2024: A week or so ago my thirteen year old daughter suggested that we reread Harry together this summer. It’s been awhile for, and it’s been four years since I immersed myself in the entire series. Even though I had my own summer reading plans, how could I resist. There is nothing quite like staying up most of the night and savoring Harry’s adventures. The first few books, I can read in a few hours, but those last four are all night reading, and the longest day of the year is fast approaching. Here it stays light until nearly ten o’clock. Needless to say, Harry and I will have more dates later in the week, and I can’t wait. Nothing says summer like reading all night and Harry’s escapades are the best. Even though I am partial to book 3, the tense mood in year 2 has me on my feet throughout. This is after reading it probably twenty times. Hence, when my daughter invited me to join her in rereading Harry this summer, how could I say no.

Reading yet again in 2023 in celebrating a quarter century that Harry has been part of our collective history. It is always a joy to read, and I am choosing to space out and savor this time around.

It is Super Bowl Sunday. After all the preparations have been made and the pregame hype dies down, there is something truly magical about the game itself. Once the day is over, there will be a seven week gap until baseball’s opening day, starting my stretch of the longest seven weeks of the year as I wait for hope to spring eternal. I find that I combat these winter blues the best by reading escapist fiction and quality stories of nonfiction. This year a group of us in the Retro Chapter Chicks group here on goodreads have taken things a step farther by rereading the Harry Potter series anew. I have read this series more times than I can count, but the winter is when I am in need of magic in my life.

Having just dispatched Lord Voldemort at the end of his first year at Hogwarts and restored the house cup to Gryffindor house, Harry Potter has returned to the house on Privet Drive where he is anything but loved and admired. The contrast between the magical and non magical world is striking: the Dursley family is giddy, contemplating a new deal at work that would change the course of their lives while Dudley has quickly established a name for himself at Smeltings School. Harry Potter does not belong in this world, as the Dursley’s make clear by forbidding to mention magic. His longing to return to Hogwarts or at least a wizarding home is all too apparent as J.K. Rowling makes this contrast starker with each passing book. Yet, bad things are about to happen. We saw that in the introductory book as the centaurs noted that signs were in the stars, and they had not been wrong before, and they give ample warnings until it may be too late to heed them. Non wizard magical creatures can see the signs before most humans, and Harry is warned to not return to school by Dobby the house elf. Dobby, a creature who will return throughout the series as one of Harry’s strongest allies, believes that Harry will be safest with muggles. Should he fall now, the good wizards would not stand a chance against the darkening storm lead by Lord Voldemort.

It is against this backdrop that Rowling introduces returns Harry to the magical world. The Weasleys rescue him from the Dursley’s and he seamlessly fits in with the family in a way that he never could with his blood family, the Dursley’s. Ginny begins to play a more prominent role as well as she shudders to a near faint each time Harry enters the room. For readers like myself who have read the series countless times, it is merely Rowling foreshadowing for what comes later. She also interjects playful dialogue between Ron and Hermoine throughout this book, including the quote by Ron, “Hermoine, when in doubt, go to the library.” This weaving together of infinite storylines and interpretations by Rowling is what establishes the Weasleys and Hogwarts as Harry’s true wizard family. All this becomes clearer over the course of this book with the contrast between the Weasleys, an old wizarding family who associate with anyone with magical abilities, and the Malfoys, a pure blood wizarding family who believe that only those pure families should continue the wizarding line. Harry made his presence felt in the first book whose side he was on, but the father and son team of Malfoys continue to pressure Harry to join them in this second installment because, like the centaurs, they know that darker times are coming, and muggle lovers like the Weasleys and muggle born like Hermoine will be the first to go. To the Malfoys’ continued disdain, Harry reiterates that he is on the ‘good side’ in the battle against Voldemort. He would never abandon his family, the Weasleys and Hermoine, in their greatest time of need.

Themes continue to grow darker. Rowling introduces dark objects like the hand of glory on Knockturn Alley and a diary that speaks for itself and falls into the wrong hands and plays a prominent role later in the series, another element of foreshadowing. Hagrid and Professor Dumbledore develop in their roles as Harry’s father figures, Hagrid with his physical presence and Dumbledore more esoterically as he gives Harry the tools to fight the evil mounting around him. Dumbledore’s role as the greatest wizard of his age is all too apparent here as he becomes Harry’s personal defense against the dark arts teacher because the actual teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, is suspect, leading Ron to believe the job is cursed. With danger mounting- the diary, the presence of the of the Malfoys, a Chamber of Secrets that has been opens and threatens the existence of Hogwarts- Dumbledore turns to Harry, a twelve year old wizard, as his greatest ally. He notes, that “help will always be available at Hogwarts for those who truly need it.” And with the Chamber of Secrets being real, not just a myth, Harry is in need of help to solve the mystery in order to maintain a foothold in the magical world, his true home.

As themes get darker, Rowling also brings her students deeper into adolescence, lightening the mood a little. Percy Weasley has a girlfriend, unleashing merciless teasing at the hands of his brothers. Harry and Ron get into countless escapades without a care for the consequences in a way that only teenagers can. This includes their adventures in a Ford Anglia car, which plays a key role throughout this book, yet also exhibits how muggles and muggle born wizards are prominent in the wizarding world going forward. Rowling will show how ordinary objects become key magical items at an increasing rate as the series progresses. Yet, none of the adolescent tales are more serious than Ron and Malfoy’s rivalry, to the point that Hermoine helps the pair develop an illegal potion as a means of getting Malfoy in trouble. Potion brewing only strengthens the trio’s bond and points to each of their developing character traits and their strengths as wizards as well. Dialogue, which played a role of page filler for me in my early readings of the series, becomes more important with each read through as Rowling leaves no stone unturned, giving readers the tools to foreshadow how the series will progress, just as Dumbledore gives similar tools to Harry. I found myself engrossed in words that I may have glossed over in previous reads, taking a mental inventory of peripheral characters and objects because I know that Rowling placed them here for a reason, as many will play a prominent role later on.

Harry prevails thanks to help from Ron, Hermoine, Hagrid, Dumbledore, and Fawkes the Phoenix. Had Harry not prevailed, there would, of course, be no further books. By vanquishing Voldemort in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry saves the day, at least for the present; however, with the presence of the Malfoys at the book’s close it is apparent that darker times are ahead, setting the stage for the next book, my favorite of the series that I am giddy to get to next month. Just as Harry will return to his muggle family, I return from my magical escape to reality, to winter and a long seven weeks until the next sports season begins. Until then, it is on to more fictional escape novels in exotic locations, and one more trip to Hogwarts castle that will be sure to add magic to an otherwise gloomy winter.

5 stars

A Comprehensive List of all the Things I Love About This Book:

*The whole flying car escape. The fact that the Weasley twins know how to actually pick locks and that they taught Ron how to do it as well.

*The Burrow and its sheer chaotic architecture and the warmth of its people. I want to live here please.

*Mr & Mrs. Weasley. Adopt me, please.

*Dobby and the whole pudding fiasco! Though Dobby really can be maddening at times, I’m quite fond of him.

*The fact that Malfoy talks about Harry to his family. That he infcat talked of little else the whole damn summer except for “wonderful Potter with his scarand his broomstick”. This is cannon. I cannot even.

*Gilderoy motherfuckjng Lockhart LOL. His autograph scenes! When he tells Harry he might be famous enough one day to keep his own stack of autographs handy, When he made Harry reenact all his äccomplishements.” When he tried to duel Snape!

I have been so far behind in my reading and reviews...dealing with...life. I spent the whole month (so far) of August trying to play catch up. And now that I have sort of done that- I left this one review till the end...because even though the last thing that my lovely Stepheny aka Ms. Thaaaaaaaaaaang would want for me is to feel pressure- I do...OH, I really do. I feel the pressure to put out the best review that I can possibly think of right now...just for her- for her favorite series. The series that got her through the hard times in her life. Books she thinks of as family.

I'm not worthy. But I am going to try...

Gryffindor

- Passionate about their beliefs, and standing up for what they believe in. First to defend their friends. They prefer to deal with a situation directly, even if it means a fight - and they want that fight to be a fair one.

Ravenclaw

- Defined by curiosity and the love of learning- first and foremost. A Ravenclaw will always seek knowledge. They want to know the why of everything. They love learning, and will want to seek as much knowledge as possible.

Hufflepuff

- Ultimately, Hufflepuffs are interested in helping both people and animals- much less confrontational or daring than the other houses. They are also the least likely to care about individual achievement or House points- more apt to to focus on their relationships to others rather than things they personally have done.

Slytherin

- Slytherins are seeking individual greatness, and the dark and mysterious appeals to them greatly, even if it seems dangerous. They’ll go for experiences that other houses are too afraid to touch.

Which house are you?

http://www.allthetests.com/quiz30/qui...



Harry has spent another horrible summer dealing with the Dursleys...but hope comes with a rescue from one of his best friends- Ron Weeeeeeeeeasley *said with a squeaky British accent*- and his father's flying car.



So in the dead of night- they arrive at Hogwarts- ready for what the year ahead awaits them...



As usual I will not give too much away...but excitement lurks behind these pages- for young and old....and I for one (somewhere in the middle)- am looking forward to what comes next.

* Even though I like for people to think I fall under the mysterious Slytherin- No matter how much I try- I am still a Hufflepuff at heart...apparently.

Continuing my reread with the illustrated editions! Gotta get through this one so that my daughter can start it next. <3

*********************

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

What can I say that hasn't been said before about this series? What words can do this book justice? I've felt at a loss on how to explain my feelings for these books as I've read them. I didn't experience them as a child and therefore my experience is clearly different than most others on here, but in some ways I think it's just as magical to read these for the first time as an adult as it was for everyone who devoured these as they were published in their childhood. I have kids, so I was constantly wondering how my 5 year old will accept these books when she's a bit older and tried to view the story through her eyes.

The holidays are always a busy, stressful time for us. All of our family is a hefty distance to travel to and, on top of that, we're moving into our new place this month. All I could think about was how desperately I wanted to escape all of my adult responsibilities for just a bit each day, and this was the perfect book to do so with. No matter your age, the magical world of Hogwarts is truly spectacular; the characters are such that they stay with you even after the final page is turned and the writing takes you back to a place you weren't sure existed for us old farts anymore. If you have been hiding under a rock for the past 20 years like I have, I highly encourage you pick these books up and get swept away like I did. Time is a precious commodity these days, and you couldn't spend it in a better way than with these precious kiddos.

Tom Elvis Jedusor... How can you take Voldy seriously when his name is Elvis? HOW!!!



Tom Elvis Jedusor... Jak můžete brát Voldíka vážně, když se jmenuje Elvis? JAK!!!!

I read this all in one 8 hour sitting... I need a life

Trans people are real and 100% valid. If you don’t own a copy of this book yet, I highly recommend buying it used so that you don’t financially support the transphobic author.

Here’s a link to donate to a non-profit organization that supports trans people: https://translifeline.org/donate/

Times read as of September 2024: 5

I think this book is the reason why I was so shocked when JKR started being transphobic. JKR likes to go off about how trans women are using the “wrong” bathroom (which they’re not) yet two boys and an adult man go into a girl’s bathroom in this book. The boys don’t even want to go into the bathroom but it’s Hermione (a character that’s supposedly based off of JKR) that convinces the boys to go into the bathroom. There’s also the huge fact that the whole plot of this book is about tolerance and acceptance (in regards to the muggleborn students).

Anyways, this book was enjoyable (obviously). I love all of the Weasley content in this book and I loved how the Hufflepuffs get more attention in this book.

One thing that I notice in my rereads is how Susan Bones wasn’t mentioned at all in this book. I don’t know if it’s a Mandela Effect or if it’s just the fact that she was in the second movie, but I swear Susan was in this book. I’ve been marking every time certain minor characters are mentioned in the books and even Lavender Brown was mentioned in this book while Susan wasn’t. It’s weird…

Problematic stuff in this book:
-The descriptions of fat people, specifically the Dursleys.
-There's a mention of Vernon making a "Japanese golfer joke." While Vernon being racist wouldn't be surprsing, any slight racism in the books is suspicious due to JKR's treatment of minority characters in her books.

My favorite quotes/moments from this book:

"He missed Hogwarts so much it was like having a constant stomachache. He missed the castle, with its secret passageways and ghosts, his classes (though perhaps not Snape, the potions master), the mail arriving by owl, eating banquets in the Great Hall, sleeping in his four-poster bed in the tower dormitory, visiting the gamekeeper, Hagrid, in his cabin next to the Forbidden Forest in the grounds, and especially, Quidditch"

"I'll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I'm not there"

"'I know what day it is,' Dudley repeated, coming right up to him.
'Well done,' said Harry. 'So you've finally learned the days of the week.'"

"Harry, trying to say 'Shh!' and look comforting at the same time, ushered Dobby back onto the bed where he sat hiccoughing, looking like a large and very ugly doll."

"'Not - not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named , sir-'
But Dobby's eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give Harry a hint. Harry, however, was completely lost.
'He hasn't got a brother, has he?'"

"You had to hand it to them, thought Harry, as George took an ordinary hairpin from his pocket and started to pick the lock.
'A lor of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick,' said Fred, 'but we feel they're skills worth learning, even if they're a bit slow.'"

"'Percy's been acting very oddly this summer,' said George, frowning. 'And he has been sending a lot of letters and spending a load of time shut up in his room... I mean, there's only so many times you can polish a prefect badge..."

"It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which, Harry reminded himself, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, THE BURROW."

"'Yeah, she'll be wanting your autograph, Harry,' Fred said with a grin"

"The air was soon thick with flying gnomes."

"The moment she saw Harry, Ginny accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter. Ginny seemed bery prone to knocking things over whenever Harry entered a room."

"'I went on the Underground-'
'Really>' said Mr. Weasley. 'Were there escapators ?"

"'But, dear, if he got lost, how would we ever explain to his aunt and uncle?'
'They wouldn't mind,' Harry reassured her."

"'...everyone thinks he's so smart , wonderful Potter with his scar and his broomstick -'
'You have told me this at least a dozen times already,' said Mr. Malfoy, with a quelling look at his son."

"Draco paused to examine a long coil of hangman's rope and to read, smirking, the card propped on a magnificent necklace of opals"

"'Where did you come out?' Ron asked.
'Knockturn Alley,' said Hagrid grimly.
' Excellent! ' said Fred and George together."

"...Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf."

"'Can you believe our luck?' said Ron miserably, bending down to pick up Scabbers. 'Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to get the one that hits back.'"

"'Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl?' Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry.
Harry gaped at her. Now she said it, that seemed the obvious thing to have done."

"...every time Ron tried to transfigure his beetle it engulfed him in thick gray smoke that smelled of rotten eggs. Unable to see what he was doing, Ron accidentally squashed his beetle with his elbow"

"' Why ,' demanded Ron, seizing her schedule, 'have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?'"

"You'd better hope Creevey doesn't meet Ginny, ir they'll be starting a Harry Potter fan club."

" 1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?
2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?
3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?
On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:
54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be? "

"...but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care products - good girl!"

"The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air. Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass. The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rhampaging rhino."

"Harry would have pointed out that trouble didn't come much worse than having slugs pouring out of your mouth, but he couldn't; Hagrid's treacle fudge had cemented his jaws together."

"'Harry,' said Hagrid abruptly as though struck by a sudden thought. 'Gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?"

"Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy. The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole head was on fire."

"'But you would think, wouldn't you,' he erupted suddenly, pulling the letter back out of his pocket, 'that getting hit forty-five times in the neck with a blunt axe would qualify you to join the Headless Hunt?"

"Wooden filing cabinets stood around the walls; from their labels, Harry could see that they contained details of every pupil Filch had ever punished. Fred and George Weasley had an entire drawer to themselves."

"My wife used too sneer at my feeble charms, but one month into your fabulous Kwikspell course and I succeeded in turning her into a yak! Thank you, Kwikspell!"

"'That vanishing cabinet was extremely valuable!' he was saying gleefully to Mrs. Norris. 'We'll have Peeves out this time"

"...or, in the case of Fred and George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster firework to a salamander. Fred had 'rescued' the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was now smouldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people."

"Professor Binns, who taught it, was their only ghost teacher, and the most exciting thing that every happened in his classes was his entering the room through the blackboard. Ancient and shriveled, many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead. He had simply got up to teach one day and left his body behind him in an armchair in front of the staff room fire; his routine had not varied in the slightest since."

"If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my - my teddy bear into a great big filthy spider because I broke his toy broomstick..."

"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?"

"He usually picked Harry to help him with these reconstructions; so far, Harry had been forced to play a simple Transylvanian villager whom Lockhart had cured of a Babbling Curse, a yeti with a head cold, and a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since Lockhart had dealt with him."

"Ginny Weasley, who sat next to Colin Creevey in Charms, was distraught, but Harry felt that Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up. They were taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues."

" Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done,
You're killing off students, you think it's good fun- "

"Harry was just thinking that all he needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while he was alone in the office with it, when the bird burst into flames."

"Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."

"Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting, 'Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through...'"

"She nibbled his ear in an affectionate sort of way, which was a far better present than the one that she had brought him, which turned out to be from the Dursleys. They had sent Harry a toothpick and a note telling him to find uot whether he'd be able to stay at Hogwarts for the summer vacation, too."

"Percy, who hadn't noticed that Fred had bewitched his prefect badge so that it now read 'Pinhead,' kept asking them all what they were sniggering at."

"The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs."

"'Could've been anything,' said Ron. 'Maybe he got thirty O.W.L.s or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle"

"Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

" His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,
His hair is as dark as a blackboard.
I wish he was mine, he's really divine,
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord. "

"Neville Longbottom had been sent letters from all the witches and wizards in his family, all giving him different advice on what to choose. Confused and worried, he sat reading the subject lists with his tongue poking out, asking people whether they thought Arithmancy sounded more difficult than the study of Ancient Runes. Dean Thomas, who, like Harry, had grown up with Muggles, ended up closing his eyes and jabbing his wand at the list, then picking the subjects it landed on. Hermione took nobody's advice but signed up for everything."

"When in doubt, go to the library."

"You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

"When Harry pushed the door open, Fang went mad with joy at the sight of them. Worried he might wake everyone at the castle with his deep, booming barks, they hastily fed him treacle fudge from a tin on the mantelpiece, which glued his teeth together."

"Then, to their right, came a sudden blaze of light, so bright in the darkness that both of them flung up their hands to shield their eyes. Fang yelped and tried to run, but got lodged in a tangle of thorns and yelped even louder.
'Harry!' Ron shouted, his voice breaking with relief. 'Harry, it's our car!'"

"Mr. Weasley's car was standing, empty, in the middle of a circle of thick trees under a roof of dense branches, its headlights ablaze. As Ron walked, open-mouthed, toward it, it moved slowly toward him, exactly like a large turquoise dog greeting its owner."

"He even found me a wife, Mosag"

"There was a loud bang behind Harry as Neville Longbottom's wand slipped, vanishing one of the legs on his desk."

"...the hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it very tightly. Something very hard and heavy thudded onto the top of Harry's head, almost knocking him out. Stars winking in front of his eyes, he grabbed the top of the hat to pull it off and felt something long and hard beneath it."

"'You're alive,' she said blankly to Harry.
'There's no need to sound so disappointed,' he said grimly,wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.
'Oh, well... I'd just been thinking... if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet,' said Myrtle, blushing silver.
'Urgh!' said Ron as they left the bathroom for the dark, deserted corridor outside. 'Harry! I think Myrtle's grown fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!'"

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

"'Oh, that,' said Ginny, giggling. 'Well - Percy's got a girlfriend .'
Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head.
' What? '
'It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater,' said Ginny. 'That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was - you know - attacked. You won't tease him, will you?' she added seriously.
'Wouldn't dream of it,' said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early."

"'Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?' said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. 'When they hear what you did this year?'
'Proud?' said Harry. 'Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious...'"

Me: life's too short to read the same books again and again.
Me to me: re-read Harry Potter.

This volume is packed with action, fantasy and creativity.

The Chamber of Secrets begins, as did the Philosopher’s Stone, with Harry once again at home with the dreadful Dursleys. The Dursleys are, to put it mildly, unpleasant and the arrival of the house-elf Dobby sets in motion a chain of events that ends with Harry. Harry Potter is about to start his second year at Hogwarts. Harry expects it to be a normal year after his experiences the term before but a secret chamber opens, muggle-born students are attacked and Harry must put his life in danger once more.

n  You might like to check out more similar books here.n

5 ☆ |

This book was so difficult to rate it, because its was a great book but at the same time it didn’t pass my expectation, of being better than the first one. It was a little bit boring, but it was still incredible. It took me to read this book more for what is expected.

What I really like about the book is the life lesson that it has. The life lesson that this book is that we shouldn't trust what everyone says, and also not everything is what we see., in the part when Voldemort (He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) revealed his real name. “Tom Marvolo Riddle” paragraph 2 page 314, “rearranged themselves: I am Lord Voldemort” paragraph 3 and 4 page 314. Also when Gilderoy Lockhart revealed that he actually didn’t did all the heroic things that were writing in his book. “all that stuff you did in your books” paragraph 7 page 297, “Books can be misleading,” said Lockhart” paragraph 8 page 297. Another event in the book that show this lesson was when Lucius Malfoy planned to give the diary Ginny Weasley, “You gave it to her” “slipped the diary” paragraph 11 page 336. But the most important event of all that show this was when Ginny trust the diary and gave all her secrets to it, “Put too much into the diary to me” paragraph 2 “From anything Ginny had told me” paragraph 1, page 313.

In this book you could also see that Harry was more mature in the way of thinking, like for example when he found out all about the chamber secrets, with a little bit of time and with no so many clues. And it really impressed me that he found it, because if I was him the school would be already closed when I just found out only one clue of the puzzle.

As well in this book they showed more about the history of the school and of some characters such as Hagrid and Dumbledore. An example would be when Harry found out, what did Hagrid did to be expelled from Hogwarts

In the end, I really like the book and how they continued where they left the last book, also I will still continue watching the series because I really like it, and is like the only book that can get me out of a reading slump.

I will rate this book a 4.5 because it was good but also it was not as good as the first one.

Update
Four years after I read it for the first time, and now I like it even more, than the first book. It just surprised me that even though I have seen the movies multiple times and have already read them, I was still surprised, when they revealed information or solved a mystery, and I can't understand why, but it did. So now I'm giving this book 5 stars and the first one 4.5 stars. It's amazing how after four years my opinion about this book changed.

5 Golden Stars Complete!
& thousands more

this one is Beyond AMAZING!
Delightful! Mysterious! & Cute!
My favourite book in the middle grade-ish side (1, 2, 3) of HP.
I enjoyed every moment of it, every time. every page has something new.
& I'm always wondering why this beautiful, cute, exciting, mysterious, full of backstories & plot-twist book is so many people's least favourite one in the series,
we have the history of Hogwarts (now, now, not "Hogwarts, a History", people)
we have some other important backstory, Voldemort & his past
we have Weasleys,
& we have Dobby!
it is the cutest & no one can tell me otherwise.

tbh all of them are magical & wonderful! my heart beats for them. <3
-
Second book, starting with a blow. Can I appreciate the beginning of the book, the first chapter, the title, how it is started, how it summarized the events of the last book & let us swim in this world once again. craving for magic. every HP book started with a Recap of the last book(s), probably the only series I saw to mentioned previous events. very unique & fun. for example:

"... Harry Potter wasn't a normal boy. As a matter of fact, he was as not normal as it is possible to be."

& how suddenly everything goes wrong!
in this book, wizarding world expanded. more into this world. how a wizard family actually live; the amazing Weasleys.
we meet new great characters we didn't know in the first book like Mr. Weasley. also more Fred & George & Mrs. Weasley....
full of intriguing Backstories, Mysteries, Histories, Riddles & plot twists!
Mystery & Horror!
many fun moments thanks to Ron. don't forget young Harry being sassy.

how could everyone (characters I mean, idk about the fans, but I know I, myself, couldn't believe that) think of Harry like that!? being the one who attacked students? just because he is a parseltongue? he's not pureblood mania, like Malfoy. Dammit! his friend is a muggleborn. he is a good guy. tho I always enjoy to see my favourite characters under pressure, gives me the excitement. guilty pleasure.
& I think I'm the only one who likes Lockhart (not much, but still), I mean he was annoying & everything a liar & actually a fraud, sure, but hilarious & stupid, he made the scenes funny because of his nonsense megalomaniac & of course Harry & Ron's expression toward him.
oh one more thing, I love Tom too! I love villains in disguise & we didn't know until the end of the book that he was fooling us all!

brave young Harry, saved the day. I'm proud of him.
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World building: ★★★★★/5
Characters: ★★★★★/5
Written style: ★★★★★/5
/ Fun: ★★★★★/5
/ Feelz: ★★★★★/5 (Harry is so brave & caring for his friends & the others... *tears of Joy & pride*)
plot: ★★★★★/5
General idea: ★★★★★/5