Chapter Discussion Chamber of Secrets Ch. 9 The Writing on the Wall

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 189008

 
> 1. This chapter is very funny. Why do you think JKR used so much comedy just as she's introducing the idea of the Chamber of Secrets?

Pippin:
We're not supposed to be sure there even *is* a Chamber at this point. She doesn't want to darken the atmosphere of the book too quickly. 

> 
> 2. What is Snape up to with his "Wrong place at the wrong time" speech?

Pippin:
Another splendid piece of misdirection to keep us from noticing a big fat clue that JKR has just dropped in front of us. Snape deduces that the culprit must be someone who wasn't at the feast. That rules out Draco -- but we're so busy wondering what Snape is up to that we never notice. I didn't, until just now.

As for Snape, I think he feels something like Harry did watching the Umbridge vs Snape smackdown in OOP. Harry knows it doesn't make sense to root for Umbridge, but he can't help thinking he'd like to see Snape on the hot seat for a change. (Harry gets his wish, I just realized, in DH, when Snape is being questioned by Voldemort.)
 
> 3. What would have happened if Harry had told Dumbledore about the voices?

Pippin:
I think he'd have been told to report to Dumbledore at once if he heard them again. But IIRC, Harry *doesn't* hear them again. Riddle must have realized that he'd had a close call, and ordered the basilisk to keep silent. IIRC, it doesn't speak again even in the Chamber. So it probably wouldn't have made much difference.

> 
> 4. Why didn't JKR introduce Squibs in SS/PS?
Pippin:
JKR is careful not to slow the story down with too much exposition, so although we get Mrs. Figg and Nevilles "all Muggle" in the first book, we don't get vocabulary that would need an explanation. 

> 
> 5. How does the explanation of Salazar's reasons for excluding Muggle-born students compare to contemporary wizards' reasons? (Malfoy, Black, etc.)

Pippin:
In the early books, contemporary wizards seem to be clinging to these old fashioned ideas out of sheer snobbery and pointless bigotry. But then we find out about the way that Snape's family was treated by his Muggle father and what happened to Dumbledore's sister, and it seems that the way Harry suffered in the Muggle world was not such an isolated case. 

There *is* snobbery involved, but it's in not wanting to admit that Muggles can actually be a danger to wizards. So the Malfoys and their ilk invent endless other reasons for not wanting to mix with Mugglekind. 

> 
> 6. Are you surprised that Harry expected students to think he was Slytherin's heir at this time?

Pippin:
Harry knows the Hat wanted to put him in Slytherin. He intuits a connection between himself and the Heir -- and he's quite right. 

> 7. Ginny is  pale, upset, worried
how did these descriptions influence your opinion of Ginny the first time you read CoS, and how do you view the descriptions now?

Pippin:
I thought she was really fond of cats at the time. Now, of course, I can see that cats aren't the problem. 

> 
> 8. Neither Ron nor Harry has heard of Polyjuice Potion---if you were their teacher what would your opinion of them be?

Pippin:
That they don't pay attention in class. But it isn't really something second years are expected to be up on, so I wouldn't be too annoyed about it. 
> 
> 9. At one time this book was going to be The Half Blood Prince. Who knows what the plot would have been, but do you see any sections in this chapter that seem to foreshadow or parallel HBP?

Pippin:
Hmm...I don't see so much in this chapter, but there is  investigating Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and Harry being warned off any detective work. 
 
> 10. What do you think of Binns' comment, "Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic doesn't mean he can't"? Is this brought up in any of the other 6 books?

Pippin:
It means there's no qualitative difference between a Dark Wizard and other wizards, despite what Harry would like to think. It's pretty clear by the end of the series that Binns is right: any wizard can use Dark Magic, whether he's known for it or not.

Pippin