Again Harry noticed people putting their heads together to whisper as he passed; he gritted his teeth and tried to act as though he neither noticed nor cared.
When Harry arrives back at Hogwarts
after a summer spent in relative seclusion, he finds that many of
his classmates are whispering frantically behind his back and stealing
nervous glances at him as he walks down the hallway. This quote,
from Chapter 11, illustrates just how difficult
it has become for Harry to live up to his enormous, ever-growing
reputation. Whenever Harry meets or is introduced to a new Wizard,
he must contend with their preconceived notions about his abilities,
integrity, and honesty. Even Wizards who firmly believe Harry’s
stories about Voldemort and are impressed by his courage and strength
seem to expect Harry to do something spectacular in person in order
to prove his accomplishments. Most of the time, Harry just wishes
that he could be treated like a regular student, without all of
the added attention and pressure.
Unsurprisingly, Harry is often singled out at Hogwarts,
whether for his scar, his Quidditch skills, his friendship with
Dumbledore, or his awe-inspiring stories about meeting Voldemort
face to face. To make matters worse, Harry was receiving this treatment
even before the Daily Prophet began a ruthless
smear campaign against him. For nearly all of Harry’s life, he has
been the subject of ridicule and disdain—first by his Aunt Petunia,
Uncle Vernon, and wretched cousin Dudley, and now by his peers.
As Harry expresses over and over again, Hogwarts is the only place
he has ever really felt at home, and he is disappointed to have
to contend with the same kind of bad treatment at what was once
a safe haven of sorts. He continually wishes that he could just
be treated as a normal Wizard, the same as everyone else.
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