I am continuing to read through the Harry Potter books and it’s really fascinating. I mean I knew they were good but they are even better than I remember. And there is so much that is catching me by surprise.
Warning possible heavy spoilers ahead
So, here are some things I don’t remember from Chamber of Secrets after only watching the movies for the last 20 years:
- Fred picks the lock on Harry’s bedroom with an ordinary hairpin.
- Harry & the Weasley boys de-gnome-ing the Weasley’s garden.
- Harry has to hide from Draco & his father in the shop in Knockturn Alley. The hiding is in the movie, I think, but reading it made me think of a couple of things.
- This scene made me realize just how much Rowling uses Harry spying on people to sneak in other POVs.
- Draco looks at a cursed necklace – is that the necklace from Half Blood Prince?
- Mr. Weasley practically adopts Hermione’s parents on the spot when meeting them at Gringotts Bank.
- Lucius Malfoy & Mr. Weasley actually come to blows in the book shop.
- Gilderoy Lockhart is much much more annoying in the books. How is that even possible? It’s because he’s popping up every few hours to “chat” with Harry, that’s how.
- The Deathday Party, where Mouning Mirtle is mentioned for the first time – I have absolutely no memory of this.
- The ghost teacher Professor Bins, History of Magic, is who Hermione asks about the Chamber of Secrets. He was completely left out of the movies and I totally forgot him.
- Hermione gets gullible Lockhart to sign a note giving her permission to get a book out of the Restricted Section to get the Polyjuice potion recipe.
- Ron & Harry cause total mayhem in Snape’s class so Hermione can slip out to get the final ingredients for the potion.
- Lockhart’s Valentines Day surprise.
- Harry & Ron meet the enchanted car in the forest first then are captured by Aragon’s children & taken to the old spider.
- I never noticed before how Tom Riddle’s description of Ginny writing to him in the diary sounds like online communication through social media.
- And, in the same vein, the wise words of advice from Mr. Weasley after Harry rescues Ginny – “Ginny!” said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. “Haven’t I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.” – also very much echo a warning about social media. Kind of. Well it struck me that way when I read it again.