13 HP Chamber of Secrets

[chantaldormand]

Ch13 The Very Secret Diary

>Foreshadowing much, Jo?

>I wonder if Lockhart made connection between permission slip and Hermione’s state.

>Go Argus, be brave! Go to Albus and quit this shitty job! Be Freeeee!!!

>So Argus’ “look out post” is very close to Myrthe’s bathroom and yet he didn’t notice trio’s shenanigans?

>For all fandom likes to poke at Ron’s lack of tact, Harry has remarkable amount foot-in-mouth moments.

>I must admit that if I wanted to destroy book , flushing it in the toilet would be my last idea +1 to Leap of Logic

>While Ron is right, the amount of anti-intellectual sentiment in this paragraph makes me nauseous.

>We know we are not reading one of those Ravenclaw!Harry or Slytherin!Harry Aus, because our protag doesn’t even try to think of any way to test safety of suspicious book.

>Obviously Harry isn’t a bookworm or he would be suspicious of Diary’s condition after it spend some time in water. Especially since it seems to be muggle made.

>”Harry peeled the wet pages apart. They were completely blank. There wasn’t the faintest trace of writing on any of them, not even ‘Auntie Mabel’s birthday’, or ‘dentist, half past three’.” Those are oddly specific examples.

>”‘Could’ve been anything,’ said Ron. ‘Maybe he got thirty O.W.Ls or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle, that would’ve done everyone a favour …’” OMG So Hermione pushes plot and Ron foreshadowes?

>While we know that Hermione is partially right and her theory is decent, it has very shaky foundations. Just because the diary is 50 years old and the owner was awarded for special services it doesn’t mean that the diary has any information on the Chamber of the Secrets. Considering chapter 17 of PS, Riddle could have gotten that award for anything; starting with playing chess and ending with giving spectacular blow job. +1 to Leap of Logic. +1 to FWBP

>So Hermione uses two methods and gives up? She doesn’t even attempt to check for any...enchantments?

>”as though Ron was a friend he’d had when he was very small and half-forgotten” That is very interesting line... which once again makes me wonder how souls work in Potterverse. Also now I want to read good ff where Harry and the Horcrux interact... Any suggestions?

>According to Jo moodiness and secretiveness are intrinsic characteristics of teenagers. Quite explains later books.

>Acne...on plants...? Can somebody kidnap Jo and force her to sit through a few courses? We could start with biology and creative writing 101...

>Too...much...filler...Somebody...call...editor...

>Valentine day event is totally in character for Lockhart. As bonus we get to see adult characters suffer thorough filler along with us...

>Hermione/Ron is very visible in this book. It’s shame that neither of characters grows out of this crush, nor do they grow up as characters.

>That poem doesn’t sound like something 11 year old girl would write for her crush. If anything, it either sounds like prank or something a boy might write.

>Little did Lucius knew how close his son was to the Dark object he planted on a school girl...

>+1 to SP for Harry. And once again in this book, it takes Draco to force Harry to do magic.

>So Harry, do you usually act so strongly when it comes to books? You don’t find it strange?

>Diary was the only thing not drenched in ink... sooo does it mean that Harry totalled his textbooks? Also why does he carry red ink in his bag?

>And thus Harry discovers first wizarding visual novel. Sure it doesn’t have much choices and only one animated CG scene, but it’s a start! +1 to FWBP

>Ugh. Tom here sounds like edgy teenager. I can believe that he wrote in a diary.

>No matter how you read Riddle’s story it makes no sense! If there were attacks on students and up to this point it was dismissed as bulling/accidents then death of a student couldn’t be covered easily., because there would be friggin panic among parents and students. And there was expulsion! That would spawn conspiracy theories like crazy! The only way to keep quiet the whole student body is to Hogwarts population to run on Fight Club rules +1 to Leap Of Logic

>”Let me show you” and then the Diary sucked in our protagonist, draining him of life energy and magic like eldritch horror. Newly revived Tom Marvolo Riddle stretched himself out, shut the drapes of Harry’s bed, grabbed the most valuable possession of his enemy and snaked out of Gryffindor tower. Harry’s body was discovered the next day when his best friend tried to wake him up. The diary was nowhere to be found. Attacks on students stopped. Student body assumed they were right about Potter. A few years later a young politician rapidly gained popularity and started to change WW. All was well. +1 to Death Count

>If Harry never have seen Dippet does it mean that he doesn’t have portrait?

>How Tom can remember situation where he is not present? +1 to Leap of Logic

>Tom must have a blast watching confused Harry.

>Bah even if Tom pointed out right person, there still should be investigation. Especially since Magical Creatures Control Dep. Would point out that acromantula cannot petrify students... This is so stupid. +1 to Leap of Logic

>”But Harry was sure it was the same sort of ‘no’ that he himself had given Dumbledore.” You mean you were going to blame Basilisc attack on Draco, Harry?

>Albus, if you are so suspicious of Tom, why you don’t escort him to his common room under excuse of keeping students safe? +1 to Leap Of Logic

>Hagrid is extra stupid, if he though that letting forbidden creature run around during presented situation….+3 to Crime Count

>Quite curious: even before Albus took over, whatever protections Hogwarts had must have been bad, because a student managed to snake in highly dangerous creature.

>Aragog “bowled” over Riddle... Just how big is this thing??

>Tom knew how to pick perfect victim. I bet that Hogwarts’ students would have no problem believing that Hagrid opened Chamber of Secrets.

Crime Count: 3 

Death Count: 1

Freud Would Be Proud: 2

Leap of Logic: 5

Uncovered: 0

Spell Count: Harry: 1

Comments

[oryx_leucoryx]

Re: Acne on mandrakes: The reason mandrakes were considered magical (in our world) in the first place is that their roots are sort of anthropomorphic. They were used in fertility potions. So Rowling took this idea further and made her world's mandrakes a lot more human-like, including having the property of going through puberty.

[chantaldormand]

Yeah, I know why people attributed mandrakes with magical properties and I suppose that JKR's idea could be considered kinda cool/interesting, but just like with her other ideas this one implies a lot of things she doesn't consider.

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

Making them so human-like makes the chopping of the up seem very cruel.

[smirkingcat.livejournal.com]

Would point out that acromantula cannot petrify students... This is so stupid.
my thoughts exactly
the same with sirius just being shipped of to azkaban- if you have a law system why not use it? otherwise just dont make that system - makes no sense what so ever!

[chantaldormand]

Knowing myself, Sirius Situation will get a lot of raging and ranting. That and speculations on how exactly MoM works.
But that has to wait until I'm done dismantling this mess of book.

[smirkingcat.livejournal.com]

i shall rant with you!
but i think i will have more fun with it because i will feel understood FINALLY!
<3

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

>I must admit that if I wanted to destroy book , flushing it in the toilet would be my last idea

Especially in a castle full of fireplaces.

[oryx_leucoryx]

I don't think she was in her common room or dorm and just decided to go and flush the book down that particular toilet. Tom was commanding her to open the Chamber and summon the basilisk and she was fighting him. She was already in the bathroom when she managed that much of break-away. In the end, doesn't Tom say that Ginny got more 'interesting' to him when she realized what he was making her do?

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

/For all fandom likes to poke at Ron’s lack of tact, Harry has remarkable amount foot-in-mouth moments/

As does Hermione, especially in PoA.

/Maybe he murdered Myrtle, that would’ve done everyone a favour/

But Draco is evil for wishing that Slytherin's monster would attack Hermione.

/Also now I want to read good ff where Harry and the Horcrux interact/

There was a Tom x Harry fanfic that I read (it hasn't been completed yet) where Lucius gave the diary to Harry and Harry subsequently befriended Tom. Of course, the Harry in that fanfic was completely different from his canon self because Hagrid had accidentally dropped him in the forest while flying over from the Potters' house and Harry had wound up being raised by fairies instead. And by fairies, I mean Victorian-style good fairies. It was a very fluffy fanfic.

/bonus we get to see adult characters suffer thorough filler along with us/

I have to say, if that scene had made it into the film version, it would've been hilarious watching Kenneth Branagh prance around with Valentines and Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith sitting there stone-faced.

/If anything, it either sounds like prank or something a boy might write/

That's why earlier sporkings of CoS on this comm speculated that it was actually Draco who'd come up with it.

/If there were attacks on students and up to this point it was dismissed as bulling/accidents then death of a student couldn’t be covered easily., because there would be friggin panic among parents and students/

And the school would be closed, forcing Tom to return to the orphanage that he hated.

/Attacks on students stopped/

But what of Ginny? I presume that since Tom now has a body in this version, he doesn't need her anymore and freed her of his possession?

/How Tom can remember situation where he is not present?/

How can Snape know what the Marauders were talking about in class if he wasn't there with them? The Pensieve acts more like a time machine/time portal than a memory.

/Especially since Magical Creatures Control Dep. Would point out that acromantula cannot petrify students/

And how long did it take for Myrtle to materialize as a ghost? Again, if anybody asked her, they would've known that her description of the monster having "big yellow eyes" would exonerate Aragog.

/Albus, if you are so suspicious of Tom, why you don’t escort him to his common room under excuse of keeping students safe?/

Why didn't he escort him to Diagon Alley to get his school supplies, after hearing what a disturbed boy Tom was and talking with him in person? Albus's definition of 'keeping an eye on him' involves making a token gesture and then leaving him alone.

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

The Pensieve acts more like a time machine/time portal than a memory.

It is really annoying with the Pensieve scenes. Memories don't work like that!

[chantaldormand]

/As does Hermione, especially in PoA./

Heh, unlike Harry she has excuse of being overworked because of working on tight schedule and trying to keep the time travel McGuffin a secret.

/I have to say, if that scene had made it into the film version, it would've been hilarious watching Kenneth Branagh prance around with Valentines and Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith sitting there stone-faced./

It would be awesome :D

/That's why earlier sporkings of CoS on this comm speculated that it was actually Draco who'd come up with it. /

Honestly, I suspect that twins wrote this one. It reminds me of their writing/speaking style. They probably did this to either to "cheer up Ginny" or embarrass both Harry and Ginny.

/But what of Ginny? I presume that since Tom now has a body in this version, he doesn't need her anymore and freed her of his possession?/

He probably would Oblivate her. Killing her would be impractical because it would rise questions about Harry's death and letting her remember would be too risky. And after this school year her brain will be one big Swiss Cheese so what is one more modification of memory?

[sunnyskywalker]

I think that the investigation must have concluded that Aragog wasn't the killer, actually. Otherwise, I doubt they'd have just expelled Hagrid and put him on permanent parole under Dumbledore's protection, underage or not. The punishment would have been harsher. (This is the era when they were still whipping chained-up students routinely. Why would they balk at sending one to Azkaban?) And it would have been publicized that they'd caught the student who loosed the killer Acromantula, so everyone can rest easy now, instead of a mysterious cover-up that would leave everyone wondering whether they were really safe.

My guess is that Hagrid was expelled for bringing a Class XXXXX dangerous creature into the castle--which he is guilty of--and nothing else. Tom got the award for turning in someone who brought a dangerous creature into the castle, but not for catching the monster that killed a student. Now, everyone might have been vague enough to imply that they thought Hagrid's monster was the monster and that Tom stopped the attacks, but they'd claim they never technically said that and it's not their fault if anyone misunderstood. The Ministry and Hogwarts staff knew that the real culprit just used the opportunity to disappear under the radar. Officially, the case was never solved.

Oh, now, be fair about the Valentine's scenes! It's another one of the early introductions to the idea of love potions. We see them here as a joke and in GoF with Molly and the girls giggling about them so that when in HBP Slughorn tells us they're dangerous and we find out how Merope used one, it will be a nasty shock (well, to anyone who didn't think about the implications of love potions, that is), but one that has been set up and doesn't need explanation. Makes Fred and George's love potion sales look awfully scary, of course... I'd bet on Snape and McGonagall looking so disgusted because they've taught long enough to know exactly what kinds of horrors love potions are used for, and also that given how they're basically not able to punish anyone caught in the act, none of the love potion victims ever get justice. (And maybe the DEs also used them to terrible effect. Maybe Snape had to brew them, and Lockhart is bringing back some very unpleasant memories by suggesting students ask him for help now. Who knows?)

[chantaldormand]

Well, Aragog run off to Forest and Dumbledore didn't reveal his suspicions about Tom so any potential investigator might decide that the evidence was inconclusive. An Acromantula in the safest place in the UK? Dear god, stop pulling our legs Mr. Riddle. That is if there was any investigation.
Being kicked out of school in WW is much bigger deal than in real world. It means breaking the person's wand thus reducing them to level of Squib or Muggle. You don't belong in WW any more. It's bit like Jehova's Witnesses shunning, only the priest broke your dominant arm and stops you from getting medical help. Sure, it's not as bad as being stuck in magical Guantanamo, but shunning can have much worse effects on person than being stuck in prison. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if shunning was the reason why Hagrid is so aggressive towards muggles.

Ah, yes love potions... There is a lot that I want say about love potions and love/lust itself in these books, but I think that is a rant I should left for a better occasion ;)

[sunnyskywalker]

Oh, yes, expulsion is a huge deal in the WW. But we know they can do so much worse. I think being convicted of murder would have to get you more than expulsion. (Well, maybe not if you're Harry, but Hagrid had no such plot immunity.) I know wizards are illogical, but even they wouldn't normally let murderers run free on school grounds with lots of opportunities to repeat their crimes forever, would they?

[mmmarcusz.livejournal.com]

/If anything, it either sounds like prank or something a boy might write/

Maybe Ginny just commissioned the poem, not knowing how embarrassing it would be