10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The Harry Potter Books
2. The First Chapter Used To Be Completely Different
Like every author, Rowling went through a lot of drafts in order to perfect the opening of her story. But what’s unusual about the Harry Potter series is that the earliest drafts of the first chapter were nothing like the final version.
Initially, Rowling opened her story with a conversation between Hagrid and Cornelius Fudge. But oddly enough, Fudge is the Muggle Prime Minister, not the Minister for Magic. The scene involves Hagrid warning the Prime Minister about the dangers of Voldemort and his followers:
‘This is nothing,’ said the giant. ‘He’s just gettin’ started. Once he’s got the power, once he’s got the followers, no one’ll be safe. Not even Muggles.’
Though this original scene was dropped during the writing process, the concept was recycled for the opening chapter of The Half-Blood Prince.
What’s more, Vernon Dursley also appears in this early draft. But rather than being the owner of a drilling company, Harry’s uncle is a politician who works alongside the Muggle Prime Minister. Following Voldemort’s attack at Godric’s Hollow, he actually brings the one-year-old Harry into the Prime Minister’s office to discuss what’s going to happen to him.
It’s a bizarre draft and it’s radically different to the published version in The Philosopher’s Stone.