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== Analysis ==
Without realizing it, Harry has reached the most significant milestone in his life thus far: his 11th birthday. Hagrid's arrival on that day not only liberates Harry from his miserable existence, it also empowers him to stand up against the abusive Dursleys—changingforever altering their relationship forever. Now Harry has the ability to make his own choices that directly affect his destiny. He can decide for himself whether to stay with the Dursleys or attend Hogwarts, leaving behind the Muggle world he subconsciously felt he never belonged. By choosing Hogwarts, Harry shows his budding maturity and independence, and also an ability to chart his own life's course. Later in the series, Harry develops a reluctance to put his faith into the unknown, but this time he unhesitatingly believes this is his true path and that nothing could be worse than what he already must endure. He trusts Hagrid to lead him on those first tentative steps. Harry is livid that his aunt and uncle hid the truth, as adults often do to protect children, only the Dursleys' motive was spurred by hate and resentment, rather than any attempt to shield him. The obstinate Dursleys' refusal to allow Harry to attend Hogwarts is solely to deny him what they know he wants most, rather than any concern for his well being. Even though Harry's departure would alleviate much unwanted responsibility from the Dursleys, they want to keep him home purely to be spiteful, though Petunia may be an additional reason. This time, however, the choice is Harry's alone, and he opts to leave the Muggle world (and the Dursleys) behind, though he will be required to periodically revisit it until he reaches adulthood.
As an astonished Harry learns about his true past and how his parents actually died, we learn more about what happened the night Lord Voldemort came to Godric's Hollow. We can sense the dread most Wizards feel for Voldemort, or even the fear his name alone evokes, despite his being defeated ten years before. This ongoing fear seems to indicate that the Wizarding world may still be uncertain whether or not Voldemort is truly dead and if he can or will return. Harry lacks this fear, perhaps because he was never conditioned to it like other wizards have been over the years. Instead, he comes to considers Voldemort as his foe, though not an invincible one.
The Dursleys' behaviour is also a classic example showing how human ignorance and fear tend to go hand-in-hand. In a vicious circle, their ignorance about magic causes them to fearbe itfrightened by magic, while that fear prevents them from developing a better understanding of it. In contrast, Harry's willingness to accept his magical nature when the evidence is shownpresented to him, clearly indicates his open-minded intelligence.
A central theme to these books is prejudice and divisiveness, and this chapter, particularly Petunia's tirade, shows a biased view from the Muggle side of the Muggle/Magic divide.
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