Comments on: The Writing on the Wall & The Rogue Bludger

By: Sara

Sara — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:27:15 +0000

@Jeremy – I assume Snape was smiling because he thought Harry and Ron were going to be expelled. And Colin was headed up to see Harry because… well, he’s Harry freakin’ Potter.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:38:50 +0000

For Chapter 9: When Dumbledore and McGonagall are looking over Mrs. Norrism it is noted that “Snape loomed behind them half in shadow, wearing a most peculier expresion: It was as though he was trying not to smile.” Why was Snape trying not to smile.

For Chapter 10: Why was Colin going to visit Harry in the middle of the night and why did he have his camera and a bunch of grapes with him?

By: May

May — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:57:26 +0000

timbus christ, that caught my attention too! Makes us wonder who really found Colin petrified, doesn’t it? It could be a writing discrepancy, I suppose. Unless… well, if Dumbledore did say “Minerva found him on the stairs”, then it was McGonagall who did indeed find him. What McGonagall said about the things that might happen if Albus hadn’t gone down… well, she was probably anxious that the culprit might harm her too, if Dumbledore hadn’t gone down at that precise moment. Who knows, right? :)

Another minor issue I noticed was the fact that Binns was holding his notes and that Nick was yet holding a letter sent to him by Patrick Podmore in the last chapter. I thought ghosts couldn’t hold tangible objects? Or are those said objects sort of ghostly, themselves? Hope this will be cleared up. :)

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:36:48 +0000

When reading the chapter “The Rogue Bludger” in English for the first time, I noticed something I haven’t before – what does the bludger do during the time-out? It’s been busy trying to knock Harry off his broom, and it still does when the time out is over, and after the game Fred and George are described as being wrestling it into a box. But where is it during the time-out itself…? An “oops”, maybe? :)

It also always bothered me how Madam Hooch or another teacher won’t try and fix the problem, but instead just go on watching even though the bludger is obviously following only Harry. But I guess all of this could be chalked up to something necessary for the plot.

By: John Kearns

John Kearns — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 20:11:41 +0000

Amy, the time thing bothers me, too. To me the most egregious happens regarding the Pensieve – Harry and Dumbledore meet at 7pm, watch a memory that lasts fifteen minutes max, and suddenly the night has gotten away from them and it’s too late for questions. Then Harry takes Snape’s memories, which must elapse over an hour if not hours, and when he’s done only twenty minutes have passed.

Someone once described Rowling’s attitude towards numbers as impressionistic, rather than realistic. I like that description. She’s close enough that it distinctly resembles reality, in a specific artful way. But if you look closely, it’s quite obvious that it doesn’t work in real life.

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:00:14 +0000

I was going to mention the prefects and points. I’m sure Malfoy comments in OotP that he knows prefects can’t deduct points. I had always assumed that Percy was bluffing. He knew he couldn’t deduct points but wanted to seem more important so pretended to do so since Ron didn’t know any better at that point. They would never know that he didn’t really do so. However, I then read JKR’s explanation (quoted above) and got very confused as it really doesn’t make sense given what Malfoy says. I like to ignore that and go with what I originally thought; Percy is bluffing to seem more important.

Also, they must like to eat late at Hogwarts. The Halloween feast ends, they find Mrs Norris, get taken to Lockhart’s office and get questioned. That can’t take that much time, maybe an hour tops. However, after stopping for a little chat in an empty classroom, they head back to the common room when the clock strikes midnight! So the feast must have finished at 11pm or 10:30pm at the earliest. It just seems very late for students to be out when they usually aren’t allowed outside their common rooms after 9pm.

By: Lewis

Lewis — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:11:37 +0000

I wonder…..

It has been said (elsewhere) that Percy was likely to have had a time-turner in his possesion. In re-reading Chamber of Secrets, I would think that Percy would want to go back in time, to try and catch the beast and the Heir of Slytherin. It would be in his character

For example, he would know Riddle’s story from the trophy room. A Special Award for Services to the School would defintely fit in nicely with his 12 OWLS. He would love to be the one who became famous for stopping the attacks.

Then, of course, his girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, gets Petrified. He was anything of a proper boyfriend, he should be trying to avenge her attack through any means possible (I know I would).

With the time-turner, it would be no problem to go back in time and hide near the place of the attacks. Of course, he probably didn’t, because he doesn’t solve the mystery or end up being attacked himself.

I think this provides good insight into how much Percy sets store to the rules, as it overides his want for glory and vengence.

By: Casey

Casey — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:14:37 +0000

Christina, I think a possible reason for why Dobby can sometimes bring others with him and sometimes can’t has to do with the fact that he uses Elf magic. As we know, Elves use a separate kind of magic from witches and wizards. I think it’s highly plausible that Dobby can choose when he does or doesn’t want to bring others along with him when he apparates. It’s possible that Elves have a more certain control over their magic than witches and wizards have over their own. As we know from the books, their magic tends to throw out the rules that witches and wizards seem to live by when they do their magic (i.e. apparate in and out of Hogwarts and Malfoy Manor). So I think it’s possible that Dobby can simply choose who he wants to take with him, if anybody at all. Of course, this doesn’t explain why the knife in DH was able to apparate along with him, but then again maybe it only applies to other living beings and not inanimate objects? It is a good question that you’ve brought up, though. Another inconsistency that I daresay JKR would scramble to cover up again ;)

By: timbus christ

timbus christ — Mon, 23 May 2011 18:57:53 +0000

Why does Dumbledore, at the end of the chapter say “Minerva found him on the stairs.” When he’s talking about Colin Creevey. But then McGonagall says “I shudder to think…If Albus hadn’t been on his way downstairs for hot chocolate — who knows what might have —”

By: kayno

kayno — Mon, 02 May 2011 07:23:41 +0000

maybe dumbledore never asked myrtle because maybe he never came across her. myrtle like to haunt the same toilets and rarely leaves the bathroom so it is possible that maybe he never encountered her, which is hard to believe since he knows everything that goes on in the castle. it probably didn’t matter anyway once DD figured it out after riddle left hogwarts. he could see right through tom riddle when he was at achool but when he became lord volemort, DD probably realized that it was he who was the heir of slytherin and had opened the chamber. so when DD asks, not who but how, he doesn’t understand how riddle is operating this time.
speaking of the heir of slytherin, i would assume that riddle was the first to go to hogwarts in a long line. i doubt marvolo guant would have sent his children merope and morfin there. they certainly didn’t look like they had any kind of education. so it could have been generations before an heir appeared. and riddle had spent 5 years discovering his past. when those who were direct descendents probably just flaunted it. it’s amazing how dedicated riddle was to learning about his past and that he, a half blood, muggle raised orphan, could discover and open a chamber thats been sealed for 1000 years.

by the way, i love binns’ line :’just because a wizard doesn’t use Dark Magic doesn’t mean he can’t.’