Blog #1 Prompt #2

Having read the books many times, as many others in the class, it is difficult for me to remember what sort of expectations I had when reading Harry Potter for the first time. I am definitely reading more carefully now than at first, because when I was reading them for the first time, I wanted to be the first of my friends to finish (I usually was, just saying). I would fly through the books and not notice some of the details that really jump out at me now.

The specific wording that Rowling uses in the first book is very clever. Rowling makes the first time reader believe Snape is the bad guy. As I knew what the outcome of the book was, I enjoyed looking for the conversations and scenes that pointed to Quirrell as the bad guy, just as much as Snape.  A quote that demonstrates this well is on page 126, when Harry’s scar hurts for the first time, “The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell’s turban and straight into Harry’s eyes- and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry’s forehead.” It all makes so much sense! I do remember when I read Sorcerer’s Stone for the first time that I was totally sure that Snape was the culprit. I didn’t even consider any other characters could be behind it. Rowling did a good job of convincing the reader. I think that this was mostly because Harry, Ron and Hermione were so sure that Snape was trying to steal the stone. They never considered anybody else either.

When I read Chamber of Secrets for the first time, from what I can remember, I was a bit more wary of any conclusions that I wanted to make at first.  I don’t think that I was ever convinced that Malfoy was behind the attacks, but again that was quite sometime ago, so I don’t really remember.  I think that I didn’t believe that Malfoy could be the culprit because it was just too obvious. I know for sure that I had no idea who was really behind the attacks at the school.