Chamber of Secrets - Chapter One
Chapter One - The Worst Birthday
This is Jo's second novel about Harry Potter. This first chapter gives a quick summary for Muggles who haven't read Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone, about what happened in the previous book. It can become a little repetitive, but it only happened in this book and the following two books. After book 4, we get right into the action!
Harry is having a miserable summer at Privet Drive, virtually ignored by Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Cousin Dudley is more scared of Harry. But now Harry has got something to keep him going, he'll be returning to Hogwarts. When Dudley demands more bacon, Harry says "he forgot the magic word" (meaning "please" of course). The simple utterance of "Magic" sends his Aunt and Uncle into a frenzy. After calming down a little, Vernon announces this could be the day when he makes the most important business deal of his life. The Dursleys are going to host a dinner party at their home, to impress some potential clients, the Masons. Vernon makes sure Petunia and Dudley are well prepared for their guests - and Harry will be confined to his bedroom, making no noise and pretending he isn't there. Or else ....
Harry goes into the garden, miserably. He hasn't had any contact at all from the wizarding world, even though one of his best mates, Ron Weasley, said that he'd invite Harry and their other friend, Hermione Granger, to stay with his family. No one seems to remember that today is Harry's twelfth birthday. He really, really misses Hogwarts and Quidditch, the wizarding sport played on broomsticks. But HAS everyone forgotten? As Harry gazes into a hedge, he sees a pair of eyes gazing at him. Then Dudley approaches Harry, and the eyes vanish. Dudley takes great delight in saying he knows it's Harry's birthday - doesn't Harry have any friends at that "freak place" he goes to? Harry retaliates in the only way he knows how, pretending to perform magic, and scaring Dudley into seven fits.
Harry is punished for his bit of fun, made to do chores until he gets bread and cheese for his main meal (while the Dursleys will feast on roast pork and a beautiful looking pudding with whipped cream and sugared violets!) before being banished to his bedroom, mere seconds before the Masons arrive. But there's someone else in Harry's room ...
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I got to say that Chamber of Secrets is always one of my least favourite of the series. I think it is because of the spiders! But I do enjoy the way Harry taunts Dudley by muttering the nonsense words "Jiggery Pokery, Hocus Pocus, Squiggly Wiggly" :-D It is never explained exactly how Dudley knows it is Harry's birthday, but the previous year Hagrid gave Dudley a curly pig's tail during the confrontation in the Hut on the Rock. Hard to forget, especially since it had to be removed!
This is Jo's second novel about Harry Potter. This first chapter gives a quick summary for Muggles who haven't read Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone, about what happened in the previous book. It can become a little repetitive, but it only happened in this book and the following two books. After book 4, we get right into the action!
Harry is having a miserable summer at Privet Drive, virtually ignored by Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Cousin Dudley is more scared of Harry. But now Harry has got something to keep him going, he'll be returning to Hogwarts. When Dudley demands more bacon, Harry says "he forgot the magic word" (meaning "please" of course). The simple utterance of "Magic" sends his Aunt and Uncle into a frenzy. After calming down a little, Vernon announces this could be the day when he makes the most important business deal of his life. The Dursleys are going to host a dinner party at their home, to impress some potential clients, the Masons. Vernon makes sure Petunia and Dudley are well prepared for their guests - and Harry will be confined to his bedroom, making no noise and pretending he isn't there. Or else ....
Harry goes into the garden, miserably. He hasn't had any contact at all from the wizarding world, even though one of his best mates, Ron Weasley, said that he'd invite Harry and their other friend, Hermione Granger, to stay with his family. No one seems to remember that today is Harry's twelfth birthday. He really, really misses Hogwarts and Quidditch, the wizarding sport played on broomsticks. But HAS everyone forgotten? As Harry gazes into a hedge, he sees a pair of eyes gazing at him. Then Dudley approaches Harry, and the eyes vanish. Dudley takes great delight in saying he knows it's Harry's birthday - doesn't Harry have any friends at that "freak place" he goes to? Harry retaliates in the only way he knows how, pretending to perform magic, and scaring Dudley into seven fits.
Harry is punished for his bit of fun, made to do chores until he gets bread and cheese for his main meal (while the Dursleys will feast on roast pork and a beautiful looking pudding with whipped cream and sugared violets!) before being banished to his bedroom, mere seconds before the Masons arrive. But there's someone else in Harry's room ...
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I got to say that Chamber of Secrets is always one of my least favourite of the series. I think it is because of the spiders! But I do enjoy the way Harry taunts Dudley by muttering the nonsense words "Jiggery Pokery, Hocus Pocus, Squiggly Wiggly" :-D It is never explained exactly how Dudley knows it is Harry's birthday, but the previous year Hagrid gave Dudley a curly pig's tail during the confrontation in the Hut on the Rock. Hard to forget, especially since it had to be removed!