Reading Things a Second Time Round

When reading stories of fantasy, it is very easy to immerse yourself into the fictional world that has been constructed. In the Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling does an easy job of allowing her readers to lose themselves in the magical world of Hogwarts. When we allow ourselves to become so engrossed in a story, we have a more difficult time noticing the layers and literary tools the author has carefully instilled throughout the novels. For me, reading the series a second time allows me to pick up on so much more foreshadowing and themes than when I had read the books the first time. After knowing what to expect, it becomes easier to notice the subtle clues Rowling leaves for the reader to figure out what might happen next.

The first two books in the Harry Potter series have some elements that could allow them to be categorized in the Mystery genre. The Sorcerer’s Stone is a detective’s tale concerning a mysterious figure after a mystical object. Harry and the gang are responsible for stopping the figure from acquiring the object before it’s too late. The Chamber of Secrets is more along the lines of a classic Whodunit.

There are many clues in both books that hint as to what their endings could be. In The Sorcerer’s Stone, Quirrell, the unexpected villain, has a habit of being associated with the scene of the crime. The day that Gringott’s had been broken into, Quirrell was at the Leaky Cauldron. The first time Harry stumbled upon the forbidden corridor, the place that was hiding the Sorcerer’s Stone, Quirrell turns up there as well. When we know the ending of the book, it’s easy to notice signs that point to Quirrell being the culprit. In the second book, there are clues that point to both Ginny Weasley’s and the Malfoys’ involvement in the Chamber of Secrets being opened. It’s mention very nonchalantly early in the book about Ginny’s attachment to her Diary. We also see her become somewhat of an emotional wreck throughout the book and, looking back, it’s obviously because of her involvement with Tom Riddle. The Malfoys have moments of foulplay concerning Dobby and the removal of Dumbledore as headmaster and it really is no surprise to find that it was Lucious who had slipped the Diary to Ginny. After all, before he had done so in Flourish and Blott’s he was at Borgin’s and Burke’s trying to offload some of his Dark objects.

Because it is so easy to become lost in Harry Potter’s world, we are removed from our own perceptions and occupy the author’s thoughts. Hints and clues go unnoticed because experience Harry’s adventures alongside him.