Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Pages: 341

I know I've said this before but, I really love these books. As I am rereading them, it's almost as if everything is new to me but, at the same time, it's not really. I have found new love in characters I haven't thought about in a long time. Colin Creevey, for example. I nearly cried on page 180 when Professor McGonagall said that he had been Petrified trying to sneak up to visit Harry. I'm discovering new things with every page and I can't wait to share them with you.

As I have mentioned before Nearly Headless Nick is one of my favorite characters. The way he's always talking about getting into the Headless Hunt just makes him more real. I don't really know why. Besides him and Colin there is one more character that I adore, Dooby. Of course, I know what happens to him, but I can't help it. Even though he's fictional and not even human he still seems alive. Whatever you say about J.K. Rowling you have to give her a thumbs up for character presentation and development.

Another thing that J.K. Rowling is very good at is back stories. In this book you learn a little about Voldemort's past as well as Hagrid's. Voldemort, or Tom Riddle, is a half-blood who is descended from Salazar Slytherin.  He was highly honored at Hogwarts, for being a prefect and Head Boy as well as supposedly capturing the person behind the Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid. This is the reason that Hagrid was expelled in the first place. I love how these two stories wind together, a few more pieces of the puzzle click into place.

In this book there are many hints at things to come later in the series. For instance they use the Polyjuice Potion and, even though they don't find anything, it prepares you for what happens with Mad Eye Moody in the fourth book. The introduction to the Whomping Willow hints at what happens in the third book. You don't notice it until after you've read all of the other books, but things like this are hidden throughout all of them. I love series that have this sort of style.

Overall, this book is a great sequel to the first as well as a good lead in to the rest of the series. It explains more about the Vanishing Glass chapter in the first book and shows a small piece of what will happen in the others. It's well-written and a story that anyone can enjoy. I think I did a tad better with this review and being unbiased. Here's to hoping you think so, too.

The next book in this Wonderful Week of Harry Potter is, of course, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.