly Hollows. One of the objects is the resurrection stone, which Voldemort is trying to get during Harry’s first year at Hogwarts.Voldemort uses Professor Quirrel, as they share a body, but the Dark Lord is only visible on the back of the professor’s head. They are two faces, like a flipped coin, longing to find the resurrection stone and fully bring Voldemort back.
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A Toothpick
The second year brought another gift for Christmas, which solidifies this theory even more.Harry’s relatives sent him a gift that consisted of nothing but a toothpick. Yes to dental hygiene and all, but they truly found yet another way to let Harry know how little they care about him. To Harry, it’s nothing but a punch in the face, reminding him that he is worthless to them. To fans, it depicts something much more.
The toothpick could easily be compared to the elder wand, which holds incredibly powerful magic and is the second magical object of the Deathly Hollows. The toothpick represents Harry’s battle with Voldemort, and how he eventually gets hold of the elder wand and, even though there is adifference between theHarry Potterbooksand the movies, he breaks it in two in order to protect the wizarding world from its detrimental powers. The toothpick could also represent something else though, asit might literally stand for a tooth, which plays a significant role during Harry’s second year at Hogwarts. In the Chamber of Secrets, Harry meets Voldemort’s younger version and is forced to fight for his life against a basilisk. He succeeds and uses one of the basilisk’s fangs to destroy Voldemort’s diary and horcrux.
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The only other time during which Harry received another gift from Vernon and Petunia was on his fourth Christmas at Hogwarts.This time around, he received a single tissue, which, again, obviously has no value or meaning to Harry, but potentially carries something important in any case.The tissue could actually be a representation of the third andcoolest magical object inHarry Potter, the invisibility cloak. Even though they are extremely rare, Dumbledore gifted one of them to Harry. In theTale of the Three Brothers, which Harry is introduced to at a later stage, he learns about the resurrection stone, the elder wand, and the invisibility cloak. As for the invisibility cloak, the tale says that one brother used it to hide from death, but when he was ready, he “greeted death like an old friend”.
Because of this, the tissue could refer toone of the most epic magical battles,Harry’s last battle with Voldemort, where he knew that to defeat Voldemort, he would also have to die. Harry was ready to sacrifice himself, ready to greet death, for the greater good. Considering that J.K. Rowling continuously made it a point that even the tiniest details are included for a reason, it seems logical to assume the same for these three Christmas gifts.Harry Potteris available to stream on Peacock.
