“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
I eagerly looked forward to reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets because I had always assumed that it was my second favourite after it’s mirror book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Turns out that that’s only half right. I much prefer the film to the book which is a rare instance. The film was able to capture the book in a way the writing could not as the writing had none of the upbeat feel the Philosopher’s Stone possessed. It was rather drab, but the film was able to make the story come alive by making the mystery more exciting and added far more action, particularly the meeting between Harry and young Lord Voldemort and the basilisk.
Having said that, there were a few things that I really enjoyed about the book:
- Arthur Weasley
I always thought that Arthur Weasley was so kind-hearted and respectful towards Muggles admiring them (well, us) for their ability to invent; in that regard, we are more advanced than wizarding folk… after all, they use candles and we use electricity for much-needed light. Compare Arthur Weasley to Hagrid’s prejudice against Muggles: “It’s your bad luck that you grew up in a family o’ the biggest Muggles I ever laid my eyes on.” (Hagrid to Harry in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone). Arthur Weasley doesn’t view Muggles in this light at all, his attitude towards Muggles is much more reverent.
But what I didn’t realise is that… Arthur Weasley is incredibly intelligent! He modifies the Ford Anglia to make it fly, more spacious and creates an invisibility booster should you wish to go unsuspected by Muggles. He is an inventor! Do you see where Fred and George get it from? I, personally, believe that it is Fred and George’s inventive, creative and entrepreneurial spirit that marks them as the most talented set of students in Harry’s generation and it seems they’ve inherited their gift of invention from papa Weasley.
Arthur Weasley is under-rated! And Hagrid? Over-rated. I’m liking him less and less in this reread. Harry and Ron would have been dead meat if it weren’t for the Ford Anglia and, therefore, Arthur Weasley. In a world of Hagrid’s, be an Arthur Weasley.
Arthur Weasley… you are a spice.
- Dobby
Poor Dobby. The treatment he received at the hands of the Malfoy’s is enough for me to believe that S.P.E.W was heavily needed, maybe not for the healthy, happy and well-treated house elves working at Hogwarts, but for house elves, like Dobby, who are at the receiving end of abuse. “Dobby was so shocked when he heard Harry Potter was back at Hogwarts, he let his master’s dinner burn! Such a flogging Dobby never had, sir…” Oh, don’t worry, I won’t show you any images of flogging, but I’m sure you know the pain Dobby would have experienced from such a violent action. It was interesting to note as well that house elves suffered more during Voldemort’s more successful years which is why Harry meant so much to Dobby.
Something that didn’t quite make sense was why Dobby didn’t go to Albus Dumbledore if he suspected a plot would take place in Hogwarts? That would have helped to ensure that other students wouldn’t come to harm, and notifying only Harry would have only ensured Harry’s safety. House elves are selectively loyal then which I found interesting, but we already know that from Kreacher, so I’m surprised by my own surprise.
- Gilderoy Lockhart
Say what you will about Gilderoy Lockhart, but he certainly brought the entertainment in this book. I kept waiting for his parts! He is a deluded, self-obsessed mess, but one heck of an entertaining, deluded, self-obsessed mess. He is great fun to watch from afar, not so much the kind of person you’d want around you.
Gilderoy Lockhart got right down to the nitty-gritty of the Dark Arts. He understood that to earn an education in Defence Against the Dark Arts that one must ask crucial questions like: What is Gilderoy Lockhart’s favourite colour? What is Gilderoy Lockhart’s secret ambition? You know, the stuff that you really need to know to be able to defend yourself against the likes of Death Eaters and dementors.
- All That Mystery
Of all the books in this series, I feel this one is the closest to resembling a mystery novel. I felt as if I was right there with Ron, Harry and Hermione as we try to find out who Slytherin’s heir is, what the monster that lives in the Chamber is, and why and how students (and Mrs Norris) were petrified. I felt that this book really highlighted the trio’s skillset and abilities: Hermione figuring out what the monster is and how it’s getting around the castle, Ron braving his fear of spiders to help Hermione and the other students who were petrified, and Harry’s ability to think on his feet by stabbing the diary with the basilisk fang.
It’s also the first time we’re introduced to a Horcrux (other than Harry, of course) and the power it holds over those who come into its possession. We, also, learn more about young Voldemort as a student and of his persuasive powers. It was weird to consider that Voldemort was charming, but, of course, it explained how he was able to amass so many followers. There was so much to learn about!
- The Ocassional Funny Parts
There were a few passages that had me chuckling (and slightly confused).
“Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion!” – Gilderoy Lockhart.
Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.
I can just imagine Snape’s face… although, that may also be just Snape’s normal face, I mean, Snape really did have a resting bitch face after all.
“I’ve looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I’ll have to leave and – w-what’ll Mum and Dad say?” – Ginny Weasley.
You must be thinking: how is this funny? Well, according to HP Lexicon, Bill is ten years older than Ginny which means when Bill started Hogwarts at the age of 11, Ginny was 1. A lot of babies dream of food and anything but porridge and milk, some may even dream about walking, but Ginny Weasley? Ginny Weasley had set her sights on higher ambitions. Ginny Weasley, precocious and advanced, wanted to go to Hogwarts. Dream big, people!
SIDE NOTE: I loved fangirl Ginny, she was so adorable!
What are your thoughts on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets? Which book in the Harry Potter series do you think is the most under-rated? What do you think of Hagrid telling Ron and Harry to “follow the spiders?” Let me know in the comments!
Sophski out.
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Sofearless 
Yup, Hagrid is totallllly overrated and Arthur is my dude! It’s nice remembering all these funny moments and characters with your review. 🙂
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i totally agrr with you.
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Hagrid is so dangerous, and I’m so jealous of Molly because boy, oh, boy, Arthur Weasley is some serious hot stuff. And aw, thank you! 🙂
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I’ve always liked Arthur! Chamber of Secrets is a bit underrated. I preferred the film to the book for years and then I changed my mind. It’s got a bit of a different story to it than the other books in the series.
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Agreed! That’s really interesting that you went from preferring the film to the book; it’s definitely got a unique feel to it… it’s like a detective book but with magic! 🙂
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It’s strange because it was one of the only Potter films I liked! The spider trail was very clever.
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It was clever… not sure how I feel about Hagrid sending Harry and Ron to their deaths though. 🧐
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Aw I’ve always loved Arthur. I’m telling you, the Weasley’s are the best parents ever ❤
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They’re like the archetypal parents and it works so much. Harry is so lucky he got Ron as a friend, Ron basically gave Harry a family. 👏
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Yep! And then he married into it lol
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The wesley famliy are the best characters in the HR series.
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They are definitely some of the best characters, the series would not be what is is without them!
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dobby ❤
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He’s awesome. 💕
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lol love this! gotta love dobby 🙌🏻
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He’s amazing, I don’t think I’ll ever come across someone who doesn’t like him! 🙂
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You’re so right! Dobby and Arthur Weasely are both so pure! I recently rewatched the movies and Dobby’s death scene always hits me hard. Even though he was oppressed by the Malfoys who obviously disliked Harry, he risked being punished to help Harry. We should all try to be kind of like Dobby.
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If there’s one scene that’s guaranteed to make anyone cry, it’s definitely Dobby’s death.. and to think JKR originally intended to kill off Arthur Weasley as well! Thank God that didn’t happen. I kinda wish Dobby would have told Dumbledore, it’s a very lucky thing that the kids were only petrified and that at that point, it was still very much a children’s book, because realistically some of the kids who were petrified would have been dead. Then I would have been p’d off that Dobby didn’t go straight to Dumbledore instead.
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And I think some people are already brave and despite their fears will go and do the right thing… now we’re just waiting for the rest to catch up, and more importantly, actually be able to tell the difference between right and wrong. 😉
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Arthur is such a wonderful character. I honestly don’t think he or Molly get enough credit in the fandom for their parts in Harry’s life. They were essentially the closet thing he had to parents. Glad you liked this one too!
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Ron basically provided Harry a loving family and Arthur and Molly were substitute parents. 😪
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The bit about Snape teaching them to make Love Potions is so hilarious! I can imagine Snape’s face… like “really!?”I laughed till my tummy hurt all the 11 times I have read the series! Great post Sophia!
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Great post!!!
I love Dobby! He’s amazing and I really did feel sorry for him…
Lockheart… every time someone mentions his name I feel a small hole of hatred towards him! I don’t think I’ve ever felt so passionate about hating a character as much I have towards him! 😂 I kinda pity him for that 😂
As for Arthur I never really thought of him at way tbh! But now that you pointed it out he is pretty awesome in a way!😃 🎉 C ❤️
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Poor elf was getting flogged and I think Draco Malfoy also participated in punishing him as well when I look back to how he was.
LOOOOOOOOL! He is quite infuriating, thank God we didn’t have to be taught by him because we definitely wouldn’t find him amusing at all. Yep, kinda feel sad for his end but then again he did try to remove the memories of two kids. 😐
Arthur Weasley is literally perfection, I feel he’s one of the more universally likeable characters… I mean, who has a bad word to say about Arthur Weasley? XD
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Dobby 😭, let’s just say if Lockheart was my teacher I would never go to that class haha 😂
Overall Arthur is extremely likable because he never does any wrong!
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LOOOOL and somehow you’ll end up learning more from not going to his classes than you would if you went. 😂
He really doesn’t, you know… he’s both in his own world with his special interest and still actively engaged in matters he needs to be. He is quite lax and not so much a disciplinarian and that’s a flaw, but not a major one. Yep, wow, damn, Arthur Weasley is a real catch.
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How can anyone stand going to his lessons 😂?!
Arthur weasley is certainly one of a kind 😊
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Lovely read!
Arthur Weasley’s such a great role model for a dad! This humble, decent guy who’s struggling to support his family, still heaps love and care on his wife and seven children, and treats Harry as one of his own kids even after just meeting him. He’s so open-minded and fascinated by Muggles too & immediately leaps to their defence when Hermione’s parents are insulted. An all-round great character! 😀
I’ve given your blog an honorary mention for new readers in my latest Mystery Blogger post. There’s no obligation to participate in the personal quiz if you’d prefer not to.
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Very well said! I couldn’t have put it better. He’s a true gentleman, kind-hearted, interesting, curious and we can all kinda imagine how much fun company he would make, right?
I’ve just seen it, thank you again for nominating me! 🙂
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Good post! I personally don’t like Arthur very much – he is no doubt well-meaning and clever, and his refusal to give into typical pureblood ideals is brave and honorable.
However, he doesn’t really know that much about Muggles. He asks Harry what purpose a Muggle rubber duck serves, and he mispronounces electricity. His greatest ambition is finding out how Muggles make planes fly, yet he doesn’t think of looking it up in a Muggle textbook. All in all, he’s more interested in the Knuts(heh heh) and bolts of Muggle inventions than the purpose they serve for Muggles, which is a drawback in his job. He’s a bit incompetent in his job(head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts), and there is nothing I hate more than an incompetent person in a position of power or authority.
Arthur also seems to treat Muggles like clever monkeys – he doesn’t hate them by any means, but thinks of them in a rather condescending way. He thinks they shouldn’t be discriminated against, but still thinks wizards are better.
I’ll probably get a lot of hate for this, but I think he should have done more to advance in the Ministry. If you’re going to have SEVEN DAMN CHILDREN – and nine people to support including yourself – you should be willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that they grow up with enough money to get them normal, good-quality clothes and possessions. “Whatever it takes,” in my opinion, includes faking your beliefs to get a pay raise, and by extension, a more comfortable life for your family and children. If the Weasleys were normal middle-class citizens, it would be different, but they have to buy everything second-hand.
Anyway, that concludes my rant. I think Arthur was a good person overall, but he could have been much better.
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