Hey everyone I'm back! I didn't forget about my wonderful readers just school got stupid busy, it being the last few weeks of term and then NaNoWriMo started so I've kind of been focusing on that more than my reading (it's terrible I know). Actually NaNo's going pretty well (not that anyone asked), I'm a little behind where I want to be but not so far that I can't catch up.
Without further gilding the lily and with no more ado, Norbert, the Norwegian Ridgeback everybody!
Summary:
OK, so, this chapter starts out fairly normally (normal being very relative) Hermione is worrying to the point of distraction about their end of year exams (They're only 10 weeks away you know), they're also worrying about the stone, and keeping an eye on Snape and all that important stuff when Harry gets a message from Hagrid that simply says "It's hatching". So they race down to Hagrid's hut after they're finished their classes and get there shortly before the once in a lifetime event (How often are they going to see a dragon hatching?) Well, you know Hagrid's never one for thinking too far ahead and Hermione points out a fairly obvious flaw in his plan, aside from living in a very small house (dragons can get pretty big I'm reliably informed), Hagrid's lovely abode is also made of wood...you see where I'm going with this, wood and dragon fire should under no circumstances meet...at all...so they have to find a way to get him out of there. That won't be easy...enter Harry's brilliant mind, he thinks of Charlie Weasley (who, may I add, Ron has mentioned all of once, on the train to Hogwarts and not again since, except for maybe Christmas) So, they send off the letter and wait for a reply, none too patiently I might add (but why would you send poor Errol to Romania to deliver a letter anyway, what is wrong with you?) but they finally get his answer, meet his friends on top of the Astronomy tower at midnight with Norbert. Well I think we can all guess how well that turns out. Somehow (not saying how, read the book!) Malfoy (inevitably) finds out puts the whole mission in jeopardy, and things don't end well for Harry and Hermione...let's just say they're none too bright at the end of the chapter and move on.
Review:
OK, this chapter has a lot to review on. First of all, the incongruous points, McGonagall says she's never heard of something so ridiculous as 4 students out of bed in one night (That's bull and she knows it (OK that's also next chapter but...). Also, OK, the Norbert thing is brought up in later books and charlie Weasley is the most amazing person to walk the planet (it irks me that he wasn't in the movies, hell, they astronomy tower Norbert thing wasn't in the movies!) Also, we see another prime example of Dumbledore being a manipulative, irritating old fool. There's no way Professor McGonagall would suggest that 3 of her Gryffindors serve their detention with Hagrid that night. If they were to serve with Hagrid McGonagall would probably have the sense to veto the detention first. But of course, Dumbledore as Headmaster would be able to assign ludicrous detentions like that. Even if Hagrid did offer to take their detention because he got them in trouble in the first place you'd think Dumbledore would stop them doing what they were going to be doing. Also, their detention takes place after curfew, for being out after curfew...because that makes so much sense. You also see the house bias. When McGonagall found 3 of her students were out of bed, she could have done the sensible thing and only taken 20 points each, maybe, like a normal person but no (I think I'm bleeding over into the next chapter though so I'll get back to this one)
OK, valid query, I know they don't think she'll believe them but when they find out that Hagrid's got a dragon egg why don't they just tell their head of house, or even the headmaster, right away, yes the story's implausible but a quick trip by Hagrid's with a responsible adult would change a lot for them in the long run. Also, Ron gets his hand bitten while he's at Hagrid's, you'd think that would be a red flag, even if the school nurse has a "if they don't tell me I don't press them," policy, you'd think someone else would notice the bandage and ask, even his brother, ickle Percy the perfect prefect, doesn't notice.
All in all it was a pretty good chapter though, Full of action and plot points and kinda, sorta, cliff hangery at the end...It's a great chapter of an even great book!
I think I'l rambled on long enough. If I don't see you all before the end of November I'm still doing NaNo!
Until them keep reading and writing!!!
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
Sunday, 25 October 2015
The Harry Potter Re-Read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 13: Noted Alchemist? Noted where?
Hi everyone I'm back!. I got really busy with school work and then I had to go in for emergency Neurosurgery to replace my broken shunt at the beginning of October so I'm really just now getting back to everything I was up to before. Again, I'll try and keep my updates regular but I make no promises. I also have to update my poll again. Again, ideas for book reviews and polls can be left in the comments or be given over Twitter. In addition, if you haven;t already, follow me on Twitter!
Summary:
OK, you remember in the last chapter where Harry discovered the Mirror of Erised and much sneaking out after dark in his father's invisibility cloak ensued. (Major plot device set up there thanks J.K.) So, the mirror is set up as a major thing to come, Dumbledore tells Harry nothing useful, as per usual. Harry does find out however, that Snape is to be refereeing the next Gryffindor Quidditch match and he almost wants to back out, but that would mean that Gryffindor would forfeit the cup. Just then, another very important thing happens as Neville (Poor, poor Neville) falls (literally falls) into the common room. It turns out he fell victim to Malfoy's leg-locker curse, but it's kind of a good thing he did, as when Hermione frees him from it Harry gives him his last chocolate frog. Neville gives him back the card and he finally realizes where he's heard the name Nicolas Flamel before, on the way to Hogwarts, on the back of Dumbledore's chocolate frog card. So they finally know a little more about Flamel and realize why he wasn't in "Recent Developments in Wizardry" or anything they looked in about wizards of the 20th century (each of the Flamels are over 600 years old).
So, Nicolas Flamel's involvement is explained and they find out (through Hermione's "light reading") that he is the only known maker of the philosopher's stone (and the title of the book is explained!!) Although, something bothers me. When Hermione goes home for the holidays Ron says "maybe you can ask your parents about Flamel, that'd be safe" and she replies "very safe as they're both dentists". Nicolas Flamel is known in the muggle world as a philosopher and rumoured creator of the philosopher's stone, so they might have, in fact, known who he was. (Wizard's don't always use their heads)
So, they find out who Flamel is and they the item Fluffy is guarding is most likely the Philosopher's Stone and Snape referees the Quidditch match, really nothing else happens.
Review:
OK, the thing in this chapter that bugs me is that, Dumbledore set Harry up to face Voldemort at the end. By showing (and telling) him how the mirror works he basically set him up to die. I mean sure, Harry beat Voldemort once when he was a baby but there was no guarantee that what saved him the first time would save him again (unless Dumbledore already suspected/knew that he was ahorcrux (I think he did)). I know, in the Hospital Wing at the end he gave Harry the excuse that he thought he deserved to face him for what Voldemort did to him as a baby but Dumbledore had to know, or at least suspect that he would come back in a new body one day, because he had to know he had more than one horcrux.
He also sets Harry up from the beginning when Hagrid retrieves the stone from Gringotts because Harry, an inquisitive, basically abandoned by the Wizarding world, child, would be curious about that. So we have the set up with the stone, and now we have the set up with the mirror, because now Harry knows what the mirror does but now he's having nightmares about his parents dying which may be because of seeing them in the mirror. But he has no time to dwell on the nightmares because of the upcoming Quidditch match, refereed by none other than Professor Snape, which, can I just point out is a very bad idea from the start. The main reason that Madam Hooch is the flying teacher and referee is because, while she belonged to a house during her time at Hogwarts and remains loyal to it, she's not a a head of house. So that doesn't end well but Gryffindor wins the match regardless.
But then Harry sees something suspicious on his way to put his broom back in the broom shed. He sees a prowling figure headed toward the forbidden forest. So, being Harry, he follows said figure. Well, he sees a meeting between 2 figures(Snape and Quirrel) and of course, because of the questions Snape poses to Quirrel, naturally he leaps to conclusions and then heads in.
Once inside he tells Ron and Hermione of his suspicions (it doesn't help that he remembers seeing Snape with a dog bit on Halloween after the troll incident. Thus ends the chapter titled after noted alchemist Nicolas Flamel.
That's all for now folks, I'll try to update more regularly, as I said. Until next time keep the magic alive, keep reading, and writing! Also, please leave your thoughts, comments and book suggestions in the comments or tweet them to me!
See you next time!
Summary:
OK, you remember in the last chapter where Harry discovered the Mirror of Erised and much sneaking out after dark in his father's invisibility cloak ensued. (Major plot device set up there thanks J.K.) So, the mirror is set up as a major thing to come, Dumbledore tells Harry nothing useful, as per usual. Harry does find out however, that Snape is to be refereeing the next Gryffindor Quidditch match and he almost wants to back out, but that would mean that Gryffindor would forfeit the cup. Just then, another very important thing happens as Neville (Poor, poor Neville) falls (literally falls) into the common room. It turns out he fell victim to Malfoy's leg-locker curse, but it's kind of a good thing he did, as when Hermione frees him from it Harry gives him his last chocolate frog. Neville gives him back the card and he finally realizes where he's heard the name Nicolas Flamel before, on the way to Hogwarts, on the back of Dumbledore's chocolate frog card. So they finally know a little more about Flamel and realize why he wasn't in "Recent Developments in Wizardry" or anything they looked in about wizards of the 20th century (each of the Flamels are over 600 years old).
So, Nicolas Flamel's involvement is explained and they find out (through Hermione's "light reading") that he is the only known maker of the philosopher's stone (and the title of the book is explained!!) Although, something bothers me. When Hermione goes home for the holidays Ron says "maybe you can ask your parents about Flamel, that'd be safe" and she replies "very safe as they're both dentists". Nicolas Flamel is known in the muggle world as a philosopher and rumoured creator of the philosopher's stone, so they might have, in fact, known who he was. (Wizard's don't always use their heads)
So, they find out who Flamel is and they the item Fluffy is guarding is most likely the Philosopher's Stone and Snape referees the Quidditch match, really nothing else happens.
Review:
OK, the thing in this chapter that bugs me is that, Dumbledore set Harry up to face Voldemort at the end. By showing (and telling) him how the mirror works he basically set him up to die. I mean sure, Harry beat Voldemort once when he was a baby but there was no guarantee that what saved him the first time would save him again (unless Dumbledore already suspected/knew that he was a
He also sets Harry up from the beginning when Hagrid retrieves the stone from Gringotts because Harry, an inquisitive, basically abandoned by the Wizarding world, child, would be curious about that. So we have the set up with the stone, and now we have the set up with the mirror, because now Harry knows what the mirror does but now he's having nightmares about his parents dying which may be because of seeing them in the mirror. But he has no time to dwell on the nightmares because of the upcoming Quidditch match, refereed by none other than Professor Snape, which, can I just point out is a very bad idea from the start. The main reason that Madam Hooch is the flying teacher and referee is because, while she belonged to a house during her time at Hogwarts and remains loyal to it, she's not a a head of house. So that doesn't end well but Gryffindor wins the match regardless.
But then Harry sees something suspicious on his way to put his broom back in the broom shed. He sees a prowling figure headed toward the forbidden forest. So, being Harry, he follows said figure. Well, he sees a meeting between 2 figures
Once inside he tells Ron and Hermione of his suspicions (it doesn't help that he remembers seeing Snape with a dog bit on Halloween after the troll incident. Thus ends the chapter titled after noted alchemist Nicolas Flamel.
That's all for now folks, I'll try to update more regularly, as I said. Until next time keep the magic alive, keep reading, and writing! Also, please leave your thoughts, comments and book suggestions in the comments or tweet them to me!
See you next time!
Friday, 2 October 2015
The Harry Potter Re-Read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 12: The Bewitching Mirror
Hi all I'm back! I moved into a new place last week and we just got our Wi-fi going, like yesterday. I have never had so many Facebook notifications OMG.
Author's not: Sorry guys, I'm back again though! School got crazy and then I had neck problems...but it's all good, I can update now!
Summary:
So, this chapter is interesting. In the book it Christmas Holidays and, Harry, having no where to go (except back to the Dursley's and we all agree that's not happening so he stays behind at Hogwarts. But he's not alone, while Hermione o's off home for the holidays, Ron, Fred, George and Percy stay behind because Arthur and Molly are off visiting Charlie in Romania. (OK, this is something I never got, how expensive can a portkey be to make/have made? Like, they may Portkeys out of literally anything and they couldn't have used one to take the entire family to Romania? They can stay on the dragon reserve. The wizarding world doesn't have expensive methods of travel like the muggle one, it's not like their taking an aeroplane).
So, Christmas, Hermione prompted them, before she left, to attempt to look in the restricted section of the library for Nicholas Flamel, naturally under the watchful eye of Madame Pince the librarian that's not going to happen so they forget about it for a couple of days until Christmas morning. Harry is bewildered that he has presents and obviously he's got something from Mrs. Weasley because Ron mentioned that he wasn't expecting anything.
OK, so he gets a bunch of stuff including a Weasley jumper and fudge but most importantly he gets his father's invisibility cloak with a mysterious note "You father left this in my possession before he died, use it well." and he goes off and looks in the library at night but almost gets caught and ends up in an abandoned classroom with a mirror in it, so he looks in the mirror and sees his hearts erised...erm...desire...naturally much sneaking around after dark ensues...
Review:
So, this one...I love this chapter...but it does raise some questions. What I love, Molly Weasley just sends Harry a Weasley jumper, she met him once when she showed him how to get on to the platform but when Ron told her that he probably wasn't expecting anything from those muggles she sent him a sweater and some fudge! Also, Hagrid, who's known him, properly anyway, for like, 3 days, makes him a wooden flute with his own two hands. But it does raise some questions...why would James Potter leave the invisibility cloak in Dumbledore's possession? What's his motivation? The cloak had been in his family for generations and Dumbledore wants to study it so he can borrow it, fine whatever? I know by this point he probably has the elder wand and has his suspicions about this all powerful cloak but really? also, who sends a gift with a cryptic note to an 11 year old and hopes that he won't turn it in. That same thing happens in book 3 (the Firebolt) and look how well that turned out. Granted the cloak should have come to Harry to begin with but he could have put it in Harry's vault. (less dramatic I know but less chance it'll get turned in to one of the teachers for being a mysterious cloak that someone sent me with no name on the note). It also raises a question about Mrs. Weasley. Did she send a Weasley jumper and fudge to all of her children's best friends (like Lee Jordan for instance) or was it just Harry?
I'm rambling. Although it also raises some other questions. Harry is the boy-who-lived, he should have been getting fan mail out the wazoo, what happened to it all? I get that Dumbledore doesn't want dozens of owls converging on little Whinging to give him his fan mail but he should have at least got it when he came to Hogwarts! And what about letters and parcels from his uncle Remus? Presumably Remus didn't just go abroad and have no contact with Harry till he turned 13.
I really did love this chapter, especially that the first thing Harry does with the invisibility cloak was sneak in to the restricted section of the library after curfew...a very Ravenclaw thing to do if I do say so my self.
That's all for now folks, I'll try to keep updating more regularly but I make no promises, especially since I'm working at Oktoberfest next week (I'm so excited!!)
I'm probably just being nit picky with this chapter, other than that I really did love it
Author's not: Sorry guys, I'm back again though! School got crazy and then I had neck problems...but it's all good, I can update now!
Summary:
So, this chapter is interesting. In the book it Christmas Holidays and, Harry, having no where to go (except back to the Dursley's and we all agree that's not happening so he stays behind at Hogwarts. But he's not alone, while Hermione o's off home for the holidays, Ron, Fred, George and Percy stay behind because Arthur and Molly are off visiting Charlie in Romania. (OK, this is something I never got, how expensive can a portkey be to make/have made? Like, they may Portkeys out of literally anything and they couldn't have used one to take the entire family to Romania? They can stay on the dragon reserve. The wizarding world doesn't have expensive methods of travel like the muggle one, it's not like their taking an aeroplane).
So, Christmas, Hermione prompted them, before she left, to attempt to look in the restricted section of the library for Nicholas Flamel, naturally under the watchful eye of Madame Pince the librarian that's not going to happen so they forget about it for a couple of days until Christmas morning. Harry is bewildered that he has presents and obviously he's got something from Mrs. Weasley because Ron mentioned that he wasn't expecting anything.
OK, so he gets a bunch of stuff including a Weasley jumper and fudge but most importantly he gets his father's invisibility cloak with a mysterious note "You father left this in my possession before he died, use it well." and he goes off and looks in the library at night but almost gets caught and ends up in an abandoned classroom with a mirror in it, so he looks in the mirror and sees his hearts erised...erm...desire...naturally much sneaking around after dark ensues...
Review:
So, this one...I love this chapter...but it does raise some questions. What I love, Molly Weasley just sends Harry a Weasley jumper, she met him once when she showed him how to get on to the platform but when Ron told her that he probably wasn't expecting anything from those muggles she sent him a sweater and some fudge! Also, Hagrid, who's known him, properly anyway, for like, 3 days, makes him a wooden flute with his own two hands. But it does raise some questions...why would James Potter leave the invisibility cloak in Dumbledore's possession? What's his motivation? The cloak had been in his family for generations and Dumbledore wants to study it so he can borrow it, fine whatever? I know by this point he probably has the elder wand and has his suspicions about this all powerful cloak but really? also, who sends a gift with a cryptic note to an 11 year old and hopes that he won't turn it in. That same thing happens in book 3 (the Firebolt) and look how well that turned out. Granted the cloak should have come to Harry to begin with but he could have put it in Harry's vault. (less dramatic I know but less chance it'll get turned in to one of the teachers for being a mysterious cloak that someone sent me with no name on the note). It also raises a question about Mrs. Weasley. Did she send a Weasley jumper and fudge to all of her children's best friends (like Lee Jordan for instance) or was it just Harry?
I'm rambling. Although it also raises some other questions. Harry is the boy-who-lived, he should have been getting fan mail out the wazoo, what happened to it all? I get that Dumbledore doesn't want dozens of owls converging on little Whinging to give him his fan mail but he should have at least got it when he came to Hogwarts! And what about letters and parcels from his uncle Remus? Presumably Remus didn't just go abroad and have no contact with Harry till he turned 13.
I really did love this chapter, especially that the first thing Harry does with the invisibility cloak was sneak in to the restricted section of the library after curfew...a very Ravenclaw thing to do if I do say so my self.
That's all for now folks, I'll try to keep updating more regularly but I make no promises, especially since I'm working at Oktoberfest next week (I'm so excited!!)
I'm probably just being nit picky with this chapter, other than that I really did love it
Friday, 28 August 2015
The Harry Potter Re-Read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 11: Lions vs. Snakes
Hey All I'm back. So it turns out I am able to post another review fairly soon after the last one (contrary to my earlier opinion) But I can tell you that I maybe not be able to post next week so by all means count this as next weeks post if I am unable to post. So, without further rambling ado, Chapter 11! We're almost done book 1!
Summary:
OK, So, in this chapter Harry is busy with classes and, most importantly, Quidditch! It's finally time for the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin of course, and naturally the Slytherins are helping so much with that. While Harry is panicking the match starts and everything is going fine until it doesn't anymore. Harry's broom starts to try and throw him off. Naturally the Quidditch team (read Fred and George), does everything they can to try and get him down but nothing works and the more they try the higher his broom goes. So they settle for circling under him to catch him should he fall. Meanwhile in the stands Hermione and Ron have spotted this and try scan the crowd for any sign of, well, anything. They settle on the teachers stand and they think it's Snape that's trying to unseat him. So, having leapt to a conclusion Hermione goes to do something about it. She sets Severus' robes on fire and in her haste to get to him she knock's Quirrel over into the seat in front of him, breaking his eye contact. Thus the day is saved. Or so we think, Harry does a mad dive toward the ground and it turns out he's swallowed the snitch! Gryffindor wins!!! Thus ends the Quidditch match.
Review: I really like this chapter because I love Quidditch. Also Lee Jordan's commentary gives me unrealistic expectations for sports commentary. It's pretty great. I love his Quidditch commentary. It's wonderful, especially when he screams about the Slytherins and McGonagall has to get involved. It's a very interesting commentary and I can sort of picture Remus Lupin doing a semblance of the same thing if he did Quidditch commentary in his school days, maybe less biased, just a bit, but no less entertaining.
Anyway, back to the meat of the chapter. So, obviously when Hermione and Ron are scanning the audience for whoever is jinxing Harry's broom, Snape would be the obvious conclusion, he was muttering the countercurse, his mouth was moving and Quirrel's wasn't. However, saving a friends life or not, is setting him on fire really the way to do it? yes it was an admittedly effective distraction but really? I digress. I'd like to point out that Hermione and Ron both learn the leg locker curse after Malfoy uses it on Neville to use on Snape should he try something like that again when he referees their next Quidditch match. But that's a couple chapters on. What I'll never understand about this match. Harry's broom is trying to throw him off. He's in the air and fairly far away from anyone else. Why didn't Anyone do anything about his bucking broomstick? Yes Severus is muttering a countercurse but he's barely holding his own but you've got the likes of McGonagall not doing squat! They're just sitting there! Surely together they could get Harry down faster. But of course nothing makes sense in the wizarding world apparently. Apart from the lack of sense the wizarding world makes this chapter is really good, I love Quidditch and this chapter is what made me love the sport so much.
That's all for now folks! I will attempt to update next week (I may have to go on to University campus for wifi/internet but if I don't get a chance I will update the week after.) See you next time!
Summary:
OK, So, in this chapter Harry is busy with classes and, most importantly, Quidditch! It's finally time for the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin of course, and naturally the Slytherins are helping so much with that. While Harry is panicking the match starts and everything is going fine until it doesn't anymore. Harry's broom starts to try and throw him off. Naturally the Quidditch team (read Fred and George), does everything they can to try and get him down but nothing works and the more they try the higher his broom goes. So they settle for circling under him to catch him should he fall. Meanwhile in the stands Hermione and Ron have spotted this and try scan the crowd for any sign of, well, anything. They settle on the teachers stand and they think it's Snape that's trying to unseat him. So, having leapt to a conclusion Hermione goes to do something about it. She sets Severus' robes on fire and in her haste to get to him she knock's Quirrel over into the seat in front of him, breaking his eye contact. Thus the day is saved. Or so we think, Harry does a mad dive toward the ground and it turns out he's swallowed the snitch! Gryffindor wins!!! Thus ends the Quidditch match.
Review: I really like this chapter because I love Quidditch. Also Lee Jordan's commentary gives me unrealistic expectations for sports commentary. It's pretty great. I love his Quidditch commentary. It's wonderful, especially when he screams about the Slytherins and McGonagall has to get involved. It's a very interesting commentary and I can sort of picture Remus Lupin doing a semblance of the same thing if he did Quidditch commentary in his school days, maybe less biased, just a bit, but no less entertaining.
Anyway, back to the meat of the chapter. So, obviously when Hermione and Ron are scanning the audience for whoever is jinxing Harry's broom, Snape would be the obvious conclusion, he was muttering the countercurse, his mouth was moving and Quirrel's wasn't. However, saving a friends life or not, is setting him on fire really the way to do it? yes it was an admittedly effective distraction but really? I digress. I'd like to point out that Hermione and Ron both learn the leg locker curse after Malfoy uses it on Neville to use on Snape should he try something like that again when he referees their next Quidditch match. But that's a couple chapters on. What I'll never understand about this match. Harry's broom is trying to throw him off. He's in the air and fairly far away from anyone else. Why didn't Anyone do anything about his bucking broomstick? Yes Severus is muttering a countercurse but he's barely holding his own but you've got the likes of McGonagall not doing squat! They're just sitting there! Surely together they could get Harry down faster. But of course nothing makes sense in the wizarding world apparently. Apart from the lack of sense the wizarding world makes this chapter is really good, I love Quidditch and this chapter is what made me love the sport so much.
That's all for now folks! I will attempt to update next week (I may have to go on to University campus for wifi/internet but if I don't get a chance I will update the week after.) See you next time!
Sunday, 23 August 2015
The Harry Potter Re-Read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 10: Troll in the Dungeons?
Hi everyone I'm back, I went on holiday for a couple of days and I'm not going to be able to update for another week either, starting tomorrow I won't have internet. Either way, here's the next chapter! I can't believe we're still on the first book, I need to work faster. So, without further ado, Chapter 10!
Summary:
This chapter starts with the aftermath of the non-existent midnight duel when Draco (our favourite Slytherin) When he tries to get Harry and Ron kicked out of Hogwarts by inciting a midnight duel in the trophy room. Needless to say he's more than a little shocked to see them still there the next day and he further attempts to get them in trouble when Harry gets his new broomstick but that bears no fruit for him as the teachers know. Later in the chapter Hermione is sent crying after charms class because of a remark made by a fellow student *cough* Ron, *cough* However Ron resolves to apologize to Hermione in their next lesson (with a little coaxing from our resident, bespectacled, hero) but she isn't there. They learn from a classmate (Neville in the movie) that she's been in the girls bathroom crying all day. They were going to look for her but the Halloween feast drives the fact that Ron made her cry from their minds. Fortunately they come to their senses (if a little late) when Quirrel faints, exclaiming to the great hall about a Troll in the dungeon. ("How did a troll get in? they're really stupid") So they go to her rescue, and almost get killed themselves when they come face to face with the troll, who they had locked in the girls bathroom with Hermione. Well, they get awarded some points for "Sheer dumb luck" and move on with their lives and their Halloween feast. But from then on they were friends. And that's how the Golden Trio came to be kids!
Review:
I always liked this chapter, mainly because Halloween is one of my favourite holidays (it helps that my birthday is Devil's Night). Although, reading it back I still wonder why the prefects don't have lists of students for emergencies like this. it would have been so much easier to find out that there were 3 first years missing. Or, if someone (namely Hermione's next class teacher (McGonagall I think)) had noticed she was missing. I know in our muggle schools, especially at 11, attendance is still taken in each class, even just comparing the class list with the number of students they would have noticed she was missing and she might never have almost died. Like, you'd think the professors would notice that a student is missing and not just assume she's in the hospital wing or whatever. That was always a point I wondered on. The rest of what happens in this chapter isn't much, they knock out a troll, Harry almost dies, nothing new.I do like how they chose to tackle the troll though. It might have seemed a little foolhardy of Ron to attempt a spell he had been previously unsuccessful with but he does it, not only to save his own life but to save the life of a classmate, two classmates if you want to be literal. In doing so, using a spell he had been previously unsuccessful with, with tutelage from Hermione of course, he saved the lives of his two friends. I mean, Harry helped but ll he really he did was jump on the trolls back and show his wand up its nose, like he did with Uncle Vernon at the beginning for a Hogwarts letter but that's really all he did. I like this chapter because Ron, even though he doesn't particularly like Hermione at first, it takes more than a little encouragement from Harry but he does go to save her life and they both realize that, despite her tendency to sound like a textbook on occasion, she's good to have as a friend and I think that their more than a little good for her too in the end. (remember in book 5 Hermione is the one to suggest starting the DA.)
This marks my next update, tune in next time to find out what else happens to our intrepid heroes.
A/N this was supposed to be posted before i went on vacation but I never got the chance. Also, I might not get a chance to update next week or for a bit but there will be an update coming at some point.
Summary:
This chapter starts with the aftermath of the non-existent midnight duel when Draco (our favourite Slytherin) When he tries to get Harry and Ron kicked out of Hogwarts by inciting a midnight duel in the trophy room. Needless to say he's more than a little shocked to see them still there the next day and he further attempts to get them in trouble when Harry gets his new broomstick but that bears no fruit for him as the teachers know. Later in the chapter Hermione is sent crying after charms class because of a remark made by a fellow student *cough* Ron, *cough* However Ron resolves to apologize to Hermione in their next lesson (with a little coaxing from our resident, bespectacled, hero) but she isn't there. They learn from a classmate (Neville in the movie) that she's been in the girls bathroom crying all day. They were going to look for her but the Halloween feast drives the fact that Ron made her cry from their minds. Fortunately they come to their senses (if a little late) when Quirrel faints, exclaiming to the great hall about a Troll in the dungeon. ("How did a troll get in? they're really stupid") So they go to her rescue, and almost get killed themselves when they come face to face with the troll, who they had locked in the girls bathroom with Hermione. Well, they get awarded some points for "Sheer dumb luck" and move on with their lives and their Halloween feast. But from then on they were friends. And that's how the Golden Trio came to be kids!
Review:
I always liked this chapter, mainly because Halloween is one of my favourite holidays (it helps that my birthday is Devil's Night). Although, reading it back I still wonder why the prefects don't have lists of students for emergencies like this. it would have been so much easier to find out that there were 3 first years missing. Or, if someone (namely Hermione's next class teacher (McGonagall I think)) had noticed she was missing. I know in our muggle schools, especially at 11, attendance is still taken in each class, even just comparing the class list with the number of students they would have noticed she was missing and she might never have almost died. Like, you'd think the professors would notice that a student is missing and not just assume she's in the hospital wing or whatever. That was always a point I wondered on. The rest of what happens in this chapter isn't much, they knock out a troll, Harry almost dies, nothing new.I do like how they chose to tackle the troll though. It might have seemed a little foolhardy of Ron to attempt a spell he had been previously unsuccessful with but he does it, not only to save his own life but to save the life of a classmate, two classmates if you want to be literal. In doing so, using a spell he had been previously unsuccessful with, with tutelage from Hermione of course, he saved the lives of his two friends. I mean, Harry helped but ll he really he did was jump on the trolls back and show his wand up its nose, like he did with Uncle Vernon at the beginning for a Hogwarts letter but that's really all he did. I like this chapter because Ron, even though he doesn't particularly like Hermione at first, it takes more than a little encouragement from Harry but he does go to save her life and they both realize that, despite her tendency to sound like a textbook on occasion, she's good to have as a friend and I think that their more than a little good for her too in the end. (remember in book 5 Hermione is the one to suggest starting the DA.)
This marks my next update, tune in next time to find out what else happens to our intrepid heroes.
A/N this was supposed to be posted before i went on vacation but I never got the chance. Also, I might not get a chance to update next week or for a bit but there will be an update coming at some point.
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
The Harry Potter Re-Read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 9: Fluffy's Midnight Visitor
Hello again readers, yes it's been 2 weeks, sorry about that, I'm doing a lot of stuff right now and I'm really busy preparing for a couple weeks off and my driving test. I will actually endeavour to attempt to update more regularly but I make now promises, especially if I get a regular paying day job which will limit my updating power further but I will try.
Summary:
OK, this one starts with Draco Malfoy baiting Ron again and he ends up challenging Harry to a Wizard's duel that night at midnight. well never let it be said that our intrepid heroes aren't a little bit (read: a lot) hot headed so Ron accepts the wizards duel for Harry (Harry doesn't say a word)...and then Hermione buts in and, in typical Hermione fashion, points out that they're going to get in serious trouble if they're caught, typically they ignore her and go on with their day, culminating in sneaking out of the common room at night. Of course, things are rarely so easy for our heroes and they run into Hermione (again) who follows them out of the common room and...gets locked out. Of course she can't just stay there until the Fat Lady comes back so she insists upon coming with them, they run into Neville who got locked out as well and make their way to the trophy room. Of course they soon find out that Malfoy set Filch on them and they run and end up on the forbidden corridor . They go through a locked door and meet... (dun, Dun, dun) a viscous 3-headed dog! (Hagrid, or course, named him Fluffy, because he's Hagrid) and of course they are forced to flee or be eaten. Upon re-entering the common room Hermione goes to bed before either of them come up with another clever idea to get them killed, or worse, expelled. The boys agree that Hermione is a bit of a nightmare (understatement) and that they never want to see hide nor hair of Fluffy ever again.
Review:
I say this about a lot of chapters but I loved it. I love fluffy he's so adorable! He'd be more adorable if he wasn't trying to eat our heroes but still. Of course Malfoy took the cowards way out and set Filch on them instead of actually attending the duel (for shame Draco!) But all's well that end's well (er...sort of) and our heroes find that Fluffy's guarding something. Could it be the same thing that Hagrid took from vault 713? It just might be! Also, they're still not getting along with our bushy-haired friend but that comes later (next chapter I think) but that's to be expected. I expect Ron thinks she acts a bit like Percy, a bit pompous a bit know-it-all-ish and a bit rule happy. All in all it was a wonderful chapter, full of excitement and intrigue and 3 headed dogs. What ever will the next chapters bring? read on and find out!
On a different note I'm going on a bit of a blogging vacation so I won't be able to update until I get back. See you all next time Potterheads!
Summary:
OK, this one starts with Draco Malfoy baiting Ron again and he ends up challenging Harry to a Wizard's duel that night at midnight. well never let it be said that our intrepid heroes aren't a little bit (read: a lot) hot headed so Ron accepts the wizards duel for Harry (Harry doesn't say a word)...and then Hermione buts in and, in typical Hermione fashion, points out that they're going to get in serious trouble if they're caught, typically they ignore her and go on with their day, culminating in sneaking out of the common room at night. Of course, things are rarely so easy for our heroes and they run into Hermione (again) who follows them out of the common room and...gets locked out. Of course she can't just stay there until the Fat Lady comes back so she insists upon coming with them, they run into Neville who got locked out as well and make their way to the trophy room. Of course they soon find out that Malfoy set Filch on them and they run and end up on the forbidden corridor . They go through a locked door and meet... (dun, Dun, dun) a viscous 3-headed dog! (Hagrid, or course, named him Fluffy, because he's Hagrid) and of course they are forced to flee or be eaten. Upon re-entering the common room Hermione goes to bed before either of them come up with another clever idea to get them killed, or worse, expelled. The boys agree that Hermione is a bit of a nightmare (understatement) and that they never want to see hide nor hair of Fluffy ever again.
Review:
I say this about a lot of chapters but I loved it. I love fluffy he's so adorable! He'd be more adorable if he wasn't trying to eat our heroes but still. Of course Malfoy took the cowards way out and set Filch on them instead of actually attending the duel (for shame Draco!) But all's well that end's well (er...sort of) and our heroes find that Fluffy's guarding something. Could it be the same thing that Hagrid took from vault 713? It just might be! Also, they're still not getting along with our bushy-haired friend but that comes later (next chapter I think) but that's to be expected. I expect Ron thinks she acts a bit like Percy, a bit pompous a bit know-it-all-ish and a bit rule happy. All in all it was a wonderful chapter, full of excitement and intrigue and 3 headed dogs. What ever will the next chapters bring? read on and find out!
On a different note I'm going on a bit of a blogging vacation so I won't be able to update until I get back. See you all next time Potterheads!
Friday, 10 July 2015
The Harry Potter Re-Read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 8: Snape, Snape, Severus Snape
Spoilers Ahead: Read with Caution
Hi all I'm Back! It's been a while but life's been busy, again, and I've been working on a couple of projects I've had going for a while, and couple new ones. I will attempt to keep a regular updating schedule but as usual I make no promises.
Summary:
This chapter starts off as an ordinary day at Hogwarts, people wandering around trying to get to their first classes of the year, doubling back to get a good look at the Boy-Who-Lived and his friend...oh wait, that's unusual, and confusing I'd imagine. They find their classes and you meet Professor Flitwick, the charms professor, who falls off his stack of books taking role when he reached Harry's name. Professor McGonagall who changed her desk into a pig and back and set them to learning how to transfigure matchsticks into needles. and the potions master, Professor Snape. Who seems to loathe Harry just for existing, and asks him questions no first year (except maybe Hermione) would know the answer to. At the feast Harry got the terrible feeling that professor Snape may not like him, despite not having met him before, he was wrong of course, professor Snape absolutely hates him through no fault of his own. Other than meeting the professors not really much happens in this chapter.
Review:
This chapter is mostly exposition and setting the scene for late chapters with the relationships between characters, mostly the teachers and our favourite trio of not-yet-friends. Personally I don't like the way Snape treats Harry or Neville but you're not supposed to. Although I kind of do understand the need to terrify you class a bit especially in a potions lab. Anything that were to happen, like a cauldron explosion, could be disastrous, like in a chemistry lab. All in all it's a good chapter if a bit introduction heavy.
That's all for now folks, I'll be back soon with the next chapter review, hopefully it's less than a month this time...until then keep reading, and writing and comment!
Hi all I'm Back! It's been a while but life's been busy, again, and I've been working on a couple of projects I've had going for a while, and couple new ones. I will attempt to keep a regular updating schedule but as usual I make no promises.
Summary:
This chapter starts off as an ordinary day at Hogwarts, people wandering around trying to get to their first classes of the year, doubling back to get a good look at the Boy-Who-Lived and his friend...oh wait, that's unusual, and confusing I'd imagine. They find their classes and you meet Professor Flitwick, the charms professor, who falls off his stack of books taking role when he reached Harry's name. Professor McGonagall who changed her desk into a pig and back and set them to learning how to transfigure matchsticks into needles. and the potions master, Professor Snape. Who seems to loathe Harry just for existing, and asks him questions no first year (except maybe Hermione) would know the answer to. At the feast Harry got the terrible feeling that professor Snape may not like him, despite not having met him before, he was wrong of course, professor Snape absolutely hates him through no fault of his own. Other than meeting the professors not really much happens in this chapter.
Review:
This chapter is mostly exposition and setting the scene for late chapters with the relationships between characters, mostly the teachers and our favourite trio of not-yet-friends. Personally I don't like the way Snape treats Harry or Neville but you're not supposed to. Although I kind of do understand the need to terrify you class a bit especially in a potions lab. Anything that were to happen, like a cauldron explosion, could be disastrous, like in a chemistry lab. All in all it's a good chapter if a bit introduction heavy.
That's all for now folks, I'll be back soon with the next chapter review, hopefully it's less than a month this time...until then keep reading, and writing and comment!
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
The Harry Potter Re-Read: Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone; Chapter 7: Magical Talking Hat
Spoilers ahead: Read with caution
Hey readers I'm back! I know I promised weekly reviews and it's been, like, a month but job hunting and life in general really got in the way, I haven't even been reading Struggle to Salvation as diligently as I meant to. But anyway, I'm back now, with the Sorting Hat chapter!! (yes I know I've been neglecting my polls too, but for now on with the show!)
Summary:
OK, from Hogsmede station they move up toward the school, for the traditional journey. For older students they ride the carriages, but the first years get a special treat, the get to ride in boats across the lake. So they all split off into groups of four and head off across the lake with Hagrid. When they disembark the boats Hagrid finds Neville's toad Trevor and leads them to the door, from there the meet Professor McGonagall who takes them into the school and into an antechamber off the great hall, from there they await the sorting, everyone speculating on how it works. They are lead in to the great hall and Professor McGonagall calls roll alphabetically to get them sorted. Some are hat stalls, some are not. Our intrepid trio get into Gryffindor (even though Harry was almost in Slytherin) and the feast commences. After the feast they sing the school song (I always wondered how the founders
came up with that, I think Salazar and Godric got drunk one night). From there they move to their common rooms and go to bed. In this chapter we also meet Peeves, the Poltergeist (he drops a bundle of walking sticks on Neville's head) and the house ghosts.
Review:
All in all a bit of an expose chapter but really good, I really like this chapter, and not just for the sorting hat song. I always wondered why Peeves wasn't in the movies, he's such a great character, throughout all the books but they totally left him out! It also always made me wonder, if the sorting hat was meant to sort the students impartially, how can it be so easily talked out of placements? Like, if you take Hermione for example, it's obvious she'd do well in Ravenclaw and I know the hat is supposed totake your choice into account and she obviously made a wonderful Gryffindor but why did she talk the hat out placing her there? (I'm a Ravenclaw and it's an amazing house so maybe I'm a tad biased). Also, I think, in the books, what else bothered me was that everyone always said that Gryffindor was the good house and Slytherin was the evil house that sets them up for life! I mean, there were some bad wizards who were in Slytherin sure, but there was at least one in Gryffindor too. There were a lot of good wizards in Slytherin, Merlin himself among them, and let's not forget Regulus Black, but because of the Dark Lord they all get tarred with the same brush and it bugs me to no end (OK rant over). Either way, all in all I find this chapter really great and for the purposes of the story it does set up some really nice house rivalries.
That's it for today, hopefully it won't take me a month to get back it this time, I'll even do my best to update the polls. Until next time!
Hey readers I'm back! I know I promised weekly reviews and it's been, like, a month but job hunting and life in general really got in the way, I haven't even been reading Struggle to Salvation as diligently as I meant to. But anyway, I'm back now, with the Sorting Hat chapter!! (yes I know I've been neglecting my polls too, but for now on with the show!)
Summary:
OK, from Hogsmede station they move up toward the school, for the traditional journey. For older students they ride the carriages, but the first years get a special treat, the get to ride in boats across the lake. So they all split off into groups of four and head off across the lake with Hagrid. When they disembark the boats Hagrid finds Neville's toad Trevor and leads them to the door, from there the meet Professor McGonagall who takes them into the school and into an antechamber off the great hall, from there they await the sorting, everyone speculating on how it works. They are lead in to the great hall and Professor McGonagall calls roll alphabetically to get them sorted. Some are hat stalls, some are not. Our intrepid trio get into Gryffindor (even though Harry was almost in Slytherin) and the feast commences. After the feast they sing the school song (I always wondered how the founders
came up with that, I think Salazar and Godric got drunk one night). From there they move to their common rooms and go to bed. In this chapter we also meet Peeves, the Poltergeist (he drops a bundle of walking sticks on Neville's head) and the house ghosts.
Review:
All in all a bit of an expose chapter but really good, I really like this chapter, and not just for the sorting hat song. I always wondered why Peeves wasn't in the movies, he's such a great character, throughout all the books but they totally left him out! It also always made me wonder, if the sorting hat was meant to sort the students impartially, how can it be so easily talked out of placements? Like, if you take Hermione for example, it's obvious she'd do well in Ravenclaw and I know the hat is supposed totake your choice into account and she obviously made a wonderful Gryffindor but why did she talk the hat out placing her there? (I'm a Ravenclaw and it's an amazing house so maybe I'm a tad biased). Also, I think, in the books, what else bothered me was that everyone always said that Gryffindor was the good house and Slytherin was the evil house that sets them up for life! I mean, there were some bad wizards who were in Slytherin sure, but there was at least one in Gryffindor too. There were a lot of good wizards in Slytherin, Merlin himself among them, and let's not forget Regulus Black, but because of the Dark Lord they all get tarred with the same brush and it bugs me to no end (OK rant over). Either way, all in all I find this chapter really great and for the purposes of the story it does set up some really nice house rivalries.
That's it for today, hopefully it won't take me a month to get back it this time, I'll even do my best to update the polls. Until next time!
Friday, 15 May 2015
The Harry Potter Re-Read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 6: Journey to Hogwarts
Spoilers Ahead: Read with Caution
Hi everybody I'm back again, this time we Journey from London to Hogwarts with Harry, join me!
Summary:
OK, so this one starts off with Harry back at the Dursley's after shopping in Diagon Alley. No one actually knows how the Dursley's got off the rock, it never says. The rest of the summer passes fairly without incident and on August 31st Harry goes to the Dursley's to ask about driving him to London, of course, Vernon, being the monsters that he is only agrees because he's going to London anyway with Dudkey. Of course you'll remember that in Chapter 4 when Hagrid was introduced he gave Dudley a pig's tail so they need to have it removed before he goes to Smelting's. Well, they go to London and it goes about as well as you'd expect. When he can't find the platform (Hagrid, conveniently forgot to mention it) the Dursley's leave him there without a second thought (They're terrible people, I think we covered this). Well, he wanders around trying to find the entrance to the platform and eventually DA DA DA DA! the Weasley cavalry arrives! Ginny is predictably adorable for a 10 year old and the twins are surprisingly serious and helpful and Ron is, well, Ron. The Weasley's are wonderful and should be protected from the machinations of evil at all costs. Molly helps Harry get through the barrier and the twins help him get his trunk on the train. He kind of watches the Weasleys and wishes he had family like them. Well the train journey gets underway and Ron comes to sit with Harry and the twins introduce them to each other, they become fast friends and Harry gets his first chocolate frog card (Dumbledore) and they meet Hermione and Neville (he's lost his toad again). Finally they reach Hogsmede station and the real journey begins.
Review:
I adore this chapter, we meet the Weasley's who are wonderful and caring and Molly sends Harry a sweater for Christmas even though he;s not a Weasley. It really shows that from the time he became Ron's Friend, nay, from the time he met the Weasley's on the platform he became an honorary Weasley. You also meet Hermione, then a bushy-haired, buck-toothed know-it-all who spews facts like a dictionary. She just wants to prove she's the best at everything and it shows. However, at the time she's trying to help Neville find his toad and finds Ron about to cast a fake spell given to him by his twin brothers Fred and George (who are at the time, down the other end of the train with Lee Jordan who has a Giant Tarantula. Hermione comes in, spouts facts at them, tells them to get changed and leaves with Neville. We also meet Draco Malfoy and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle and Scabbers does the only useful thing he's ever done and bites Goyle's finger. They leave and our protagonists finally get dressed in their school robes and arrive at Hogsmede station.
So, this is the review on Chapter 6, I know I didn't get more than one chapter review done last week, life got nuts and I never got around to doing this review. I should have another review done in a couple of days but it is the Victoria Day long weekend so you never know, either way it should be done soon.
See you for the Sorting!!
Hi everybody I'm back again, this time we Journey from London to Hogwarts with Harry, join me!
Summary:
OK, so this one starts off with Harry back at the Dursley's after shopping in Diagon Alley. No one actually knows how the Dursley's got off the rock, it never says. The rest of the summer passes fairly without incident and on August 31st Harry goes to the Dursley's to ask about driving him to London, of course, Vernon, being the monsters that he is only agrees because he's going to London anyway with Dudkey. Of course you'll remember that in Chapter 4 when Hagrid was introduced he gave Dudley a pig's tail so they need to have it removed before he goes to Smelting's. Well, they go to London and it goes about as well as you'd expect. When he can't find the platform (Hagrid, conveniently forgot to mention it) the Dursley's leave him there without a second thought (They're terrible people, I think we covered this). Well, he wanders around trying to find the entrance to the platform and eventually DA DA DA DA! the Weasley cavalry arrives! Ginny is predictably adorable for a 10 year old and the twins are surprisingly serious and helpful and Ron is, well, Ron. The Weasley's are wonderful and should be protected from the machinations of evil at all costs. Molly helps Harry get through the barrier and the twins help him get his trunk on the train. He kind of watches the Weasleys and wishes he had family like them. Well the train journey gets underway and Ron comes to sit with Harry and the twins introduce them to each other, they become fast friends and Harry gets his first chocolate frog card (Dumbledore) and they meet Hermione and Neville (he's lost his toad again). Finally they reach Hogsmede station and the real journey begins.
Review:
I adore this chapter, we meet the Weasley's who are wonderful and caring and Molly sends Harry a sweater for Christmas even though he;s not a Weasley. It really shows that from the time he became Ron's Friend, nay, from the time he met the Weasley's on the platform he became an honorary Weasley. You also meet Hermione, then a bushy-haired, buck-toothed know-it-all who spews facts like a dictionary. She just wants to prove she's the best at everything and it shows. However, at the time she's trying to help Neville find his toad and finds Ron about to cast a fake spell given to him by his twin brothers Fred and George (who are at the time, down the other end of the train with Lee Jordan who has a Giant Tarantula. Hermione comes in, spouts facts at them, tells them to get changed and leaves with Neville. We also meet Draco Malfoy and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle and Scabbers does the only useful thing he's ever done and bites Goyle's finger. They leave and our protagonists finally get dressed in their school robes and arrive at Hogsmede station.
So, this is the review on Chapter 6, I know I didn't get more than one chapter review done last week, life got nuts and I never got around to doing this review. I should have another review done in a couple of days but it is the Victoria Day long weekend so you never know, either way it should be done soon.
See you for the Sorting!!
Thursday, 7 May 2015
The Harry Potter Re-read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 5: Magical Shopping Trip
Spoilers Ahead: Read with Caution
Hi Everyone I'm back with another chapter in my chapter reviews! I know it's been just over a week since my last review but life happened and I never got around to writing this one. I will try to update once or twice a week (maybe more if I can wing it) but in the meantime Allons-y! Come with me to Diagon Alley, it'll be a blast! on another note with a resounding 2 votes at the conclusion of the poll Moaning Myrtle is our favourite Hogwarts Ghost! (I'll put up a new poll soon, also, if anyone's got any poll ideas feel free to drop a comment or a tweet). Without further ado, grab your wands and your Galleons, we're going shopping!
Summary:
This one is basically just the Diagon alley Trip, Harry and Hagrid venture into Muggle London and from there arrive at the Leaky Cauldron. In the Leaky Cauldron there's a bit of a kerfuffle because naturally everyone recognizes Harry and wants to met him. We also meet Professor Quirrel(Stupid moron with a dark Lord attached to the back of his head, stupid turban). From the Leaky they venture out into the alley itself which is accessed through a portal in the wall (third brick from the left) and head to Gringotts. At Gringotts we meet Griphook, a Golbin, who takes Harry and Hagrid down to the vaults, first vault 687, Harry's trust vault, where he gets some money for shopping and then too vault 713 which contains a grubby, nondescript package which Hagrid retrieves (Dumbledore's orders) from thee the fun begins. He goes to Flourish and Blotts where he comes across "Curses and Countercurses by Vindictus Viridian" and he wants to learn to curse Dudley, he gets his Snowy Owl Hedwig as a birthday present from Hagrid and meets a strange, pointy faced boy in Madam Malkin's Robes for all occasions (we later learn that this is Draco Malfoy and he's about as pleasant as you'd remember him being). Last we venture into Ollivander's, Makers of Fine wands since 382 BC (I think) and he acquires a very unusual wand, the brother wand to that of the Dark Lord, Holly and Phoenix feather (a difficult pairing) 11 inches. Soon after they go for hamburgers in Muggle London, Hagrid gives Harry his train ticket for the first of September and tells him about how his parents died and he's off back to Little Whinging.
Review:
I liked this chapter, it was a lot of exposition and mostly scene setting but it was fun. Also it introduced a couple of new characters who will become important in the coming books, it also gave us (and Harry) something to think about, what was in the grubby little package from vault 713?
We got introduced to the Hogwarts house system (briefly, by way of Draco Malfoy) and way wizards think about Muggles (well, some wizards at any rate) and we met Hedwig! Everybody loves Hedwig. We also met Mr. Ollivander with his slightly bulbous silver eyes and strange demeanour and Harry gets his wand.
All in all I really liked this chapter it was a lot of description but fun all the same, especially the description of the Gringotts cart ride, I always think of either a roller coaster or that cart ride from Temple of Doom (or the cart ride from the movie)
Well that's it for today, I'll be back soon with more Chapter reviews (tried to keep each chapter review as I read a new chapter in Struggle to Salvation but it was just too hard).
I might not update again this weekend (Mother's day and all) but I will try to have the next chapter(s) up soon.
See you all on Platform 9 3/4!
Hi Everyone I'm back with another chapter in my chapter reviews! I know it's been just over a week since my last review but life happened and I never got around to writing this one. I will try to update once or twice a week (maybe more if I can wing it) but in the meantime Allons-y! Come with me to Diagon Alley, it'll be a blast! on another note with a resounding 2 votes at the conclusion of the poll Moaning Myrtle is our favourite Hogwarts Ghost! (I'll put up a new poll soon, also, if anyone's got any poll ideas feel free to drop a comment or a tweet). Without further ado, grab your wands and your Galleons, we're going shopping!
Summary:
This one is basically just the Diagon alley Trip, Harry and Hagrid venture into Muggle London and from there arrive at the Leaky Cauldron. In the Leaky Cauldron there's a bit of a kerfuffle because naturally everyone recognizes Harry and wants to met him. We also meet Professor Quirrel
Review:
I liked this chapter, it was a lot of exposition and mostly scene setting but it was fun. Also it introduced a couple of new characters who will become important in the coming books, it also gave us (and Harry) something to think about, what was in the grubby little package from vault 713?
We got introduced to the Hogwarts house system (briefly, by way of Draco Malfoy) and way wizards think about Muggles (well, some wizards at any rate) and we met Hedwig! Everybody loves Hedwig. We also met Mr. Ollivander with his slightly bulbous silver eyes and strange demeanour and Harry gets his wand.
All in all I really liked this chapter it was a lot of description but fun all the same, especially the description of the Gringotts cart ride, I always think of either a roller coaster or that cart ride from Temple of Doom (or the cart ride from the movie)
Well that's it for today, I'll be back soon with more Chapter reviews (tried to keep each chapter review as I read a new chapter in Struggle to Salvation but it was just too hard).
I might not update again this weekend (Mother's day and all) but I will try to have the next chapter(s) up soon.
See you all on Platform 9 3/4!
Tuesday, 28 April 2015
The Harry Potter Re-read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 4: Introducing Rubeus Hagrid
Spoilers Ahead: Read with Caution
Greetings Browncoated Potterheads! It's a Shiny day! (I've been watching Firefly again)
Today we're reviewing Chapter 4, The Keeper of the Keys. I know it's only been a couple of days since my last review but the Chapters go by really fast. I may post the next one as well, Either it'll be up soon after this one is posted or it'll be up tomorrow (yes I update at very odd times, it's very rarely consistent). So, buckle your seat belts and grab your pink umbrellas!
Summary:
OK, when we left our intrepid boy hero and those atrocious muggles they were in the Hut on the rock and someone was knocking to come in from the storm but they're on a rock in the middle of nowhere. So, the booming knock sounds again and the door crashes inwards, enter Vernon Dursley with a rifle. Hagrid comes in and gives the Dursleys a dressing down they won't soon forget complete with a little piggy tail for Dudley. He also gives Harry his letter, the one he's been waiting for. The truth comes out, his parents never died in a car crash but were murdered by the dark Lord Voldemort and he's off to the finest school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the world. Of course the muggles weren't about to allow that but there's not really much they can do about it. We also find out that Hagrid baked Harry a birthday cake and they settle down for the night again with Hagrid on the couch to await morning.
Commentary:
OK, so, admittedly not much happens in this chapter, Hagrid arrives, gives Harry his birthday cake and letter, cooks sausages, gives Dudley a pigs tail, bends Vernon's rifle and they settle down for the night. I think one thing I was sad that they left out of the movies was Vernon running from the letters, I think it really showed just how far his character was willing to go to make sure Harry never got that letter (I'm sure you all remember what happened last chapter). However, the persistence of Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore won out. They found the Dursleys, Harry got a birthday cake and his Hogwarts letter out of the deal.
I really like Hagrid as a character, he's unfailingly loyal, to both Dumbledore and Harry and, even though he was expelled from Hogwarts in his third year (for something that wasn't his fault, may I add) he put the broken pieces of his wand in his pink umbrella and uses Magic, to a lesser degree, regardless. Just because the Dursleys insulted Harry's parents (and Dumbledore, and Harry, basically in just a few lines) he tried to turn Dudley into a pig. I mean, we all know how well a broken wand works at the best of times *cough Ron, 2nd year, cough* but it still made them rethink preventing Harry from going to Hogwarts, especially once they saw how far the wizards (and witches) were willing to go to get Harry there.
I think that's it for Chapter 4, the next chapter is Diagon Alley, that should be fun! See you next time!
Greetings Browncoated Potterheads! It's a Shiny day! (I've been watching Firefly again)
Today we're reviewing Chapter 4, The Keeper of the Keys. I know it's only been a couple of days since my last review but the Chapters go by really fast. I may post the next one as well, Either it'll be up soon after this one is posted or it'll be up tomorrow (yes I update at very odd times, it's very rarely consistent). So, buckle your seat belts and grab your pink umbrellas!
Summary:
OK, when we left our intrepid boy hero and those atrocious muggles they were in the Hut on the rock and someone was knocking to come in from the storm but they're on a rock in the middle of nowhere. So, the booming knock sounds again and the door crashes inwards, enter Vernon Dursley with a rifle. Hagrid comes in and gives the Dursleys a dressing down they won't soon forget complete with a little piggy tail for Dudley. He also gives Harry his letter, the one he's been waiting for. The truth comes out, his parents never died in a car crash but were murdered by the dark Lord Voldemort and he's off to the finest school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the world. Of course the muggles weren't about to allow that but there's not really much they can do about it. We also find out that Hagrid baked Harry a birthday cake and they settle down for the night again with Hagrid on the couch to await morning.
Commentary:
OK, so, admittedly not much happens in this chapter, Hagrid arrives, gives Harry his birthday cake and letter, cooks sausages, gives Dudley a pigs tail, bends Vernon's rifle and they settle down for the night. I think one thing I was sad that they left out of the movies was Vernon running from the letters, I think it really showed just how far his character was willing to go to make sure Harry never got that letter (I'm sure you all remember what happened last chapter). However, the persistence of Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore won out. They found the Dursleys, Harry got a birthday cake and his Hogwarts letter out of the deal.
I really like Hagrid as a character, he's unfailingly loyal, to both Dumbledore and Harry and, even though he was expelled from Hogwarts in his third year (for something that wasn't his fault, may I add) he put the broken pieces of his wand in his pink umbrella and uses Magic, to a lesser degree, regardless. Just because the Dursleys insulted Harry's parents (and Dumbledore, and Harry, basically in just a few lines) he tried to turn Dudley into a pig. I mean, we all know how well a broken wand works at the best of times *cough Ron, 2nd year, cough* but it still made them rethink preventing Harry from going to Hogwarts, especially once they saw how far the wizards (and witches) were willing to go to get Harry there.
I think that's it for Chapter 4, the next chapter is Diagon Alley, that should be fun! See you next time!
Saturday, 25 April 2015
The Harry Potter Re-read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 3: Minerva's Persistence
Spoilers Ahead: Read with Caution
Hi all I'm back! What this? 3 chapter reviews in 2 days? Shock! What can I say? Harry Potter's kind of hard to put down and I'm hard pressed not to do all my chapter reviews in a steady stream all at once, that would be an interesting way to do it but it would be over really fast. I think I'm going to try to stick to one chapter a day or so when I can but you never know. Especially with how this one ends, it gives a lovely lead in for the next chapter doesn't it?
Summary:
This chapter starts, like most summer chapters do, during a normal day at the Dursley's. Dudley's practising for Smeltings by whacking alternately, his father, Harry, the table and Harry with his Smeltings Stick, (A kind of knobby can they carry around to whack each other with, it's supposed to be good practice for later life though personally I don't see it). Harry, come secondary school will not be attending Smeltings with Dudley but rather Stonewall High, the local comprehensive, of course, being an absolute Jerk, Dudley thinks this is very funny and takes to teasing Harry about it, leading to the following exchange between the cousins;
"They stuff people's heads down the toilet first day at Stonewall." Dudley told Harry "Want to come upstairs and practice?"
"No thanks," said Harry "The toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it, it might be sick."
And one of his pithiest lines is wasted on his whale of a cousin. This chapter is where you really (or I did) start to notice that Harry really is tremendously funny and witty and sarcastic and great in general. Another one of my favourite examples is his exchange with his aunt (she's dying some of Dudley's old things grey for his Stonewall uniform);
"What's this?" Asked Harry
"Your new uniform." Answered Aunt Petunia
"Oh...I didn't realize it had to be so wet..."
Anyway I digress, soon after these respective exchanges letters start arriving for Harry. Of course, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia brush them off, shred them in food mixers and even burn them just to prevent harry room getting them, But my Chapter review isn't called Minerva's persistence for nothing, once letters start arriving in such large quantities they overrun the house they run, and run and run, and end up on the Hut of the rock.
But there's someone at the door...
Commentary:
As I mentioned this may be the chapter in which Harry really comes into his wit and humour. I think that's one thing I missed about the movies is that in the books Harry really is tremendously funny but in the movies his best lines are cut.
I love this chapter, it may be one of my favourites, not only because of Minerva;s persistence that Harry Potter will get his Hogwarts letter and under no circumstances will those no account, good for nothing Muggles keep it from him. Remember she knows exactly what the Dursley's are like and I think she's having fun trying to figure out interesting ways to have them delivered and watching Vernon slowly go mad.
I think what bothers me about wizard logic in this chapter is that, every muggle raised or muggle born child gets a Hogwarts letter but there's is always accompanied by a teacher so they can explain things. If they had just sent a teacher (or a Hagrid, in this case) to deliver Harry's letter in the first place they might have avoided all that hassle and someone could have knocked some sense into the Dursley's earlier. As it is though I think Hagrid does a pretty good job knocking some sense into that oaf Vernon Dursley.
I think that concludes my review of Chapter 3, the next one will be up either later today (it now being the 25th of April) or tomorrow. Hopefully by Monday we'll have reached Chapter 5, I'll try and come up with a decent update schedule so it's not just an info dump.
Hi all I'm back! What this? 3 chapter reviews in 2 days? Shock! What can I say? Harry Potter's kind of hard to put down and I'm hard pressed not to do all my chapter reviews in a steady stream all at once, that would be an interesting way to do it but it would be over really fast. I think I'm going to try to stick to one chapter a day or so when I can but you never know. Especially with how this one ends, it gives a lovely lead in for the next chapter doesn't it?
Summary:
This chapter starts, like most summer chapters do, during a normal day at the Dursley's. Dudley's practising for Smeltings by whacking alternately, his father, Harry, the table and Harry with his Smeltings Stick, (A kind of knobby can they carry around to whack each other with, it's supposed to be good practice for later life though personally I don't see it). Harry, come secondary school will not be attending Smeltings with Dudley but rather Stonewall High, the local comprehensive, of course, being an absolute Jerk, Dudley thinks this is very funny and takes to teasing Harry about it, leading to the following exchange between the cousins;
"They stuff people's heads down the toilet first day at Stonewall." Dudley told Harry "Want to come upstairs and practice?"
"No thanks," said Harry "The toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it, it might be sick."
And one of his pithiest lines is wasted on his whale of a cousin. This chapter is where you really (or I did) start to notice that Harry really is tremendously funny and witty and sarcastic and great in general. Another one of my favourite examples is his exchange with his aunt (she's dying some of Dudley's old things grey for his Stonewall uniform);
"What's this?" Asked Harry
"Your new uniform." Answered Aunt Petunia
"Oh...I didn't realize it had to be so wet..."
Anyway I digress, soon after these respective exchanges letters start arriving for Harry. Of course, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia brush them off, shred them in food mixers and even burn them just to prevent harry room getting them, But my Chapter review isn't called Minerva's persistence for nothing, once letters start arriving in such large quantities they overrun the house they run, and run and run, and end up on the Hut of the rock.
But there's someone at the door...
Commentary:
As I mentioned this may be the chapter in which Harry really comes into his wit and humour. I think that's one thing I missed about the movies is that in the books Harry really is tremendously funny but in the movies his best lines are cut.
I love this chapter, it may be one of my favourites, not only because of Minerva;s persistence that Harry Potter will get his Hogwarts letter and under no circumstances will those no account, good for nothing Muggles keep it from him. Remember she knows exactly what the Dursley's are like and I think she's having fun trying to figure out interesting ways to have them delivered and watching Vernon slowly go mad.
I think what bothers me about wizard logic in this chapter is that, every muggle raised or muggle born child gets a Hogwarts letter but there's is always accompanied by a teacher so they can explain things. If they had just sent a teacher (or a Hagrid, in this case) to deliver Harry's letter in the first place they might have avoided all that hassle and someone could have knocked some sense into the Dursley's earlier. As it is though I think Hagrid does a pretty good job knocking some sense into that oaf Vernon Dursley.
I think that concludes my review of Chapter 3, the next one will be up either later today (it now being the 25th of April) or tomorrow. Hopefully by Monday we'll have reached Chapter 5, I'll try and come up with a decent update schedule so it's not just an info dump.
Friday, 24 April 2015
The Harry Potter Re-read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 2: Freedom for Snakes
Spoilers Ahead: Read with Caution
Welcome back to my Harry Potter Re-read! It feels really good to say that. Welcome back. Now, last chapter we learned quite a bit about Harry's abysmal relatives, The Dursleys and now we learn more about Harry. On with the show!
Summary:
About 10 years have passed since Harry was left on the Dursley's doorstep in November (No I'm not going to stop bringing that up, it really bugs me), and ever since he was old enough to reach to reach the stove the Dursley's have treated him like their own personal house-elf. We learn much about their mistreatment of poor orphaned Harry including the fact that he lives in the cupboard under the stairs, the cupboard under the stairs. As far as we know no one has gone to check on Harry in those 10 years, make sure he's alright, that his living conditions are adequate, for all the wizarding world knows he could have died and no one would have been the wiser. Anyway, it's Dudley's birthday and Aunt Petunia gets Harry up to finish making breakfast. We get the first real glimpse of the Dursley house including the absolutely spotless kitchen and dining table covered in 37, 37 birthday presents for Dudley. Of course that's not enough for their little angel so Petunia and Vernon agree to get him 2 new presents when they're out that day. Then Harry's luck begins to change.
They were going to leave him with their dotty old neighbour Mrs. Figg (who we later learn is a squib) while they go out for the day to the zoo but she has broken her leg tripping over one of her cats and can't take him. So the Dursley's are forced to be nice to their nephew for the sake of public appearance for the day and take him to the zoo with them. Everything's going alright, until they reach the reptile house. Harry speaks to this immense Boa Constrictor and it tells him it had never been to Brazil so his accidental magic kicks in and he accidentally lets the snake out. They might not have known it was him except that Dudley's friend Piers Polkiss (Prat) said "Harry was talking to it, weren't you Harry?" So when they get home he;s locked in his cupboard for the forseeable future with no meals. As I'll expound on more in Chapter 3, he wasn't let out until the summer holidays started (Dudley's birthday is June 23rd, according to the Harry Potter Wiki at least)
Commentary:
As I mentioned, Harry lives in the cupboard under the stairs which is totally unacceptable and no one seems to have noticed that he's being mistreated at all. Not even the all powerful Albus Dumbledore. I find that kind of fishy actually, cause he placed Harry with his relative and never bothered to check on him at all? Anyway, this chapter centres on Harry's bouts of accidental magic, mainly the ones on Dudley's birthday at the zoo, he vanishes the glass on the Boa Constrictors tank and uses his Parseltongue abilities to speak to it. I know Parseltongue is vaunted for being the talent of dark wizards including The Dark Lord, and Salazar Slytherin himself but what does he do? he uses it to speak to a snake and find out it's never been to Brazil.
He uses his Parseltongue to make friends with a snake and sets him free, i think that might be something only Harry Potter might do. This Chapter is, all in all, very short and only touches on Harry's accidental magic as a plot point but I really I love the scene with the Boa Constrictor because, who else would talk to a snake, find out that it was bred in captivity but wanted to go to Brazil and set it free?
It earns him quite a bit of time in his cupboard as is specified and the end of the chapter and the beginning of chapter 3 but all in all I think it's a pretty cool bit of accidental magic, cooler maybe, that turning his teacher's wig blue or shrinking a horrible sweater or growing back his hair after a terrible haircut.
Next Chapter: The letters from No one :D That's definitely a fun chapter. See you next time! I'll try to post the next chapter or 2 soon either later today or tomorrow
Welcome back to my Harry Potter Re-read! It feels really good to say that. Welcome back. Now, last chapter we learned quite a bit about Harry's abysmal relatives, The Dursleys and now we learn more about Harry. On with the show!
Summary:
About 10 years have passed since Harry was left on the Dursley's doorstep in November (No I'm not going to stop bringing that up, it really bugs me), and ever since he was old enough to reach to reach the stove the Dursley's have treated him like their own personal house-elf. We learn much about their mistreatment of poor orphaned Harry including the fact that he lives in the cupboard under the stairs, the cupboard under the stairs. As far as we know no one has gone to check on Harry in those 10 years, make sure he's alright, that his living conditions are adequate, for all the wizarding world knows he could have died and no one would have been the wiser. Anyway, it's Dudley's birthday and Aunt Petunia gets Harry up to finish making breakfast. We get the first real glimpse of the Dursley house including the absolutely spotless kitchen and dining table covered in 37, 37 birthday presents for Dudley. Of course that's not enough for their little angel so Petunia and Vernon agree to get him 2 new presents when they're out that day. Then Harry's luck begins to change.
They were going to leave him with their dotty old neighbour Mrs. Figg (who we later learn is a squib) while they go out for the day to the zoo but she has broken her leg tripping over one of her cats and can't take him. So the Dursley's are forced to be nice to their nephew for the sake of public appearance for the day and take him to the zoo with them. Everything's going alright, until they reach the reptile house. Harry speaks to this immense Boa Constrictor and it tells him it had never been to Brazil so his accidental magic kicks in and he accidentally lets the snake out. They might not have known it was him except that Dudley's friend Piers Polkiss (Prat) said "Harry was talking to it, weren't you Harry?" So when they get home he;s locked in his cupboard for the forseeable future with no meals. As I'll expound on more in Chapter 3, he wasn't let out until the summer holidays started (Dudley's birthday is June 23rd, according to the Harry Potter Wiki at least)
Commentary:
As I mentioned, Harry lives in the cupboard under the stairs which is totally unacceptable and no one seems to have noticed that he's being mistreated at all. Not even the all powerful Albus Dumbledore. I find that kind of fishy actually, cause he placed Harry with his relative and never bothered to check on him at all? Anyway, this chapter centres on Harry's bouts of accidental magic, mainly the ones on Dudley's birthday at the zoo, he vanishes the glass on the Boa Constrictors tank and uses his Parseltongue abilities to speak to it. I know Parseltongue is vaunted for being the talent of dark wizards including The Dark Lord, and Salazar Slytherin himself but what does he do? he uses it to speak to a snake and find out it's never been to Brazil.
He uses his Parseltongue to make friends with a snake and sets him free, i think that might be something only Harry Potter might do. This Chapter is, all in all, very short and only touches on Harry's accidental magic as a plot point but I really I love the scene with the Boa Constrictor because, who else would talk to a snake, find out that it was bred in captivity but wanted to go to Brazil and set it free?
It earns him quite a bit of time in his cupboard as is specified and the end of the chapter and the beginning of chapter 3 but all in all I think it's a pretty cool bit of accidental magic, cooler maybe, that turning his teacher's wig blue or shrinking a horrible sweater or growing back his hair after a terrible haircut.
Next Chapter: The letters from No one :D That's definitely a fun chapter. See you next time! I'll try to post the next chapter or 2 soon either later today or tomorrow
The Harry Potter Re-read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Chapter 1: Voldemort's Downfall
Spoilers Ahead: Read with Caution
Alright, to start off my re-read obviously we start at the very beginning, a very good place to start (sorry, the Sound of Music reference just made itself). Let's dust off those Hogwarts house robes, grab your wand and glasses and get reading! Before I found that fic I was talking about in my last post for my part it had actually been a ridiculously long time since I had read Harry Potter and I'm glad I took the opportunity to re-read. From a re-reading perspective the events in the books take on a whole new meaning when you know what will happen later on and yes I may have cried just a bit thinking about Hedwig (I also looked at the Website for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida and that really didn't help at all cause now I'm semi-broke but desperately want to go to Florida (and I will! Mark my words I will go).
Also, when I re-rad the books I notice a lot of flaws (not in the books themselves) but in Wizard logic and reasoning (I'll get to that later in the commentary section).
Summary:
OK, Chapter One: The Boy Who Lived. We start with the Dursley's. We are introduced to them and we know that they are perfectly normal, nothing out of the ordinary every happens to them. Vernon works at a firm called Grunnings that makes drills and he's married to his loving wife Petunia and they have an infant son Dudley who they think is an angel. He's actually quite the terror. By all accounts Vernon loves his family very much and they're a typical (ish) suburban family living in Surrey. Petunia spends her days staying home with Dudley and spies on the neighbours and Vernon works for Grunnings. From what we can glean Petunia has an estranged sister, married with a child of her own, but, as we find out later she doesn't really approve of and definitely doesn't speak to her sister or her sister's husband. However we know that Petunia's sister is a bit weird (at least by Dursley standards) and they don't want their perfect angel Dudley mixing with his cousin in case some of the weirdness rubs off.
On the day our story starts, presumably it's November 1st, or thereabouts, given what we know from later, and Vernon's day starts as normally and boringly as it usually does. He picks out a dull, boring tie for work, dons a normal, workaday suit and leaves. Then things start to get interesting. First he sees a cat sitting at the corner reading a map and later the street sign (but cats can't read can they? *Snort*) He starts seeing people in strange clothes conversing on street corners (blatantly flaunting the Statute of Secrecy I might add). He hears something about the Potter's his sister-in-laws family, maybe, Potter being a very common name after all, and goes home resolved not to mentioned it to Petunia. Later that evening, after the owl...I mean weather report they go to bed completely unconcerned.
Later that night, the cat on the garden wall transforms into Professor McGonagall and she meets with professor Dumbledore to find out the truth about the Potters and complain about her fellow witches and wizards for flaunting the Statute of Secrecy. Hagrid arrives on Sirius Black's flying motorbike with baby Harry and they leave him on the doorstep of Number 4 with a letter for his relatives.
Commentary:
I love the way that Rowling describes the Dursley's. When the story opens, it opens with "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of Number Four Privet Drive were very proud to say they were perfectly normal, Thank You very much." Reading the rest of the paragraph she kind of makes them sound like Hobbits, they're perfectly normal, and they don't hold with nonsense, imagination or adventure. Also, I'm not going to lie, when I pictured the Dursley's the first time they turned out really funny looking. A stick of a woman with a huge neck, she uses to spy on the neighbours, a huge walrus of a man complete with moustache and a round beach ball of a son who just gets bigger as the years progress.
However, as years (and books) progress and we hear more and more about just how awful the Dursley's are to their nephew but for the fact that they are horrid to Harry they seem to love each other quite a bit. (I saw a theory that it was maybe the Horcrux in Harry's head but I don't think so, prolonged exposure for 10 years wouldn't just have made them horrible to him, it would have driven them insane, if what the locket does to Ron in Deathly Hallows is any indication, or what the diary does to Ginny in Chamber of Secrets.)
Also, I'm struck by the sheer stupidity of wizards, like, Harry has a perfectly good, maybe a little overly playful, but perfectly loving godfather. If Hagrid had left Harry with Sirius, would he have gone after Pettigrew? There's the entire possibility that he wouldn't have and Harry would have grown up loved and knowing his parents and you can't tell me that he didn't have cousins on the Potter side of things who couldn't have taken him in. Yes I get not wanting him to grow up arrogant and getting a swelled head but doesn't Dumbledore remember what happened last time a half-blood wizard child was left in an abusive situation? The Dark Lord about, and we got Severus Snape, need I say more. Minerva spends the entire day sitting on a garden wall watching the Dursley's, one day, that's all it takes for her to peg the kind of family they are and what does she do? She tells Dumbledore all she's seen, seems logical right? What does Dumbledore do? LEAVES HIM ON THEIR DOORSTEP! Like, charms to keep him safe and warm notwithstanding, it's November and he's leaving a baby on a doorstep? Of abusive relations who didn't want him in the first place with a letter a letter explaining why they had to keep him and couldn't just ship him off. He claimed it was for their protection and his but it's clear from the snippets we get as Harry's growing up that whatever Blood wards there may be to keep Wizards from finding him? Don't work. At all. An old man bowed to him once in a shop, he got waved at on a bus by a random old lady, by all accounts that probably shouldn't be happening if Dumbledore's protections worked at all.
But enough about that. Thinking back to the whispers about the Potters. When you first read it the gravity of the situation doesn't really sink in. But on the second/third whatever read through you come to the realization, The Potters, a new couple, no older than 21, with a son who's only a year old have just died and their son is now an orphan. Does anyone think about that. No, they're just happy that the Dark Lord is finally gone and they didn't think about what it cost poor little Harry, or indeed Neville, he lost his Parents that night as well, just not in precisely the same way.
But the next chapter, further along in Harry's life, will be alright right? Nothing could be more horrible for him than it already is right? Wrong.
It's Dudley's Birthday next, let's see what happens. Until next time Potterheads! In the mean time check out my poll (also, some of you may have noticed that I've started tagging my posts to make them easier to sort through, if you feel so inclined, check it out (yes I'm retroactively tagging my 96 odd blog posts so sue me))
Alright, to start off my re-read obviously we start at the very beginning, a very good place to start (sorry, the Sound of Music reference just made itself). Let's dust off those Hogwarts house robes, grab your wand and glasses and get reading! Before I found that fic I was talking about in my last post for my part it had actually been a ridiculously long time since I had read Harry Potter and I'm glad I took the opportunity to re-read. From a re-reading perspective the events in the books take on a whole new meaning when you know what will happen later on and yes I may have cried just a bit thinking about Hedwig (I also looked at the Website for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida and that really didn't help at all cause now I'm semi-broke but desperately want to go to Florida (and I will! Mark my words I will go).
Also, when I re-rad the books I notice a lot of flaws (not in the books themselves) but in Wizard logic and reasoning (I'll get to that later in the commentary section).
Summary:
OK, Chapter One: The Boy Who Lived. We start with the Dursley's. We are introduced to them and we know that they are perfectly normal, nothing out of the ordinary every happens to them. Vernon works at a firm called Grunnings that makes drills and he's married to his loving wife Petunia and they have an infant son Dudley who they think is an angel. He's actually quite the terror. By all accounts Vernon loves his family very much and they're a typical (ish) suburban family living in Surrey. Petunia spends her days staying home with Dudley and spies on the neighbours and Vernon works for Grunnings. From what we can glean Petunia has an estranged sister, married with a child of her own, but, as we find out later she doesn't really approve of and definitely doesn't speak to her sister or her sister's husband. However we know that Petunia's sister is a bit weird (at least by Dursley standards) and they don't want their perfect angel Dudley mixing with his cousin in case some of the weirdness rubs off.
On the day our story starts, presumably it's November 1st, or thereabouts, given what we know from later, and Vernon's day starts as normally and boringly as it usually does. He picks out a dull, boring tie for work, dons a normal, workaday suit and leaves. Then things start to get interesting. First he sees a cat sitting at the corner reading a map and later the street sign (but cats can't read can they? *Snort*) He starts seeing people in strange clothes conversing on street corners (blatantly flaunting the Statute of Secrecy I might add). He hears something about the Potter's his sister-in-laws family, maybe, Potter being a very common name after all, and goes home resolved not to mentioned it to Petunia. Later that evening, after the owl...I mean weather report they go to bed completely unconcerned.
Later that night, the cat on the garden wall transforms into Professor McGonagall and she meets with professor Dumbledore to find out the truth about the Potters and complain about her fellow witches and wizards for flaunting the Statute of Secrecy. Hagrid arrives on Sirius Black's flying motorbike with baby Harry and they leave him on the doorstep of Number 4 with a letter for his relatives.
Commentary:
I love the way that Rowling describes the Dursley's. When the story opens, it opens with "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of Number Four Privet Drive were very proud to say they were perfectly normal, Thank You very much." Reading the rest of the paragraph she kind of makes them sound like Hobbits, they're perfectly normal, and they don't hold with nonsense, imagination or adventure. Also, I'm not going to lie, when I pictured the Dursley's the first time they turned out really funny looking. A stick of a woman with a huge neck, she uses to spy on the neighbours, a huge walrus of a man complete with moustache and a round beach ball of a son who just gets bigger as the years progress.
However, as years (and books) progress and we hear more and more about just how awful the Dursley's are to their nephew but for the fact that they are horrid to Harry they seem to love each other quite a bit. (I saw a theory that it was maybe the Horcrux in Harry's head but I don't think so, prolonged exposure for 10 years wouldn't just have made them horrible to him, it would have driven them insane, if what the locket does to Ron in Deathly Hallows is any indication, or what the diary does to Ginny in Chamber of Secrets.)
Also, I'm struck by the sheer stupidity of wizards, like, Harry has a perfectly good, maybe a little overly playful, but perfectly loving godfather. If Hagrid had left Harry with Sirius, would he have gone after Pettigrew? There's the entire possibility that he wouldn't have and Harry would have grown up loved and knowing his parents and you can't tell me that he didn't have cousins on the Potter side of things who couldn't have taken him in. Yes I get not wanting him to grow up arrogant and getting a swelled head but doesn't Dumbledore remember what happened last time a half-blood wizard child was left in an abusive situation? The Dark Lord about, and we got Severus Snape, need I say more. Minerva spends the entire day sitting on a garden wall watching the Dursley's, one day, that's all it takes for her to peg the kind of family they are and what does she do? She tells Dumbledore all she's seen, seems logical right? What does Dumbledore do? LEAVES HIM ON THEIR DOORSTEP! Like, charms to keep him safe and warm notwithstanding, it's November and he's leaving a baby on a doorstep? Of abusive relations who didn't want him in the first place with a letter a letter explaining why they had to keep him and couldn't just ship him off. He claimed it was for their protection and his but it's clear from the snippets we get as Harry's growing up that whatever Blood wards there may be to keep Wizards from finding him? Don't work. At all. An old man bowed to him once in a shop, he got waved at on a bus by a random old lady, by all accounts that probably shouldn't be happening if Dumbledore's protections worked at all.
But enough about that. Thinking back to the whispers about the Potters. When you first read it the gravity of the situation doesn't really sink in. But on the second/third whatever read through you come to the realization, The Potters, a new couple, no older than 21, with a son who's only a year old have just died and their son is now an orphan. Does anyone think about that. No, they're just happy that the Dark Lord is finally gone and they didn't think about what it cost poor little Harry, or indeed Neville, he lost his Parents that night as well, just not in precisely the same way.
But the next chapter, further along in Harry's life, will be alright right? Nothing could be more horrible for him than it already is right? Wrong.
It's Dudley's Birthday next, let's see what happens. Until next time Potterheads! In the mean time check out my poll (also, some of you may have noticed that I've started tagging my posts to make them easier to sort through, if you feel so inclined, check it out (yes I'm retroactively tagging my 96 odd blog posts so sue me))
The Next Great Adventure - my Harry Potter Chapter by Chapter re-read - Introduction
Yes, you read that correctly, chapter by chapter re-read. I'm not going to lie this was half inspired by a Harry Potter re-read that one of the authors on the Tor blog is doing (here, if you want to check it out) and half inspired by the fact that I read far, far, far too much fanfiction and I am currently reading a, not yet finished, reading the books fic, a massive 147 chapter (soon to be 148 (it updates every Friday) whopper (here, go ahead, read it, it's wonderful, even if it's not finished yet and I don't usually like reading unfinished fanfiction (for the same reason I don't like getting into shows a few seasons in, cause I'll binge watch (or in this case binge read) and then there's nothing left and I'm back to waiting for weekly (or worse, biweekly) updates) but I love this one and it's a totally new perspective of the series, from a fanfiction point of view (the other reading the books fic I was reading got deleted I was not impressed, I've always wanted to see what the characters opinions would be if they ever read the stories). It was also, kinda, sorta inspired by her publication of her Harvard commencement speech, Very Good Lives (read my review (well it's kind of a ramble) here)
Anywho, enough rambling. I will update my re-read as I go through and re-read the books (kind of the point) and I will most certainly try to be consistent in my posts but depending on life and my sometimes sieve-like brain my update schedule may change.
I'm going to tell you now and will put up a warning for every post, but, as this is a re-read and not a first time read I'm going to assume that you've read the books already. (If you haven't you totally should) and, I'm going to say it now and in every post
SPOILERS AHEAD: READ WITH CAUTION
I am aware that there are in fact people who haven't read Harry Potter and if they ever intend to I don't want to spoil it for them by not posting a spoiler warning. So, see you on the other side and look for chapter 1 (maybe 2) either later today (it now being the 24th of April where I am) or tomorrow, maybe even as late as Monday but I don't think it will come to that. Also, in the spirit of a Harry Potter Re-read I have created a poll of your favourite Ghost from the series, it will close on the day of the battle of Hogwarts, May 2...maybe, I might change the end date so the end date coincides with the last chapter review. If you have a favourite ghost I didn't mention let me know in comments and I'll add them in!
See you then Potterheads! Be Prepared for a roller-coaster of feels and fangirl ranting. I know a chapter by chaper re-read and review will be long but it'll be fun! See you on Privet Drive!
Anywho, enough rambling. I will update my re-read as I go through and re-read the books (kind of the point) and I will most certainly try to be consistent in my posts but depending on life and my sometimes sieve-like brain my update schedule may change.
I'm going to tell you now and will put up a warning for every post, but, as this is a re-read and not a first time read I'm going to assume that you've read the books already. (If you haven't you totally should) and, I'm going to say it now and in every post
SPOILERS AHEAD: READ WITH CAUTION
I am aware that there are in fact people who haven't read Harry Potter and if they ever intend to I don't want to spoil it for them by not posting a spoiler warning. So, see you on the other side and look for chapter 1 (maybe 2) either later today (it now being the 24th of April where I am) or tomorrow, maybe even as late as Monday but I don't think it will come to that. Also, in the spirit of a Harry Potter Re-read I have created a poll of your favourite Ghost from the series, it will close on the day of the battle of Hogwarts, May 2...maybe, I might change the end date so the end date coincides with the last chapter review. If you have a favourite ghost I didn't mention let me know in comments and I'll add them in!
See you then Potterheads! Be Prepared for a roller-coaster of feels and fangirl ranting. I know a chapter by chaper re-read and review will be long but it'll be fun! See you on Privet Drive!
Thursday, 23 April 2015
Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling
Hey everyone I'm back. It's been far, far, far too long since I've updated or posted here. Anyway, this is less of a book and more of a commencement speech that she did put into print, like the Make Good Art Speech by Neil Gaiman that I reviewed a while back
As I mentioned this is a commencement (graduation, whatever you want to call it) speech that Rowling did for Harvard University. The subtitle of her address is "The fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination."
When I found this book at Coles I'm not going to lie I had hit a bit of a writer's block and was sort of actively avoiding writing at all costs and I thought maybe it would give me some inspiration, and it did...it' inspired me to read Harry Potter again, not quite the effect I was going for but it works. I was going to re-read the series anyway (for probably the millionth time, instead of reading the precariously stacked piles of books by my bed). But I read it through and she makes a lot of good points.
For Example, that achievable goals are the first step to self improvement and that failure is, first and foremost, a stripping away of the essential.
In her Harvard commencement address she is eloquent and inspiring and here, to close this post I think I will echo her sentiments,
If there is something that you want to do in life, do it. If you want to become an artist or a writer of a musician or an actor, cartoonist, animator, director, take your pick, but go out there and do it. Especially if you are in school (or work) and that thing is all you can think about doing, all you do in your off hours, if you're failing classes because you're spending too much time doing what you love and not enough time doing what you ought, or what your parents think you ought to do, stop doing the thing that you are failing at, go do the thing you love.
See you next time, until then keep reading, writing and doing everything you love. When (yes when) I come back I'll be doing a Harry Potter Re-read (Yes I know I started one for Banned books week but that doesn't really count as I never finished it and it turned out badly).
See you next time!
As I mentioned this is a commencement (graduation, whatever you want to call it) speech that Rowling did for Harvard University. The subtitle of her address is "The fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination."
When I found this book at Coles I'm not going to lie I had hit a bit of a writer's block and was sort of actively avoiding writing at all costs and I thought maybe it would give me some inspiration, and it did...it' inspired me to read Harry Potter again, not quite the effect I was going for but it works. I was going to re-read the series anyway (for probably the millionth time, instead of reading the precariously stacked piles of books by my bed). But I read it through and she makes a lot of good points.
For Example, that achievable goals are the first step to self improvement and that failure is, first and foremost, a stripping away of the essential.
In her Harvard commencement address she is eloquent and inspiring and here, to close this post I think I will echo her sentiments,
If there is something that you want to do in life, do it. If you want to become an artist or a writer of a musician or an actor, cartoonist, animator, director, take your pick, but go out there and do it. Especially if you are in school (or work) and that thing is all you can think about doing, all you do in your off hours, if you're failing classes because you're spending too much time doing what you love and not enough time doing what you ought, or what your parents think you ought to do, stop doing the thing that you are failing at, go do the thing you love.
See you next time, until then keep reading, writing and doing everything you love. When (yes when) I come back I'll be doing a Harry Potter Re-read (Yes I know I started one for Banned books week but that doesn't really count as I never finished it and it turned out badly).
See you next time!
Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Carol Diehl's Art Vent: For the Men Who Still Don't Get It
Carol Diehl's Art Vent: For the Men Who Still Don't Get It: The current state of feminism has occupied my mind lately, not the least because a poem I wrote 20 years ago, essentially ...
Interesting Article if I do say so myself, interesting poem as well...
Interesting Article if I do say so myself, interesting poem as well...
Monday, 9 February 2015
I'm not dead! I feel happy!
Alright yes I am back, it's been almost 2 months I know, and I didn't finish my Christmas reviews or do my 12 days of Christmas reviews (I can always finish them next year shh.) Also I may gone searching for the Monty Python 'Bring out your Dead' scene for the express purpose of using it as my post title but you didn't hear that from me)
(no luck on the actual job front though (I may have a lead or 2))
As always I am open for suggestions for books to review and you can do so via Twitter, Tumblr or here in the comments section. I'm working through "The Book of Life" by Deborah Harkness at the moment and trying to find my copy of "The Fellowship of the Ring"(The Precious is lost! No!) I've also been re-reading my Harry Potter series and wondering where in Merlin's name I put my copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them (I may have to replace it *growls*).
Other than that, there will be no review attached to this post as I have no recently finished books to review at the moment. I'll go through my lists late today.
Until next time keep reading, writing and watching Monty Python! Also, ponder this "What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?"
As always I am open for suggestions for books to review and you can do so via Twitter, Tumblr or here in the comments section. I'm working through "The Book of Life" by Deborah Harkness at the moment and trying to find my copy of "The Fellowship of the Ring"
Other than that, there will be no review attached to this post as I have no recently finished books to review at the moment. I'll go through my lists late today.
Until next time keep reading, writing and watching Monty Python! Also, ponder this "What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?"
Thursday, 1 January 2015
Christmas Countdown Review #17 - The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare
Hello all! Happy new year! I know I never finished my Christmas Countdown reviews in time for Christmas but I'm going to finish them now, as well as catching up on my 12 days of Christmas reviews (By my reckoning it's about the 7th day of Christmas so I have some definite catching up to do)
Christmas countdown review number 17, the Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare!
I did actually finish this in time for the 17th of December but I got really busy and never got around to writing the review.
The Bane Chronicles is a series of stories about everyone's favourite High Warlock of Brooklyn, the one, the only, the fabulous, Magnus Bane. It covers his journey through time from his birth as an immortal warlock to the earth(and heart) shattering events of page 511 of City of Lost Souls (this page never happened I don't know what you're on about, nope, never happened...not at all...never, not once...) Journey through time with Magnus, find out why he was banned from Peru, meet Edmund and James Herondale, have tea and cake with Marie Antoinette, meet Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss in Peru for a spot of piracy (ish). See the aftermath of page 511, see the Accords almost fall to pieces (Shadowhunters are very stupid let's leave it at that), all this and more await you in the pages of the Bane Chronicles,
This book was amazing. I mean, I like anything by Cassandra Clare so I might be a tad biased(not at all, nope, not one bit) but it is amazingly well written and each story is captivating and exciting. If you like a spot of adventure and a hint of glitter the Bane Chronicles is definitely for you. It might make more sense to read the Mortal instruments series and the Infernal devices series first though. Just so you have a basic handle on the plot and characters. They are side stories after all.
10/10 would read again, and again, and again. The High Warlock of Brooklyn bids you good day, he's a very busy warlock you know.
Christmas countdown review number 17, the Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare!
I did actually finish this in time for the 17th of December but I got really busy and never got around to writing the review.
The Bane Chronicles is a series of stories about everyone's favourite High Warlock of Brooklyn, the one, the only, the fabulous, Magnus Bane. It covers his journey through time from his birth as an immortal warlock to the earth
This book was amazing. I mean, I like anything by Cassandra Clare so I might be a tad biased
10/10 would read again, and again, and again. The High Warlock of Brooklyn bids you good day, he's a very busy warlock you know.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)