Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Chapter 18 Dobby's Reward

Harry explains all of the Trio's adventure with the Chamber of Secrets to Dumbledore, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Professor McGonagall. After everyone leaves the office, Dumbledore has a talk with Harry about being a true Gryffindor. Lucius Malfoy appears and we discover his is Dobby's master. When Dumbledore and Harry have each said things to Mr. Malfoy, Harry tricks Mr. Malfoy into freeing Dobby. The end of the year feast takes place and soon everyone heads home for the summer.

What if they expelled her? Harry thought in panic. Riddle's diary didn't work anymore...How could they prove it had been he who'd made her do it all? Instinctively, Harry looked at Dumbledore, who smiled faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moonspectacles. "What interests me most, " said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania. 

I wouldn't be surprised that Dumbledore is actually reading Harry's mind right now (or Dumbledore is just very clever which is not surprising either). I think it's interesting how Rowling puts these possible mind reading situations in the books before we're told that such a thing exists in this universe. There has been an instance in both Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets where it directly states that Harry wonders if Snape could read his mind. I forgot to mention them both times but I did find them extremely interesting.

He strode over to the door and opened it. "Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up, " he added, twinkling kindly down at her.

Dumbledore is just so kind and lovely. I give him three points for being the incredible person he is. 

"You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice -- I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment. "
"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly.

D'aww Ron. :]

"Very strange tales they told me, too...Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place. "
Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury. 

Harry didn't know whether the best bit was Hermione running toward him, screaming "You solved it! You solved it!" or Justin hurrying over from the Hufflepuff table to wring. His hand and apologize endlessly for suspecting him, or Hagrid turning up at half past three, cuffing Harry and Ron so hard on the shoulders that they were knocked into their plates of trifle, or hi sand Ron's four hundred points for Gryffindor securing the House Cup for the second year running, or Professor McGonagall standing up to tell them all that the exams had been canceled as a school treat ("Oh, no!" said Hermione), or Dumbledore announcing that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back.

What a joyous celebration, so many great things happening. I'd like to give Justin one point for apologizing. I would also like to give Harry four points, I've been forgetting to give him points and he certainly deserves them.


Harry remembered something. "Ginny -- what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"
"Oh, that, " said Ginny, giggling. "Well -- Percy's got a girlfriend."

"You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously.
"Wouldn't dream of it, " said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early.
"Definitely not, " said George, sniggering.

 Oh, Ginny, haven't you learned by now? Of course they're going to tease Percy!


Memorable Lines:
"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"
"Sword?" said Lockhart dimly. "Haven't got a sword. That boy has, though." He pointed at Harry. "He'll lend you one."

The Chamber of Secrets had a good plot that lured me in throughout the reading. However it had three of the characters I cannot bear to tolerate, especially with them all being in one book. Because of that it made the book a bit difficult to read. I do think the Chamber of Secrets is a very important book, it provides solutions for the future books. There are so many things in the Chamber of Secrets that will crop up throughout the series. So while I may not find this book to be my favorite, I acknowledge it's importance in this series.