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 a horcrux (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!

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

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!

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.

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!

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!

Banned Books Week #2 (September 21-27) Review #2 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Hello again all, I meant to post this yesterday but I got so caught up in my reading for school that I didn't have a chance. Goblet of Fire is the 4th book in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Visually it is stunning and much thicker than any of the other books so far (the cover I have has Harry being chased by a dragon who is guarding a golden egg (that's important later on in the book, NO SPOILERS) and it's beautiful!) But enough about the appearance of the book.

The story itself starts, much as it has done for the past 3 books, with Harry's horrible relatives at Privet Drive. Everything seems as if it's going to be business as usual until a letter comes from Harry's best friend Ron inviting him to go to the Quidditch World Cup with them (Bulgaria vs. Ireland, no I won't say how it ends, you have to read the book) Everything's going swimmingly until a strange mark appears in the sky, the mark of the Dark Lord, the one most often left by his Death Eaters in the wake of an attack. Things happen, they're not too important, but soon everyone is packing off to Hogwarts again for their 4th year. Between a dangerous tournament fir inly the best and brightest students from 3 schools and a crazy ex-auror Defense professor, will Harry have a quiet year? Of course not. As for what happens in the end you'll have to read to find out!

This book is poignantly, brilliantly written with plot twists every step of the way that will keep you guessing and the magical adventures along the way will keep you hooked and leave you wanting more. You'll laugh, you'll be scared, you'll fly with dragons and you'll love every minute of it. Speaking of laughing I wonder if Draco's father every found out about his little run in with Moody...(I will say no more, you have to read it) I'll try and post again soon...probably on the 5th book (the longest of the lot interestingly enough)

Banned Books Week #2 (September 21-27) Review #1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Hi all, it's Banned Books week again! I must admit I have been most remiss in my reviews for this week, I posted the list and ever since I've been reading Neverwhere. However, my first review this week (I know, it's already Thursday, school gets in the way sometimes) is the third Harry Potter book.

It's the start of Harry's third year and he's at the Dursley's again. This year there are no house elves with dire warning on his birthday and his letters come through but it's still shaping up to be an awful summer. Ron's off to Egypt with his family to see his eldest brother Bill and his Hogwarts letter arrives with a permission slip for Hogsmeade, the wizarding village near Hogwarts. Unfortunately his Aunt Marge is coming to stay and suffice it to say that her visit doesn't end well and Harry runs off. When he reaches the Leaky cauldron, thats in London, Hedwig is already waiting for him. A few days later he meets his friends there and the new school year starts with promise. Unfortunately for Harry there's an escaped mass murderer on the loose with dementors chasing him, so much for a quiet year. Why is he after Harry? Who is he? What does he really want? Find out all this an more in the third installment of the acclaimed Harry Potter series.

This book, these books, are brilliant and once you've read them you never go back. It's brilliantly written and the story is so wonderful, sad at parts I won't lie, but great. This installment, like it's predecessors, is so cleverly written it keeps you guessing with endless questions, who is the mysterious, Prisoner of Azkaban? didhe actually commit the crimes he was jailed for? If he was innocent why didn't Dumbledore do something? What kind of coward chops off his finger and frames his best friend for murder? What kind of Cowardly Lion are you? And you call yourself a Gryffindor, McGonagall would be disgusted.

You can probably tell I'm a huge Potterhead but if you've read the books and seen the movies, you understand...I highly recommend this book, and it's predecessors and once you read them you never see the world the same way, I promise you that.

As always you can recommend me books to read through Twitter or my blog here, even on Shelfari, until next time (sorry for the delay) keep reading, keep writing, and DFTBA!