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Warning!
At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells. Spoilers will be present within the article. |
- "I suppose we could take him to the zoo, ... and leave him in the car..."
- — Petunia Dursley's reluctance to take Harry Potter to the zoo[src]
This zoo was in Surrey, where the Dursleys took Dudley on his eleventh birthday on 23 June 1991.[1]
History
Vernon and Petunia Dursley took their son Dudley Dursley to this zoo for his eleventh birthday on 23 June 1991, along with his friend Piers Polkiss and — reluctantly — their nephew, Harry Potter. While at the zoo, they bought ice cream treats, saw a gorilla that reminded Harry of Dudley, ate at the zoo restaurant, and visited the reptile house.
At first, Dudley found the place boring because none of the reptiles were moving around much, but when no one was watching, Harry discovered that he was able to speak to snakes when he realised a boa constrictor understood what he was saying.[1]
When Dudley and Piers saw the snake moving around, they rushed to get to the cage, and Dudley pushed Harry out of the way. In anger, Harry made the glass of its cage vanish, unknowingly using underage magic. This allowed the boa to escape its tank. Soon after, the zoo director apologised for the incident and gave Vernon and Petunia tea while asking for forgiveness.[1]
Harry recalled his incident at the zoo in December 1992 to his friend Ron Weasley, after he officially discovered he was a Parselmouth after the Duelling Club.[2]
Behind the scenes
- In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, this zoo was filmed at London Zoo.[3] However, the zoo cannot canonically be located in London, since Harry makes it clear he has never been to London before visiting Diagon Alley.[4]
- Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells and Harry Potter: Magic Awakened incorrectly refer to this zoo as London Zoo, due to a long-held misconception on the Harry Potter Wiki that the zoo seen in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was London Zoo purely due to its real-world filming location, and thus was retconned for the film (supposedly meaning an entirely different zoo was visited in the film).
- In the film, the snake that Harry speaks to is a Burmese python rather than a Brazilian boa constrictor, and it simply offers its thanks when leaving; in the book, the Boa also expresses its intention to travel to Brazil.[5]
- In the Brazilian dub, the snake is from Brazil, referencing the book.
- In the book, Dudley and Piers jump back, howling in horror, when the glass vanishes.[1] In the film, Dudley falls into the tank and is trapped when the glass reappears, making him frantically cry out for his mother, who appears seconds later and screams in shock about her son being in the tank.[5]
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) (Mentioned only)
- Pottermore
- Harry Potter Trading Card Game
- Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
- Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (Appears in the Memory album)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 2 (The Vanishing Glass)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 11 (The Duelling Club)
- ↑ Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey, p 56
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 5 (Diagon Alley)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) - Chapter 2 (The Vanishing Glass)