Friday, February 1, 2013

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Readalong Post 2

Apologies in advance guys, I'm not really feeling this week's post topic.


And if I'm being honest, I'm also pretty distracted by the fact that next week we're looking at Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, because it is one of my favourite books in the series. Lupin! Sirius! Secret Passageways! Hogsmeade! Oh my!

So I think I'm just going to jump straight to my single liners, and hop onto your posts and be a little more vocal in the comments.

Titbits and Shiznit

*Did any of the first time readers actually believe Hagrid was the heir of Slytherin?

*Parselmouth is a stupid word. Bad JK, bad.

*I like to think that Ernie, Hannah and Justin are the Hufflepuff equivalent of the Gryffindor trio, and they have a little detective agency but they get the crappy cases like "who stole my biscuit" because the Gryffindor trio get the juicy cases against dementors and horcruxes.

*Harry has shitty luck. Like ridiculously bad.

*Slytherin's password is 'pureblood'? Wouldn't that be everyone's first guess?

*JK continues to represent the gingers with auburn-locked pre-headmaster Dumbledore.

*If nothing else, Fudge is a snappy dresser.

*Slytherin is monkey-looking? I can't decide if that's a really offensive insult or not.

*What subjects would everyone pick? I'm pretty sure I'd lock in ancient runes and care of magical creatures and avoid divination like the plague, but I'd love to see a complete list of options.

Till next week lady-faces,




35 comments:

  1. HAHAHA Snape.

    I would pick Care of Magical Creatures maybe, and then keep all the basics like Transfiguration and Potions and History and stuff. I'm boring.

    So excited to be moving on to book 3!

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    1. Am I the only one who thinks History would be amazing? I know they paint Binns to be the worst prof EVER, but every chapter in that class is enthralling!

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  2. >>I like to think that Ernie, Hannah and Justin are the Hufflepuff equivalent of the Gryffindor trio, and they have a little detective agency but they get the crappy cases like "who stole my biscuit" because the Gryffindor trio get the juicy cases against dementors and horcruxes.

    That is one of my favorite things anyone has ever said about the Harry Potter books, ever.

    In re: Hagrid: I felt the same as you except that I remember when two (not one! two!) of my friends were reading the second book, and they got to the part where Harry has the flashback-to-Hagrid, and they were like, "I knew Hagrid was going to be involved. It's so obvious. He loves monsters." So....there's that.

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  3. Prisoner of Azkaban is one of my favorites too! And I've already read like 14 chapters (oops). But I have to disagree, Harry has fantastic luck - otherwise he'd been dead 10 times over by now. Ancient Runes and Arithmancy sound cool, but maybe it's just because we don't actually see them so they're all mysterious. I think that by age 13 I would have avoided Care of Magical Creatures because I think by then I had realized that caring for animals = cleaning up poop and that's only worth it for my cuddly friends.

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    1. I was thinking more in terms of wrong place/wrong time, but you're right he's got pretty amazing luck - especially in book 4!

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  4. I had trouble with this week's post too because we're SO CLOSE to starting PoA omgletsgorightnow!!

    Yay JK, giving red heads some love.

    I wonder if someone's put together a full list of Hogwarts classes. I mean, this is the internet so someone has.

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    1. http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hogwarts_subjects

      There kind of aren't that many...

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    2. I am massively disappointed in the internet for this. Also, I'd still like to believe that the kids had to take stuff such as lit and math. SOMETHING so they can go out in the world and figure out at least how to make change and pay for stuff with their crazy wizarding currency.

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    3. In week 1 didn't someone find a quote where JK said they do maths but it isn't interesting enough to include in a book about magic? I'm going with that theory, otherwise I'll just end up cranky.

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    4. I don't know, they seem pretty disconnected from non-magic subjects like technology (phones, Xerox machines, etc.), so it wouldn't surprise me if they actually DON'T take math and lit and all that...

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    5. You're probably right Kerry, but I think JK mentioned it in an interview, probably because of how much people like us pulled it apart and questioned how they could be functioning adults without those basics!

      Personally I always assumed they focused on maths/english etc before they got to Hogwarts - but I'm not sure who'd have taught them. Parents perhaps?

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  5. PoA IS THE BEST. EVER. Everyone who thinks differently should maybe just go away.

    I almost used that Snape/Asparagus image. I went with the tacos instead. Hmmm...Snape & foodstuffs! Wait until next week: I bet we'll all use the it's pinned to my scrotum gif. Good times.

    I would totally be down for runes, arithmancy. i'd skip divination and possibly even care of magical creatures because, while like hagrid, i wouldn't have had much patience with such a patently bad teacher. and maybe i'd taken muggle studies just to get the extra OWL/NEWT and it would be easy and MAYBE I could teach those wizards a thing or two.

    I love your idea of Ernie, Hannah, and Justin as another trio, but I bet they actually had great Hufflepuffian adventures. Hufflepuff is the awesomest but they keep that to themselves--otherwise everyone would want to wear the gold and the black.

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    1. I'd definitely skip divination, but I think I'd pick CoMC because I wouldn't know Hagrid was teaching, and I'd probably switch out after the first year. Maybe, I feel like I'd be pretty loyal to Hagrid and try and help him out.

      Actually, how can Hagrid be a teacher if he didn't finish school? I don't doubt Dumbles gave him some lessons on the side - but are their no quality measures in place? No wonder their money is so messed up!

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  6. Parselmouth sounds like a symptom of gingivitis. (Which I just learned that I don't know how to spell. Thank you Google.)

    If the Slytherin password is "pure blod", maybe the Ravenclaw password is "intelligence" and the Hufflpuff one is "loyalty". OMG I now have access to ALL THE HOUSES.

    (Although let's be real -- the hufflepuff password is something curesy like "waltzing puppies".)

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    1. Ravenclaw has a riddle as their password. I wonder if that changes daily or if once you figure out the riddle for the year you're set.

      I am choosing to believe "waltzing puppies" is the Hufflepuffs password. I don't care if the books ever tell us otherwise.

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    2. If it isn't waltzing puppies it's probably giggling kittens, or bashful hedgehogs. Whatever, baby animals are involved and they're doing something adorable, end of story!

      The riddle probably changes as often as the Gryffindor password, but even if I was smart enough to be in Ravenclaw I think I'd get performance anxiety and be permanently locked out of my common room.

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    3. Um, you GUYS...the Hufflepuff password is "Badger in short pants." But now we have to change it.

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  7. I'm fairly sure that I probably believed Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets, but not that he was the Heir of Slytherin... Which is really stupid now that I think of it. Never mind, that didn't happen.

    I think I'd definitely pick Muggle studies, because HOW EASY WOULD THAT BE?! Surely the muggle borns should be prevented from taking it?! Unless maybe they learn how to like erase muggle memories and stuff... Hmmm...

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    1. I've never quite worked out what muggle studies is, is it simply a history class about muggle life, politics, inventions etc?

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  8. Well, as a first-timer - I did kind of believe it was Hagrid, EXCEPT I believed he didn't MEAN to do it and was never given the change to explain himself. But a part of me also thought there's no way Hagrid did it, he's just too *simple* and friendly and non-evil.

    You'd think it would take more than a simple password to get into each house...can anyone get into a different house as long as they know the password then?

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    1. That's good to hear! I just can't remember whether I initially believed Hagrid was guilty- but if I did it'd probably have been like you. Although that'd be an amazing twist if you get to the end of the book and Hagrid IS evil!

      Ravenclaw uses a riddle, but yeah if you know the password it doesn't matter which house you're from (or even if you aren't from the school), you'll get in.

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  9. I don't know if I count as a first-timer because of having seen those damn movies...BUT when I first saw Chamber of Secrets the Movie, I did NOT believe Hagrid was the Heir of Slytherin. I was totally suspicious of Tom Riddle because he had secrets in his eyes...his beautiful, beautiful eyes.

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    1. And he's living in a diary! I'd be so suspicious of someone who just implanted themselves like that- Harry is trusting of all the wrong people.

      They are lovely eyes- pity he's such an evil s.o.b!

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  10. I too am doing my re-read of Potter still. Just finished book 5 today... onto to the next!!!

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    1. You're nearly done!! I took a look at the full set of books yesterday and I forgot how teeny book 7 is compared to the previous 2. I mean, it's not small - but compared to those mammoth tomes it's quite manageable!

      Happy reading!

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  11. Excellent question about course choices. Arithmancy sounds EXcellent, and CoMC, and, I'm not feeling enthusiastic about any of the others on that list Laura found.

    Prisoner of Azkabaaaaaan! I started reading it last night and it's already so, so wonderful.

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    1. I started yesterday and YES!!! So good to be onto my FAVOURITE book!

      The only other subject on that list that could be interesting is 'ghoul studies' but since it isn't actually in the books who the heck knows?!

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  12. I didn't have much to say this week either. I thought maybe Harry was when heir for a kj ire even though I know he isn't. Apparently I have a goldfish memory.

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    1. How amazing would it have been if he was heir, and it turned out he was an untrustworthy narrator?! Not what I'd expect from a kid's book, sure, but man it would have blown my mind as a kid!!

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  13. Chamber of Secrets is my joint favourite (along with Half-Blood Prince). I think I'm the only one who loves this one though :(

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    1. I think you might be! I appreciate it far more now, but it was skipped A LOT when I was younger.

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    2. Philosopher's Stone was always my skipped one, or at least the first few chapters.

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  14. I LOVE Harry Potter, and also have the Lego set!! :D I recently made a review on Harry Potter as well! :)
    zoe sugg in harry potter

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