CHAPTER DISCUSSION Chamber of Secrets Ch. 4, At Flourish and Blotts

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 188829

CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
> Chapter 4: At Flourish and Blotts.
<snip entertaining summary>
> 
> 1.This chapter appears to be just a transition between Harry's time at the Dursleys and Hogwarts, but it is in fact a vital chapter in terms of characters, the wizarding world, and the overall plot. How many places, characters, practices, and things of interest are we introduced to in this chapter?

Carol:
I'm not looking at other people's responses, so I'll probably miss some. We already know about Flourish and Blotts, IIRC, from SS/PS, but I think this is our first time inside it. That aside, we first encounter Knockturn Alley and Borgin and Burke's, both important in relation to Voldemort's history. We meet Lucius Malfoy, whose fight with Mr. Weasley sets up the diary plot, and the DADA teacher du jour, Gilderoy Lockhart, who in this chapter serves mostly as a foil to Harry in terms of their respective attitudes toward fame. The chapter also introduces the Vanishing Cabinet and the Hand of Glory that Lucius *didn't* buy for Draco, setting up Draco's inglorious quest in HBP.
> 
> 2. Do you believe Hagrid was looking for Flesh Eating Slug Repellant in Knockturn Alley? 

Carol:
If he was, then he was looking for it in an odd place since the Knockturn Alley shops are more like to sell the slugs themselves as opposed to the repellent, which doesn't sound like a Dark item to me. (He doesn't say poison, after all.) And why would Flesh-Eating Slugs be eating the school's *cabbages*? The whole story sounds fishy to me, but maybe JKR is just demonstrating her inability to think logically again.
> 
> 3. What could have happened to Harry, if Hagrid had not happened by at that time?

Carol:
I think that's left up to each reader's imagination. Worst case scenario: eaten by a hag?
> 
> 4. Would Harry have vanished, if he had closed the door on the cabinet?

Carol:
I think he'd simply have been transported to Hogwarts since Peeves had not yet broken the matching cabinet. Alternatively, he might have been in limbo like poor Montague, but, if so, there's no point in having Peeves break the cabinet later.
> 
> 5. Why didn't the second year students have to buy more than the one spell book and the books for DADA?

Carol responds:

Some of the books are apparently used every year, at least until NEWT level. For example, Professor Binns never assigns any book other than "A History of Magic." The Transfiguration books change levels twice (he's still using the beginner's book at this point, but, IIRC, he switches to intermediate level in PoA). Snape, evidently, never uses the Potions book, "Magical Drafts and Potions," since it's never mentioned after SS/PS and he writes his potions directions on the board with his wand. Apparently, "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi" does double duty as the only Herbology text and an occasional reference book for Potions (or JKR may simply have forgotten about the other book and failed to consult SS/PS!). Some books, such as FBWFT and "Magical Theory" seem to be reference books not related to any particular class (until Hagrid uses FBWFT for COMC). Most students seem to keep all their textbooks rather than selling them back (or lending them to younger sisters and brothers).

> 6. Is Harry right that his goblin gold would not be useful in the Muggle world?

Carol:
I'm sure that he has no idea that the goblins serve as money changers and he doesn't yet know about Squibs, who would be the ideal go-betweens in the exchange.
> 
> 7.  Hagrid says at the end of the chapter that the Malfoys are rotten to the core, the whole family, "bad blood, that's what it is".  This is the first time we hear about blood in the WW.  What does Hagrid mean?  Does he think evil character can be inherited?  Is this a common opinion in the WW?  How does it fit in with other uses of blood in the series?

Carol:
Actually, it's not the first time since earlier in CoS (IIRC) we're told that the Dursleys don't have a drop of magical blood. Hagrid, it seems to me, is as obsessed by "blood" as the Slytherins and talks about its importance in OoP when he's being battered by Grawp and won't tell anybody what's wrong. I *do* think that Hagrid believes that evil character (and possibly Dark wizardry) can be inherited. He certainly seems to think that Slytherins are naturally bad. We also hear the improbable idea that at least one Slytherin has Troll blood. (Strange enough, IMO, that giants or goblins would interbreed with humans.) Violence does seem to be in the "blood" (or genes) of giants and servility in the "blood" (or genes) of house elves (with Dobby being an anomaly). We see "racial" traits in goblins, as well. So it's odd that JKR and her heroes would condemn the Slytherins for believing in Pureblood superiority when not only Hagrid and most of the WW but, apparently, JKR herself seem to hold the same view. Evidently, Muggle blood (which somehow becomes magical through a mutation?)is the exception to the rule since Muggle-borns are (in theory) as good at magic as anyone else. (We have only Hermione and Lily to go by. The Muggle0borns in DH are for the most part thoroughly pathetic.) Anyway, as I keep saying, logic is not JKR's forte, and neither is consistency.

Thanks for the fine summary and questions. That was fun.

Carol, who has been suffering HPfGu withdrawal and now remembers why the group is addictive