PS/SS:CH3:NUMBERS AND NUMEROLOGY

• 3 pieces of mail - it's bills and a letter for Harry. Looks like the Dursleys don't get much mail. Perhaps they are not too popular?
• a letter for Harry (1) - It's only one because McGonagall hopes Harry will get the letter the first time, like most accepted children.
• alarm went of at 6 o'clock a.m. - it's half of 12 anyway...
• another letter for Harry - Perhaps the first got misplaced at the Dursley's house? I think McGonagall is trying to be patient.
• another 3 letters for Harry - 1 x 3. McGonagall is getting worried....
• 12 letters for Harry - 3 x 4. 12 is one of those all-important numbers in this series.
• 24 letters for Harry... - 2 x 3 x 4 or 12 x 2. Any multiple of 12 is to be considered important. McGonagall might be using "simple" multiplication spells for so quickly producing these letters now...or something.
• ...inside 2 dozen eggs (24, or 12 x 2), the letters are shredded in a food processor - McGonagall is getting quite desperate now!
• 30 or 40 letters - how about 36? That would be 12 x 3...another multiple of 12. Otherwise it really could be 40, in which case it would be seen as a bad omen, 40 being traditionally associated with bad luck or disasterous events (think 40 days and 40 nights of rain).
• Dudley missed 5 television programs - the numbers nine and five are often used with the Durselys. From http://www.astrology-numerology.com/numerology.html, we get "5 Negative Traits: Restless, discontent, edgy temperament and speech, dissatisfaction, too many hasty decisions, impatience, lacking in application." Dudley's behavior is almost perfectly described for this scene.
• Room 17 at the hotel - we later find out 17 is the coming-of-age in the wizarding world. The TWT champions are "supposed" to be 17 to participate. You have to be 17 to get you apparation license.
• a hundred letters - It's a nice even number. The hotel owner is approximating. I wonder if the real number is 144....
• How many letters actually got delivered to the house the day they left? - Harry's just guessing at the amount here. He goes from the shack on the rock to Diagon Alley, so he never gets to see how many letters were really delivered. 144? 288?
• Harry's 11th birthday - from http://www.astrology-numerology.com/num-keywords.html, we get "11 See number 2. Spirituality is emphasized more, but in essence, the 2 traits, positive and negative apply" and "2 Positive Traits: Cooperation, adaptability, considerate of others, sensitive to the needs of others, partnering, an arbiter or mediator, modest, sincere, spiritually influenced, a diplomat. 2 Negative Traits: Shyness, timidity, fear, self-consciousness, drown in detail, depression."
• 4 bags of chips - There happen to be four of them. I'm surprised Vernon not only got food for Harry but that he got the same amount for Harry as he did for himself, Petunia, and especially Dudley.
• 4 bananas - ditto as for the bags of chips
• "low rolls of thunder that started near midnight" - 12 midnight. 12's are so closely associated with time, and Jo uses 12's in context with travel as well...makes me think of planes of reality and space, levels, astral projection.... I have a feeling 12 is particularly important in time travel, and also in apparation...anything that disrupts the space-time continuum.
• "10 minutes' time" - since 10 reduces to 1 (in numerology) and 1 is the begining, then 10 is a good starting point for a countdown....
• "five minutes to go"
• "four minutes to go"
• "three minutes to go"
• "two minutes to go"
• "one minute to go...
• "...and he'd be eleven" - ditto what I said about 11 above.
• "thirty seconds...twenty...ten...nine"
• "three...two...one"
• a bang on the door at the stroke of midnight - again, 12 midnight. Midnight, near midnight, even near 12 noon...Jo often uses these times for major travelling experiences. The distance travelled at these times isn't as important as who's travelling at these times, and to where. We'll have to keep an eye on arrival and departure times.