What's different about COS?

[erisedstraeh2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 55502

Gregory Lynn wrote:

> You know, with all this talk about how Chamber of Secrets is so 
> much foreshadowing (anyone got a link to an actual quote from 
> someone who would know that actually says so, BTW?) has anyone 
> actually taken the time to list out the things that are different 
> about COS to spawn some thinking about what might be foreshadowed?

Now me:

I have an actual quote from JKR (who I believe qualifies as someone 
who would know ;) from a November 15, 2002 BBC Newsround:

JKR: "Key things happen in book two and no one knows how important 
those things are yet." 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_2482000/2482249.stm

I firmly believe in the "Harry as Heir of Gryffindor" theory, 
and I think that there are many clues in CoS that support this theory.
It's in CoS that we first learn that Gryffindor's first name 
was "Godric", and can make the connection to the Potters living in 
Godric's Hollow. JKR said so herself in a Fall 2000 BBC Newsround:

Q: "And I'm going to ask one other question which you'll say isn't 
clever at all. The significance of the place where Harry and his 
parents lived, the first name – "

JKR: "Godric Gryffindor. Very good, you're a bit good you are, 
aren't you?" 

Q: "Thank you."

JKR: "I'm impressed. My editor didn't notice , I said to her haven't 
you noticed any connection between where Harry's parents were born, 
not born, where they lived and, one of the Hogwarts houses and she's 
sitting there going erm, I'm not being rude about Emma she's 
brilliant editor, the best I've ever. But know she didn't pick that 
up either. You're a bit good you are."

And the link: http://www.geocities.com/aberforths_goat/text.htm

In addition, if you parallel the life of St. Godric with Harry, there 
are all sorts of connections which support the Heir of Gryffindor 
theory - there are legends about St. Godric protecting a hunted stag 
which parallel the workings of the Fidelius Charm (and of course, the 
stag is both James' animagus and Harry's patronus), and St. Godric, 
like Harry, was able to know of events happening at great distances.

In CoS, Fawkes, who I also believe to have once been Gryffindor's 
phoenix, helps Harry fight the basilisk. In legend, the griffin was 
believed to be the adversary of serpents and basilisks. I believe 
this to be a parallel to Gryffindor's Fawkes and Slytherin's 
basilisk, and perhaps a clue to a possible good-against-evil fight 
between Gryffindor and Slytherin 1,000 years ago. When I brought this 
up before, Judy Shapiro added her theory that this could also be 
a foreshadowing of Harry's eventual defeat of Voldemort.

Other clues in CoS that support the "Fawkes was once Gryffindor's 
phoenix" theory are that Fawkes lives in Dumbledore's office, which 
has a griffin-shaped doorknocker, and also contains Gryffindor's 
sword and the Sorting Hat, which we learn in GoF was once 
Gryffindor's hat. In support of the "Harry as Heir of Gryffindor" 
theory, in CoS, Fawkes brings two items previously owned by 
Gryffindor to Harry's aid in the Chamber - the Sorting Hat and the 
sword.

~Phyllis