Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Chapter 15 Aragog

With Dumbledore and Hagrid gone, the entire school grows more solemn. In a Herbology lesson Harry notices spiders heading to the Forbidden Forest. One night, with the invisibility cloak, Harry and Ron set out for the forest. There they discover Aragog, a giant spider,  he reveals Hagrid's innocence and hints at other things. When the boys go to leave, though, they are attacked by Aragog's numerous children. They escape with the help of the now wild Mr. Weasley's car.

Snape swept past Harry, making no comment about Hermione's empty seat and cauldron.
"Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"

HE WILL BE THE HEADMASTER. :O
Also, I think it's excellent how JK keeps mentioning Hermione's absence. She's brought the problem very close by having Hermione be petrified and she's not going to let the characters or the readers forget that because action needs to be taken and quick.

"I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now," Malfoy went on. "Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity it wasn't Granger --"
The bell rang at that moment, which was lucky; at Malfoy's last words, Ron had leapt off his stool, and in the scramble to collect bags and books, his attempts to reach Malfoy went unnoticed.
"Let me at him," Ron growled as Harry and Dean hung onto his arms. "I don't care, I don't need my wand, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands --" 

RON WEASLEY

One point for you.

Ernie took a deep breath and said, very formally, "I just want to say, Harry, that I'm sorry I ever suspected you. I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger, and I apologize for all the stuff I said. We're in the same boat now, and, well --"

He held out a pudgy hand, and Harry shook it.

Ernie and his friend Hannah came to work at the same Shrivelfig as Harry and Ron.

That was very decent of you, Ernie. It takes guts to admit you're wrong and apologize. I award you with two points.

"My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred percent sure he was guilty," said Lockhart, in the tone of someone explaining one and one made two.

You know what, I'm taking away three points from Mister Cornelius-jerkface-Fudge. Hmph. One more point from Lockhart as well.

Ron read the message, swallowed hard, and looked sideways at the empty seat usually filled by Hermione. The sight seemed to stiffen his resolve, and he nodded.

How is it not obvious that Ron and Hermione would end up with each other? Right now, of course, I think that Ron thinks of her only as a friend. He defends Hermione very often in this book. Hermione's petrification is Ron's source of determination and courage. Does he want to follow the spiders into the Forbidden Forest? Heck no! He's terrified of spiders and everyone fears the forest. But he's going to do it anyways because Hermione has been harmed and this business of petrifying needs to stop.

Standing up for someone and gaining your courage from them isn't exactly a sign of romantic feelings. That's not what I'm trying to say. What I'm trying to say is that Ron defends Hermione. Ron finds reason to continue on in Hermione's petrification. Not Harry but Ron.

Mr. Weasley's car was standing, empty, in the middle of a circle of thick trees under a roof of dense branches, its headlights ablaze. As Ron walked, openmouthed, toward it, it moved slowly toward him, exactly like a large, turquoise dog greeting its owner.

"it;s been here all the time!" said Ron delightedly, walking around the car. "Look at it. The forest's turned it wild...."

The sides of the car were scratched and smeared with mud. Aparently it had taken to trundling around the forest on it's own.

I like to think the car stayed in the forest, alive forever. It would eventually become a sort of Hogwarts legend.

I heard there's a possessed car in the Forbidden Forest.

It's not possesssed! Harry Potter, the one who defeated Voldemort, made it enchanted.

Yeah, I heard he rode it to school one year and crashed it into the forest. That's why it's there.

Over time facts get muddled, you know.

Mr. Weasley's car was thundering down the slope, headlights glaring, its horn screeching, knocking spiders aside; several were thrown onto their backs, their endless legs waving in the air. The car screeched to a halt in front of Harry and Ron and the doors flew open.

EVEN THE WEASLEY'S CAR IS AMAZING. That's it, every Weasley gets one point, including the car.

"Ron -- that girl who died. Aragog said she was found in a bathroom," said Harry, ignoring Neville's snuffling snores from the corner. "What if she never left the bathroom? What if she's still there?

Ron rubbed his eyes, frowning through the moonlight. And then he understood, too.

"You don't think -- not Moaning Myrtle?"

Now you're getting somewhere!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Chapter 13 Cornelius Fudge

Harry hears the voices again and Hermione has an epiphany and runs off to the library. A Qudditch match begins but is interrupted by Professor McGonagall who sends everyone back to their common rooms. She takes Ron and Harry to the hospital wing, though, where they discover Hermione and Penelope have been petrified.

"Riddle might have got the wrong person," said Hermione. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people...."

Hermione's right! Doubt Riddle, please. Hagrid is your friend. Tom Riddle is not.

Hermione looked aghast at the news.
"But -- only a Gryffindor could have stolen -- nobody else knows our password --"
"Exactly," said Harry.

I wonder who I originally thought had stolen the diary, if I had suspected anyone at all.

"The voice!" said Harry, looking over his shoulder. "I just heard it again -- didn't you?"
Ron shook his head, wide-eyed. Hermione, however, clapped a hand to her forehead.
"Harry -- I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!"
And she sprinted away, up the stairs.

Hermione, I don't know why I haven't done this before now. You are so clever and helpful. A great friend indeed. Since I have been neglecting awarding you with points I now give you 8 points.

Harry was just mounting his broom when Professor McGonagall came half marching, half running across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone.
Harry's heart dropped like a stone.
"This match has been canceled," Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium.

Ah come on! I wanted to read a match with Hufflepuff. Also why didn't McGonagall use Sonorus, eh?


"Percy's in shock," George told Harry quietly. "That Ravenclaw girl -- Penelope Clearwater -- she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect."

OR HIS GIRLFRIEND. haha

The door banged shut and Ron pulled off the Invisibility Cloak.
"We're in trouble now," he said hoarsely. "No Dumbledore. They might as well close the school tonight. There'll be an attack a day with him gone."
Fang started howling, scratching at the closed door.

Poor Fang. :(

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Chapter 13 The Very Secret Diary

After a long time, Hermione is finally released from the hospital wing. Ron and Harry happen upon Moaning Myrtle when she floods the girl's bathroom because a book was "thrown" at her. Harry takes this book which he discovers is Tom Marvolo Riddle's diary. An incident happens and Harry discovers the secret powers of this diary. He enters a memory of Tom's which makes Hagrid out to seem the Heir of Slytherin.

Hermione remained in the hospital wing for many weeks. There was a flurry of rumor about her disappearance when the rest of the school arrived back from their Christmas holidays, because of course everyone thought she had been attacked.

BUT SHE WILL BE. D':

Harry and Ron looked under the sink where Myrtle was pointing. A small, thin book lay there. It had a shabby black cover and was as wet as everything else in the bathroom. Harry stepped forward to pick it up, but Ron flung out an arm to hold him back.
"What?" said Harry.
"Are you crazy?" said Ron. "It could be dangerous."
"Dangerous?" said Harry laughing. "Come off it, how could it be dangerous?"

IT IS DANGEROUS. BE CAREFUL. :(

"I wouldn't mind knowing how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts either."
"Could've been anything," said Ron. "Maybe he got thirty O.W.L.s or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle; that would've done everyone a favor...."

O-M-G, HE DID KILL MYRTLE.

Valentine's Day is terrible enough I can't imagine living through Lockhart's Valentine's Day at Hogwarts.

Malfoy was looking furious, and as Ginny passed him to enter her classroom, he yelled spitefully after her, "I don't think Potter liked your valentine much!"
Ginny covered her face with her hands and ran into class. Snarling, Ron pulled out his wand, too, but Harry pulled him away. Ron didn't need to spend the whole of Charms belching slugs.

Poor, Ginny. Oh to be eleven and easily embarrassed of your affections for someone.

I think the interaction between Tom and Harry in this chapter is interesting. Tom carefully chooses his words here, using them to his advantage. When in the memory he first shows himself as unprivileged, worthy of pity and concern. He ends up revealing Hagrid who is guilty but not of the concerned crime.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Capter 12 The Polyjuice Potion

Hagrid bursts into Dumbledores office and protests that Harry did not petrify Justin and Nick. Dumbledore believes the same and so Hagrid left. Dumbledore simply asks Harry if there is something Harry would like to tell him. Harry declines this kindhearted offer. Christmas comes and Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys stay at Hogwarts as well as Draco and his companions. After the Christmas feast the trio drinks the finished polyjuice potion. Hermione stays behind for some reason while Ron and Harry go in search of the Slytherin Common Room. When they reach their destination they talk with Malfoy and discover their suspicions are not true. Upon returning to the girls' bathroom they find Hermione has turned into a cat.

"I must ask you, Harry, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," he said gently, "Anything at all."
Harry didn't know what to say, He thought of Malfoy shouting, "You'll be next, Mudbloods!" and of the Polyjuice Potion simmering away in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Then he thought of the disembodied voice he had heard twice and remembered Ron had said: "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world" He thought, too, about what everyone was saying about him, and his growing dread that he was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin....
"No," said Harry, "There isn't anything, Professor...."

Oh, Harry, just say it all. Dumbledore wants to help, he wants to listen.

Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through...."
Percy was deeply disproving of this behavior.
"It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly.
"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred "Harry's in a hurry."
"Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant," said George, chortling.
Ginny didn't find it amusing either.
"Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Harry loudly who he planning to attack next, or when George pretended to ward Harry off with a large clove of garlic when they met.

Oh thank the world for Fred and George. They can bring a smile in the darkest times. 2 points each.
And we know why both Percy and Ginny are upset by these things. Percy is too serious and Ginny is being possessed by Mister Tom Riddle.

I wish we had a happier, lighthearted Christmas chapter in this book.

"Excuse me," said Ron, hurrying up to her. "We've forgotten the way to our common room."
"I beg your pardon?" said the girl stiffly. "Our common room? I'm in Ravenclaw."
She walked away, looking suspiciously back at them.


"What're you doing down here?" said Ron in surprise.
Percy look afronted.
"That," he said stiffly, "is none of you business. It's Crabbe, isn't it?"

Mehehehehe Percy and Penelope!

" -- last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So I bet it's a matter of time before one of them's killed this time.... I hope it's Granger," he said with relish.
Ron was clenching Crabbe's gigantic fists.


SQUEE. Ron. :D

Also, Myrtle!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Chapter 11 The Dueling Club

Harry is released from the hospital wing and he finds Ron and Hermione working on the polyjuice potion. The make a distraction in class and steal the rest of supplies needed from Snape's private stores. Lockhart hosts a dueling club. While there, Harry ends up telling a snake to leave Justin Finch-Fletchly alone. People think Harry Potter is the heir of Slytherin even more after that event. Another attack is made and the victims are Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. Harry is taken to Dumbledore's office.

"You haven't seen Ron or Hermione, have you?" said Harry.
"No, I haven't," said Percy, his smile fading. "I hope Ron's not in another girls' toilet..."

Hehehehe. I wonder what Percy thinks they're doing.


"They went for Flich first,' Neville said, his round face fearful. "And everyone knows I'm almost a Squib."

Awwh, Neville. It's okay.

"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Hermione as they edged into the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young -- maybe it'll be him."

It would've been nice to see more Flitwick instead of Lockhart. hmph

"So?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it."
"Oh, no they can't," said Ron. "It's not a very common gift. Harry this is bad."

"It matters," said Hermione, speaking at last in a hushed voice, "because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent." 

ERGH! Speaking Parseltongue doesn't make you evil. Who you are and what capabilities you have do not determine if you are a bad person. Your actions and decisions reveal that. Can't these children understand that! I want to shake their heads and with it have all the nonsense pour out. It's not because I'm right and their wrong or anything like that. It's just that they should know better. They should realize this. I suppose I should give them a break, they're only twelve.

There's too much conversation between the Hufflepuffs for me to quote it but I just have to say they make me feel ashamed to be a Hufflepuff. They should know better than to label Harry so quickly. They won't believe what Harry says. Yes, I know they're scared, especially for Justin. But you can't let fear control you and make foolish decisions. And Harry shouldn't lose his temper so easily.
GAH! I need to stop nitpicking on these characters, I feel bad. Everyone has flaws and novel characters especially do. I just can't stand it when people let their flaws hurt others. :(

"Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Harry. 

Ernie, stop. :( Your afraid and upset. That doesn't mean you should accuse someone of something so serious. Innocent until proven guilty, Ernie, not the other way around.