I finished up enough of Pottermore to get my wand AND get sorted. Both processes were a little bit...meh. Not that I know what I was expecting. I think actual magic. But ANYWAY, I am in Ravenclaw.
Before I get into the post I just want to put the spoiler reminder. Cos this is going to just full of them. Also I thought by now I'd be able to form coherent thoughts about the book overall but NOPE, we're going with random bullets again. Maybe for Chamber.
I love Dumbledore. Enough to overlook the fact that he is very lucky none of his students die on his watch cos he is CRAZY negligent. But he's so twinkly that I don't care. The scene with the Mirror of Erised. And the end after Harry has fought Quirell. THE BEST. So Twinkly.*
I'm so happy Harry and Ron and Hermione are now best friends because those were some tough chapters when they weren't. Even if Hermione was was completely insufferable, still, DID NOT LIKE. Plus they calm her down.
We finally learn about Quidditch, and I know I linked to this already, but I'm going to leave this Cracked article right here: A Harry Potter Protest (aka Quidditch is Bullshit). Cos for serious? This sport does not work. Well it works to make Harry Potter the super hero and the rest of the team pointless which is not the purpose of team sports. Sorry Rowling. Awesome job creating a magical world, not-so-awesome job creating a new sport with rules that make sense.
The Mirror of Erised chapter is so sad. Poor Harry when the only thing he wants is a family. Doesn't it make Ron's desires seem shallow. Especially the image of him sitting on the ground and just gazing into the mirror and watching his parents and distant relatives. SAD.
So most of the time magic is awesome and way better than living in the real world. But there are a few things that I can't help think that if wizards would just embrace some Muggle technology, they could save themselves a lot of trouble. You know, like when it came to looking up Nicholas Flamel. I bet Harry, Ron, and Hermione would have LOVED Wikipedia to be available.
I know this is a children's book and we NEED Harry and Ron and Hermione to be the heroes and get to the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone and save the day. But really? These great wizards and witches put together elaborate obstacles to keep the second most powerful wizard and his accomplices from the stone and 3 first year students are able to figure it out. Two of whom didn't even know wizards were a THING until like 8 months earlier. I mean, if this was an indication of the type of defenses the good side was going to put up against the evil one, we're screwed. (Yes I did put myself in their world.)
One thing I was happy to see was that Voldemort didn't start hanging out on the back of Quirells head until AFTER Harry had already met him at the pub before heading to Diagon Alley. Therefore it makes sense that Harry's scar didn't hurt then. Plot hole closed. Plot hole opened, Harry doesn't mention his scar hurting every time he's in Quirell's class. Unless the scar only hurts when Voldemort is super pissed and during class time he was sort of just hanging out back there. Probably thinking the turban was smelly cos who would want to be cooped up there all the time, evil incarnate or not. Except he didn't have a nose so he's prob fine.
AND NOW we can move onto Chamber because it has been super hard to not just pick it up and keep reading.
*I can't remember which one of you described him that way but it is the perfect description. So if it was you let me know and credit will be given.
UPDATE Jennifer over at Soy Chai Bookshelf described D-dore as Twinkly. Credit given!
Title quote from page 214
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Scholastic, 1997.
