The Not a Book Club Club discussion

Discuss Chapter 8 - Chapter 11

NOTE: While this section is meant to focus on the specified chapters of this book, this read is meant for people who have already read the entire series.

As a result, unlike most of our group reads, full spoilers for the series will be allowed without spoiler tags in every discussion post.

If you haven't read some/all of the books (What's wrong with you?) proceed at your own peril.

Ch. 8
-The flu is going around and Percy says Ginny looks pale, making her drink some Pepperup potion. Methinks she might be pale for another reason, Percy...

-If Filch loathes the students so much and is so jealous, why does he stay on?

-Nick convinces Peeves to drop the Vanishing cabinet over Filch's office, the match to the one at Borgin & Burkes, breaking it. I don't remember when but I'm pretty sure Fred and George shove Marcus Flint into it. He hears stuff going on at Hogwarts and at B&B's. Malfoy makes the connection and fixes the broken one in HBP.

-I now picture Tom Hiddleston as Peeves. I can imagine him cackling at the students and causing mayhem.

-What's Malfoy doing up on the second floor after the feast, anyway?

Ch. 9
-Hey! Those mandrakes were important!

-Dumbledore knows that Harry is a horcrux. I'm curious if Dumbledore was wondering if Harry was unknowingly behind the attack.

-Do wizards need less sleep then us Muggles? Harry, Ron, and Hermione seem to stay up late and get up early a lot.

-Ginny is very upset about Mrs. Norris... because Ginny can't remember where she was during the attack.

-I love that they have to measure their homework.

-Rowling reveals the histoy of the Chamber of Secrets in such a funny way. Professor Binns keeps getting students names wrong and being all-around humorous.

-Hermione concocts the Polyjuice potion plan. Again, something only kids would risk.

Ch.9
-Harry has to reenact scenes with Lockhart. He's a simple Transylvanian struck with a babbling curse. Maybe it's one of Alex's former neighbors?

-Regrowing bones does sound nasty.

-Dumbledore wonders how the chamber is being opened, not who.

Ch. 11
-Awfully convenient that Malfoy is staying over Christmas. Wonder why.

-I feel like conjuring things is a bit more advanced than second year, let alone a live creature. Also I would think that conjuring a snake would be considered dark magic. But what do I know? I'm just a Muggle.

-Harry is hidden in the Invisibility section. Lol.

-Harry has some bad luck, always being around the victims.

Alex wrote: "Filch also mentions the vanishing cabinet. Doesn't this become an important point in book 6 or something?"

Malfoy uses it to go back and forth between Hogwarts and Borgin and Burkes. He bring Death Eaters in that way at the end of Half-Blood Prince.

I didn't notice that Ron lied to Hermione. Great pick up!

I'm probably looking too far into the Filch thing. He's clearly there to be foil for Harry and his friends. I do feel bad for him to a point as well.

There is a large difference between being 12 and 20. You need more sleep while your young, not less.

In my early 20s I routinely slept less than 5 hours. Now I need 6-7. But when I was a teenager I needed 8+ and often slept more than 10.

I've always needed around 7 hours per night to function optimally. Still do. And some nights the have astronomy at midnight so they have class for about an hour I'd guess then class the next morning?

Yep, this is definitely the most horror oriented book of the series, I think. We have babies growing at the end of plants, Ron vomiting slugs, Harry hearing weird shit in the walls, and now this:

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

Maybe that's why I don't care for this book. Not a horror fan.

Yea, in many ways it's the most horrific of the HP books. You have a monster stalking the halls, victims falling left right and center, tension taking a toll on school. Then there's stuff like Ron being terrified of spiders, and their first encounter with the Acromantula.

But most of all, in the first book we get this vaguely heroic version of Harry. In this book, we get all these terrible events happening, and Harry starts to manifest traits that are considered Dark Arts. It brings to mind the entire Sorting Hat situation: what if Harry Potter being in Gryffindor is a mistake?

I stopped watching the Walking Dead a few episodes after the episode where at the end, the Governor is sitting in a room and a wall is basically a ton of glass cases holding body parts.

I agree, I'm really enjoying picking apart the nitty gritty of this series. It's making me love them all over again in all new ways.

Can we not talk about spoilers for a show I haven't watched yet. >.<