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September 23, 2015 at 8:29 pm in reply to: Harry Potter Reread: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone #308368JosephineParticipant
CHAPTER 17: THE MAN WITH TWO FACES
SUMMARY
The tasks of the previous chapter have lead Harry to his final destination. However as we learn, he’s not alone. It’s immediately revealed the culprit is Professor Quirrell: the stuttering, stumbling DADA professor a ruse to distract everyone from his true mission.
Quirrell admits to trying to kill Harry during the Quidditch match but was stopped by Hermione’s setting Snape’s robes on fire. Harry also learns that Snape was trying to protect him from Quirrell’s interference, not curse him and also the same reason he refereed the following match. However, Dumbledore’s appearance prevented any future attempts on Harry’s life.
Quirrell then binds Harry magically with ropes and stares before the Mirror of Erised, trying to figure out it’s purpose. Harry, meanwhile, is trying to move in front of it to see how to stop him, but the ropes prevent it. A voice tells Quirrell to “use the boy” and he unleashes Harry to stand before the mirror. Harry wishes silently to find the stone so Quirrell can’t get to it and the mirror shows him reaching into his pocket and pulling out the small red stone and dropping it back in. The real Harry feels the stone’s weight drop into his pocket. However, he tells Quirrell he sees himself shaking hands with Dumbledore and winning the house cup for Gryffindor in an attempt to throw him off. The unidentified voice coming from near Quirrell says, “He lies, he lies” and orders Quirrell to let “him” speak face to face. Quirrell unwinds his turban and another face is reveals on the backside of the professor’s head:
Harry would have screamed, but he couldn’t make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell’s head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.
–SS, p. 293
The face, what remains of Voldemort, reveals to Harry that he must share another’s body but the unicorn blood strengthened him and with the Elixir of Life he will be able to create a new body and demands the stone in Harry’s pocket. Harry rebels and Voldemort orders Quirrell to attack. Only every time Quirrell touches Harry’s skin he develops burns on his body. Harry soon realizes this and makes an effort to keep touching Quirrell, all the while the pain in Harry’s head originating from his scar is blinding him in pain. Eventually Harry succumbs to blackness.
When Harry wakes up he’s in the hospital wing, staring into the smiling face of Dumbledore. Dumbledore reassures Harry that he’d arrived in time and Quirrell is dead and the Stone is destroyed. When Harry expresses concern over Nicholas Flamel, Dumbledore informs Harry that Flamel has enough Elixir to set his affairs in order and is ready to pass on to the “next great adventure”.
Harry asks Dumbledore if he will tell him the truth about a number of things. The first is why Voldemort was after him as a baby and didn’t need to kill his mother. Dumbledore refuses to answer and promises him some day he will be ready to hear the truth, just not today. He then asks why Quirrell couldn’t touch him and it’s revealed that Harry’s mother’s love protected him and told Harry “it’s in your very skin.” Dumbledore also admits that he sent the invisibility cloak to Harry after his father left it in his possession. Additionally, he told Harry the reason Snape dislikes him is because of his history with Harry’s dad, but that his father also saved his life at one time. And finally, he reveals to Harry that the reason he was able to find the Stone was because Harry wanted to find the stone and not use it. Anyone who wanted it for personal reasons would have been unable to get it.
After Dumbledore’s departure, Ron and Hermione are allowed in to visit and discuss Harry’s suspicion that Dumbledore wanted Harry to go after the Stone. Hermione is outraged but Ron thinks the man is a genius. They are soon, though, kicked out of the wing by Madame Pomfrey.
The next day Harry is released from the Hospital Wing and permitted to go to the end of year feast. Slytherin colors are everywhere, having had the most house points. Before the feast begins, though, Dumbledore announces a change in house points. He awards Ron and Hermione each fifty points for their work in saving the Stone and Harry sixty points. Gryffindor is now tied with Slytherin, however Dumbledore awards an additional ten points to Neville for standing up to his friends. As a result, Gryffindor wins the house cup.
The next day exam results are given and they all passed on to second year, despite their worry. The students pack their trunks and head off to the Hogwarts Express. Ron invites both Hermione and Harry over during the summer and eventually they make their way through the ticket barrier. Mrs. Weasley talks to a unfriendly Vernon Dursley and Harry thanks her for her gifts. The trio say their final goodbyes and Harry reveals that his family doesn’t know he can’t do magic at home and hopes to have fun that summer teasing Dudley.
ANALYSIS
It’s Not Who You Think It Is
When Harry walks through he final door in the quest to protect the Sorcerer’s Stone, it is not Snape who is standing there. Throughout the book, Harry, and the readers, are led to believe that if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck then it’s a duck. We were given a character who is mean and unfair to students, has questionable hygiene, surly, wears black, is referred to many times as a “bat”, and is just an all around unpleasant person. He’s unquestionably the one and only suspect on Harry’s radar. However, we discover that what we assume isn’t what always is. Instead, Harry encounters the cowardly, stuttering Professor Quirrell attempting to steal the Stone. In many media, this red herring would have had my eyes rolling. I know I often feel cheated when this type of plot device is utilized, but it works here. Unlike TV shows that often pull this bait and switch, it feels authentic. In rereading, you discover that J. K. Rowling at no point has lied to the reader. We take the opinion of an eleven year old at face value and trust everything he thinks and sees, but then realize that maybe that isn’t the wisest thing to do. It’s a lesson for both Harry and the readers that evil comes in many forms and we must examine all the evidence before jumping to conclusions.
The Final Showdown
We are at the climax of the story. This is what Harry’s spying, obsession, and preparation has lead to. RG goes into the monomyth better than anyone so I’ll let her handle the technical terms on that score. But we have reached the zenith in our tale.
We noted in the beginning that the first chapter doesn’t begin with the beginning of the story. We enter at a midway point of sorts. Voldemort was at the height of his power and somehow by the actions of a baby is destroyed. No body to be found. We know not how or why or even if he’s still alive. But as we all know, no body usually equals no death. So as a reader it’s not shocking that Harry’s final battle is with some parasitic version of Voldemort himself. Using Quirrell as a host, he seeks out the power of the Sorcerer’s Stone to regain a corporeal form and return to the prominence that he once held.
“He is with me wherever I go,” said Quirrell quietly. “I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to see it…”
–SS, p. 291
This concept that power is the only thing that matters is a hallmark of numerous philosophers, politicians, tyrants throughout history. It permeates our tv shows, too. But in Harry’s world, Voldemort has no concept of love, empathy, compassion, or even evil I’d argue as it’s the flipside of goodness. He knows power. He yearn for it and seeks it out for his own twisted philosophies. There is no thought of the greater good, no empathy for humanity. As we like to chant with Once, nobody thinks about the peasants. He cares for nothing but himself and basically ascending to a deity status. Quirrell, young and impressionable is sucked into this philosophy, like many followers of cultish leaders. Voldemort will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. There is no line to cross
Conversely we have Dumbledore, the only one Voldemort was ever afraid of. We know now that Dumbledore is considered essentially a living legend. He’s so well respected that he could be Minister of Magic if he wanted. He is the most gifted wizard in generations and yet he chooses to spend his time as a Headmaster at a school, helping form the youth of the Wizarding world into productive witches and wizards. Quite the opposite of Voldemort’s goals.
Then we have Harry, he’s thrust into this position at such a young age. And he rises to the challenge. He has a small amount of magical knowledge, two faithful friends who will do anything for him, and already this strong sense of right and wrong. He cares nothing for Voldemort’s ramblings. He just knows that he must be stopped even if he has to do it himself. He has the makings of a great leader, despite not wanting to be pushed into that role. Harry doesn’t go into the situation for honor or glory. He goes because it’s the right thing to do. It’s not even a choice, it just is.
Although it may seem that Voldemort is unstoppable in the face of a little boy with minimal training, Harry is successful. We discover Voldemort is not infallible. His inability to love or recognize it’s power has brought him down for a second time. Even when seeing the physical manifestation in the form of Quirrell’s burns, he continues to press which in return causes his host’s death and regresses his plans, delaying his return once again.
FORSHADOWING
“Well…Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?”
Dumbledore signed very deeply this time.
“Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. No now. You will know, one day…put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older…I know you hate to hear this…when you are ready, you will know.”
–SS, p. 299
The million dollar question, Harry. We all wanted to know this answer.
Discussion Questions
1. How did you feel the first time you read the story when it was revealed that Professor Quirrell was the perpetrator and not Professor Snape?
2. How would you handle the answer Dumbledore gave on why Voldemort was after him as a baby if you were Harry? Would you have accepted it and moved on like Harry did?
3. By the end, we discover that Harry, Ron and Hermione suspect Dumbledore of setting them up to protect the Stone and that he “taught us just enough to help.” What do you think of Dumbledore’s teaching style? Ignoring real life consequences, was it a viable option considering what Harry will have to do in the future?
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September 23, 2015 at 3:57 pm in reply to: Harry Potter Reread: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone #308360JosephineParticipantI will have the analysis posted today but thought to respond to RG’s questions.
1) Had Dumbledore not been called to the Ministry and had Harry, Ron and Hermione managed to talk to the Headmaster, what would he have done?
Like everyone else said, Dumbledore engineered himself gone. We know that he had to be absent to spur Harry on the journey set out for him. If by chance he has been at the castle, he would have made himself unavailable to the trio, therefore, creating the same results. They go after the Stone themselves.
2) How much is Hagrid to blame for what is going on with Voldemort and the Stone?
Hagrid has exhibits a high degree of negligence, and will continue to do so throughout the book, but I don’t blame him or for Voldemort’s return. Voldemort has manipulated, intimidated, mesmerized people for decades. Hagrid is more susceptible than others. Does this excuse him? No, but it allows me to forgive his behavior in face of his faithfulness and love of Harry and Dumbledore.
3) Maybe you are familiar with other descents into the underworld other than the ones I mentioned above. Even if not, how do you compare Harry’s journey to the underworld with those you know of? What do you make of the katabasis as part of the hero’s journey?
Like Slurpeez, the one I immediately thought of was Jesus.
4) Which “test” in the underworld would be the easiest for you? The hardest? And which one of the ones we see with the trio do you find the most impressive?
If it wasn’t an issue of life and death and drinking poison, then I’d say Hermione’s task. But I would need paper, drawing diagrams, notes, etc. I do know how to play chess (Sorry, Watcher, it’s nothing like checkers) and I am not the best player at all. I’m more like Hermione than Ron. I’d have freaked at the Devil’s Snare and I’m deathly afraid of heights so the keys would not be my ideal. So in conclusion, I’d have given up immediately. 😉
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
September 19, 2015 at 10:00 pm in reply to: Harry Potter Reread: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone #308241JosephineParticipantInteresting analysis about the forest. I feel bad because I really don’t have much more to add on it. Everything’s been said.
Why are Ronan and Bane upset that Firenze helps Harry? What does Firenze think?
Like has been said before, Centaurs are solitary creatures who distrustful of humans. It’s interesting to note their entry in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them:
Being intelligent and capable of speech, it should not strictly speaking be termed a beast, but by its own request it has been classified as such by the Ministry of Magic
and then
Wizarding authorities in each of the countries where centaurs are found have allocated areas where the centaurs will not be troubled by Muggles; however, centaurs stand in little need of wizard protection, having their own means of hiding from humans.
and also
They are generally speaking as mistrustful of wizards as they are of Muggles and indeed seem to make little differentiation between us. They live in herds ranging in size from ten to fifty members. They are reputed to be well-versed in magical healing, divination, archery and astronomy.
They’re past views of humans in general are very low. So Firenze helping one is an oddity. But it does show they have independent thought and are very intelligent creatures who can also be empathetic, despite not wanting to be.
Ronan and Bane both comment that Mars is shining brightly. Mars is the Roman god of war. How might that foreshadow upcoming events in the wizarding world?
Nothing more really to add. The brightness of Mars is an astrological symbol that war is coming.
Considering how dangerous the Forbidden Forest is, why would a) it be allowed for students to go there to serve detention and b) Hagrid split the students into two groups and allow one to wander about unsupervised?
So a) I don’t think it’s a usual punishment to take first years out in the forest. This is all Dumbledore’s doing. A comment to McGonagall that Hagrid needs assistance on something. Then a suggestion to Hagrid about an easy task needed to be finished in the forest that wouldn’t be dangerous to the first years. Dumbledore is truly leaving breadcrumbs for Harry to solve the problem of the Sorcerer’s Stone. He’s testing the boy to discover his mettle and Harry rises to the challenge each time. As for b) Hagrid is so used to the forest himself and it’s been established that he doesn’t see the creatures living within the forest as dangerous. He has a skewed outlook on dangerous things as we will discover further in coming books. So he might not even think that the children would be in any type of danger because he himself really doesn’t view the forest as dangerous.
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
JosephineParticipantIn Soaps in the 80s and 90s, it was common for children to be “upstairs”. It wasn’t unusual for a five year old to be upstairs for a time and come back as a college student. It seems as if the “restroom” in Once is the equivalent to the “bathroom” in Soaps. The place where characters go off in limbo.
As for our ships, unless Phillip dies I do not see Sleeping Warrior happening. The biggest potential would lie in pairing Mulan with Ruby or Merida.
Considering there have been whispers of a Brave sequel in the works, or even the potential of one, I’m going to agree with Matt that Disney/Pixar might be placing restrictions on her portrayal. No romantic interest.
That leaves Red, a character not in the Princess pantheon. She might be the one they would use…and then kill her off.
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
September 13, 2015 at 5:35 pm in reply to: Harry Potter Reread: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone #307978JosephineParticipantCHAPTER FOURTEEN: NORBERT THE NORWEGIAN RIDGEBACK
SUMMARY
“Wonder what it’s like to have a peaceful life,” Ron said
–SS, p. 234
The weeks are flying by as Harry, Ron, and Hermione become engrossed in their studies for upcoming exams. They know by Snape’s surly temper that Quirrell hasn’t caved and given in to his demands regarding the Stone. Feeling sorry for their DADA teacher, they try to give him encouraging smiles and tell students off that make fun of him.
While they’re in library one day studying, they spy Hagrid coming out of the stacks acting oddly and strangely out of place. He questions them about searching out information on Nicholas Flamel but they inform him they learned of who he is and what Fluffy’s guarding ages ago. They ask what else is guarding the Stone but Hagrid shushes them and invites them to tea at his hut. After he leaves, Ron disappears into the stacks and discovers Hagrid was in the section on Dragons. Harry informs the others that Hagrid once told him he dreamed of owning his own dragon some day.
They visit Hagrid in his hut, which is stifling from the fire despite the warm day and begin to question him about the Stone’s protection. Hagrid lets slip that other teachers have enchantments to prevent the Stone from being stolen. They also discover that Hagrid has a Norwegian Ridgeback Dragon’s egg in his fire that he won in a game of cards at a pub in the village. Despite the kids’ warnings, Hagrid is determined to keep it.
The three worry about Hagrid getting caught along with the Stone’s protection. They soon get a message from Hagrid that egg is hatching and rush off after class and watch it happen. As it hatches, someone is spying through the curtains and runs off toward the castle. They realize it’s Malfoy and are now worried that he’ll tell Dumbledore everything. After hatching, the dragon grows very quickly and is causing trouble. They urge Hagrid to let it loose, but he refuses. They finally come up with a plan to send it off to Ron’s brother Charlie in Romania who works on a Dragon reserve. Plans are set for Charlie’s friends, who are planning a visit, to pick it up and take it with them the next week. In the meantime, Ron is bit while helping take care of the dragon, now named Norbert, and is sent to the Hospital wing after it gets infected. Malfoy visits him with the excuse of borrowing a book. However, the book he takes has the letter from Charlie in it, revealing all their plans. With Ron in the hospital wing, Harry and Hermione decide to go forward with the plans anyway of taking the dragon to the highest tower of Hogwarts because they have the Invisibility Cloak.
The night arrives and Harry and Hermione, covered in the Invisibility Cloak, take the boxed dragon up to the tower. They pass Malfoy getting in trouble with McGonagall. She doesn’t believe his story and gives him detention before dragging him away. They make their way up to the tower. Charlie’s friends arrive and strap the dragon in and are soon off on their journey. Harry and Hermione, happy for Malfoy getting detention and Norbert’s removal, descend the tower stairs and find Filch waiting for them. They’re caught, having left the Invisibility Cloak behind in the tower.
ANALYSIS
Things are not always what they seem.
Despite the title being about a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon, this chapter reveals more about the character of Hagrid. Hagrid is the first magical person that Harry is introduced to in the series. He’s this dichotomous character–a giant, or technically a half-giant as we later learn in the series, that appears monstrous to many people but really has a heart of gold. To go back to Harry’s initial meeting he’s described as:
“A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all that hair.”
–SS, p.46
This does not sound like a friendly person He’s huge, intimidating, with a large voice to match his large size. Yet he becomes the first friend Harry ever really has. He guides Harry’s introduction to the Wizarding world. It’s not a nice little old fairy godmother-type lady or an impressive wizard who first introduces Harry to this other world, but a monstrous looking giant of a man who ends up being the most empathetic, kind-hearted character of the series. It’s the ultimate lesson in not judging a book by it’s cover.
Hagrid kind heart over the series also tends to extend to animals. He supplies a vicious three headed dog to Dumbledore to help guard the Stone. Despite it’s dangerousness, he gives it a light-hearted name and insists you just have to learn to handle it correctly. His own dog is a gigantic wolfhound with the fierce sounding name Fang that appears as if could eat you in one bite, yet only drools on the kids. In this chapter, we learn that Hagrid adopts a dragon’s egg. From an earlier conversation we know that he’s always wanted one. They are highly dangerous, illegal, yet he treats it like a precious baby.
For all his good intentions, though, Hagrid is a bit myopic. He often tends to only see the glass half full. He has what he’s always dreamed off, a dragon, but he has no future plans on what to actually do with it. It’s only at a group of First Years’ urgings that he realizes that maybe a dragon isn’t the ideal pet, despite the burns, bites, and attention it needs.
This flaw extends to other areas, too. Despite the kids warning him that danger is afoot, Hagrid puts his faith in the thought that no teachers would ever do something underhanded. He tends to look for the best in people. An admirable quality, but not always ideal. It doesn’t even occur to him to question the fact that he won an extremely expensive, illegal dragon’s egg, something he’s always dreamed of having, in a poker game at the local village pub. And it doesn’t even occur to him to contemplate or validate the kids’ worries about the Stone’s safety. For all his heart, Hagrid flaws often affect others, especially Harry, Ron and Hermione.
FORESHADOWING
–Dittany, a substance mentioned as they’re studying. When something is named, it usually comes up later.
–Hagrid winning a rare expensive egg at a pub.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Why didn’t Malfoy tell an adult about Hagrid’s illegal activity instead of trying to catch them himself?
2. Despite his background and life experiences, why do you think Hagrid is such an kind-hearted individual?
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
JosephineParticipantIf they brought in Hades, would they bring in Persephone then as a way to redeem him? And if that would happen, isn’t that just another version of “Beauty and the Beast”?
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
September 11, 2015 at 11:38 pm in reply to: Harry Potter Reread: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone #307945JosephineParticipant1. Do you think Harry, Ron and Hermione are right to be so suspicious of Snape?
Harry, Ron and Hermione are 11-12 year olds. So in their mind they can’t see anything else but that Snape is someone of which to be suspicious. Heck, any adult would probably be the same. Children come home from Hogwarts and tell their family about Professor Snape, or some of the adults had him for a professor, too, so they would probably be suspicious, also. Snape is an unfair teacher and dislikes most of the students. His past actions color his reputation. So if it acts like a duck and sounds like a duck…
2. What actions could Harry, Ron and Hermione take to prove that Snape is really the bad guy?
I really have no idea. It’s not like those three in Year One can set up a sting operation to catch Snape in the act. By Year Five or Six, definitely, they could‘ve pulled something off 😛 And they truly believe, however unfounded, his guilt so they wouldn’t feel like they had to test his loyalty. They think he’s the bad guy so he’s the bad guy.
3. If you could drink the Elixir of Life and gain immortality, would you?
No. I don’t know anyone who actually would. I think it would be sad to outlive everyone in your immortality. My grandmother lived until she was 95 and worked into her 90s, too. She was a remarkable woman who outlived a lot of her friends. We joke about the story she told of going to her college reunion when she was around age 90. She complained there were only a few there. She didn’t want to admit that everyone else had passed on. And while it’s commendable to live a long productive live, if you were immortal and outlive everyone it would be a curse instead of a blessing. Now if there was a potion that would make me live long and be healthy, yes, I would take that in an instant.
As I post this, I can hear a few Great Horned Owls calling in the background. They’ve been really vocal lately in the evenings. Not really on topic but makes me feel Harry Potterish. 😉
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
September 6, 2015 at 6:08 pm in reply to: Harry Potter Reread: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone #307786JosephineParticipant“He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness.”
–SS, p. 209
This sums up my experience reading this chapter. I see RG beat me to it in quoting it. It’s wonderful that literature can bring so many emotions in you. It has heart and makes you think and feel things deeply.
I love the way the Weasley family, despite not being all together for the holiday, all pull together to enjoy their time as family. It makes you want to be a Weasley and it’s no shock that Harry does, too. This chapter isn’t full of action but it’s one of the most poignant and touching of the entire series. I just want to bundle Ron and Harry both up and hug them. Harry, naturally. We know what he has to go through and the heartbreak of being an orphan. But Ron, too, for being overshadowed in his family. His mirrored reflection is happy and lighthearted but the reasoning behind it is deep. But then everyone’s would be if they looked into the mirror.
Family is essential for Harry. He longs for something that most take for granted. It’s no shock really then that in the epilogue we find he married Ginny and has three kids. He has what he fought all those years for. A family. (It’s also no shock that Ron never had as many children as his parents had, based on his Mirror of Erised reflection.)
Do you think that Dumbledore is lying about what he sees in the mirror, or is he able to control his desires so much that he can manipulate what he sees?
Yes, I think he’s lying. Dumbledore might be the most powerful wizard in Britain or the even the World but he’s not perfect. He’s not a God. He’s human and has weaknesses and flaws like everyone else. A man of his age and power doesn’t come by it without living a long, hard life with mistakes along the way. I think admitting to any of his desires or deepest wishes would be too heavy a burden for an eleven year old boy to be witness to. Harry is not ready for even a fraction of it, yet.
I can see though, where Macy is coming from. Has he somehow magically, or through means of self-discipline manipulated himself so he just sees his reflection? He is a powerful enough wizard that if any could do it, he would find a way. But I don’t think he’d actually do it. I think he still sees his desires in the mirror, based on the weaknesses and regrets we will see later in the series.
Why didn’t Dumbledore reveal himself earlier, if he had known Harry (and Ron) had been visiting the mirror?
Dumbledore tends to like people to come to their own conclusions and understandings. We know he’s a master manipulator, but he also doesn’t tell you outright. The cryptic contents of his Will being one example. He wants people to learn and grow, even though it would be easier just to tell the information outright. In the education field, there is a philosophy that the teacher isn’t someone who regurgitates facts. A teacher is a facilitator who allows the student to come to their understanding in an organic way. That is when true learning occurs. Dumbledore is a classic facilitator. He allowed Harry to stay and study the mirror instead of telling him straight away. He then goes on to ask questions in a way that helps lead to the final answer. He guides Harry’s learning, doesn’t demand or tell.
What do you think you’d see if you looked into the mirror?
I knew you were going to ask this question. Like Harry, a good part of my family is gone. I lost my brother when I was a teen and then my parents have both passed away, and my grandparents were all much older (they’d be all well over 100 years old if alive today). So I imagine I would see my family once again. I admit, this chapter is not easy to get through without tears coming out. And reading the interview of Rowling talking about her mother is spot on. You’d always just be asking for a few minutes more.
Knitting Reference #2
And because I am cataloging all the knitting references, this chapter has a big one. Molly and her famous Weasley sweaters.
“I think I know who that one’s from,” said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very large lumpy parcel. “My mom. I told her you didn’t expect any presents and–oh, no,” he groaned, “she’s made you a Weasley sweater.”
Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge.
“Every year she makes us a sweater,” said Ron, unwrapping his own, “and mine’s always maroon.”
“That’s really nice of her,” said Harry, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.
–SS, pp. 200-201
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
September 2, 2015 at 3:43 pm in reply to: Harry Potter Reread: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone #307668JosephineParticipantI’ll answer my own questions.
1. What do you think would happen if Harry, Ron and Hermione had approached Professor Dumbledore with their suspicions at this time?
There is no way that Dumbledore would reveal anything to Harry this early in the game. Like most adults, he’d probably patronize the trio and tell them that it wasn’t something to worry about. Adults all throughout series underestimated the tenaciousness of Harry, Ron and Hermione. However, privately I think it would have alerted Dumbledore, if he wasn’t already aware, of the what those three children are capable of if working together.
What do Hermione’s actions at the Quidditch game reveal about her character?
I think Hermione’s actions in this chapter illustrate exactly why she’s in Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw. She had no thought of anything but saving her friend’s life. She doesn’t weigh the strengths or weaknesses of her plan in a methodical manner, she just leaps. Hermione is brilliant, but she doesn’t often think through some of her actions, allowing instinct and feeling to sway her. Everyone talks about how smart and brilliant she is, but Hermione is also a highly emotional girl throughout the series. She’s not immune to overreacting or crying, as illustrated by her reaction to Ron’s insult the last chapter and the Yule Brawl, and the flock of pecking birds, and the… (Oh, I love Ron’s and Hermione’s lovers’ spats). This chapter shows that even at a young age, her bravery and willingness to help those she’s loyal to is a far stronger character trait than her intelligence.
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
September 2, 2015 at 2:45 pm in reply to: Harry Potter Reread: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone #307665JosephineParticipantCHAPTER 11: QUIDDITCH
SUMMARY
It’s November and Quidditch season has begun. Gryffindor is playing Slytherin and if they win they move into second place for the House championship. Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor captain, has been keeping Harry a secret to throw the other team off. In addition to Quidditch, as the result of the event on Halloween, Harry, Ron and Hermione have become friends, for which Harry is glad. She helps with the boys’ with their homework and has become more relaxed about breaking rules herself. One day, the three were outside warming themselves by a fire Hermione conjured in a jam jar when Professor Snape happens along. They huddle to the hide the flame but in the process attract his attention. He ends up confiscating Harry’s library book “Quidditch Through the Ages”, saying library books are not permitted outside. Later that night Harry goes to the teacher’s lounge to retrieve the book, believing Snape might return it if other teachers are around. When nobody answers his knock he opens the door and sees Snape with his robes raised, exposing a bloody wound and talking to Filch
“Blasted thing,” Snape was saying. “How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?”
–SS, p. 182
Snape sees Harry standing in the doorway and yells at him to leave. Harry returns to his common room and with Ron and Hermione discusses Snape’s injury. Harry, along with Ron, comes to the conclusion that Snape is attempting to steal whatever the three headed dog is guarding and also let the troll in on Halloween as a diversion. Hermione, however, doesn’t want to believe that a teacher would do that.
The next day Harry’s first Quidditch game has arrived. Ron and Hermione sit in the stands with Neville, Seamus and Dean and holding a banner in support of their friend. Hagrid joins them in the stands, having a better seat than at his hut. Lee Jordan, a friend of the Weasley twins, provides the colorful commentary as Professor McGonagall chastises him frequently. The game begins with Quaffles being scored and Bludgers being hurled. Harry hovers above all so he can scan the area. At one point he spies the Golden Snitch, but is knocked off course by a foul from the Slytherin captain. Play continues, but at one point Harry’s broom starts to act erratic. Hagrid notices through his binoculars and soon all the students in the stands are watching Harry try to stay on his broom. Even the players in the game begin ignoring it in an attempt to save Harry. Hermione, using Hagrid’s binoculars, spies Snape mumbling something and keeping eye contact on Harry and becomes suspicious he’s the cause. She alerts Ron she’ll be back and races to the other side of the stands and, after bumping into Quirrell, casts her small flame spell at Snape and sets the bottom of his robes on fire. After he notices, she retrieves the flame, puts it in her tiny jar and hurries back without being noticed. Harry is suddenly able to get back on his broom and speeds toward the ground. As he lands, he spits out the Golden Snitch having caught it in his mouth in his descent and wins the game for Gryffindor.
After the game, the kids celebrate at Hagrid’s. Ron and Hermione tell them about Snape’s actions. When Harry reveals what happened the night before in the teacher’s lounge, Hagrid refuses to believe that Snape is trying to steal anything or hurt Harry. He then lets slip that the animal, Fluffy, whom he lent to Dumbledore is guarding something that is strictly between the Headmaster and Nicholas Flamel. Harry now has a new clue and Hagrid is furious with himself for revealing it.
ANALYSIS
Authority figures aren’t infallible
“Honesty, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something,” snapped Ron.
–SS, p. 183
Teachers and authority figures are supposed to guide, mold, and teach the students. Rules are created for a reason. However, in this chapter we begin to see that the adults at Hogwarts are not perfect. Hermione, especially, changes her opinion by the end of the chapter. When Harry reveals what he overheard between Snape and Filch in the teacher’s lounge, she is reluctant to believe Snape could be doing anything wrong. Yes, he’s unfair in class and used some made-up rule to confiscate Harry’s library book, but attempting to steal from Hogwarts is another issue. She, and the reader in a way, undergo a loss of innocence when it becomes apparent that someone is sabotaging Harry during the Quidditch game.
“Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?” Seamus whispered.
“Can’t have,” Hagrid said, his voice shaking. “Can’t nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic–no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand.”
–SS, p. 190
Someone is jinxing Harry’s broom and it appears as if Snape is the culprit. Hermione doesn’t think twice about momentarily setting Snape’s robes on fire to save Harry, an action that would have been unthinkable previously. She undergoes a change in her beliefs and learns that everyone can’t be trusted.
To a lesser degree, the three learn that Hagrid, too, makes mistakes. In this instance, he’s able to be tricked into revealing information they shouldn’t know. The fact that Hagrid can be manipulated is something Harry, Ron and Hermione will utilize more throughout the series.
Good vs. Evil
There is a lot of competition in this chapter. It is titled Quidditch after all. We have Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. The house of Harry, his parents and friends versus the house from which a lot of bad wizards emerged. It’s no surprise that Slytherin’s team has some underhanded tactics at play: fouling Harry to prevent him from catching the Snitch, scoring goals when everyone else including the fans are concentrating on Harry’s ordeal. But of course Gryffindor wins because good wins over evil in the end.
What’s happening in the stands parallels what’s happening on the field–good vs. evil. Instead of a group of students doing underhanded things on the field, though, we have someone, for the first time since he was a baby, outright trying to destroy Harry. Evil has arrived at Hogwarts. Yes, we had the troll, but this is a direct hit, not a diversion. But like in the match, evil doesn’t succeed. Hermione’s proactive response prevents the evildoer who we all know is not really Snape but she does prevent it anyway from completing his task. Once again good succeeds and evil fails. A theme that embodies the whole book and entire series.
FORESHADOWING
–Hagrid’s knowledge of Fluffy, the three-headed dog.
–Nicholas Flamel
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What do you think would happen if Harry, Ron and Hermione had approached Professor Dumbledore with their suspicions at this time?
2. What do Hermione’s actions at the Quidditch game reveal about her character?
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
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