I've always rated Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as one of my least favourite books in the series. But, re-reading it recently has made me realise that I've been totally wrong all this time. HOW CAN I NOT LOVE THIS?! This summer (well Autumn now, let's face it), I decided to reread the whole HP series - you can see my comments on The Philosopher's Stone here. So, in this second installment, let's talk about how/why I'm convinced I totally underrated this.
Dobby. This is the first book in which you get to meet Dobby. AND he gets freed at the end. It's the beginning of a great love affair between you and Dobby. He adds a lot of humour to the book, and genuinely made me laugh out loud at one point. Plus, his presence proves even more than normal how shitty the Malfoys are.
Tom Marvolo Riddle. This totally blows your mind the first time you read it. I love that we get to see the human side of Voldemort (soz but if you haven't read the series, then there's going to be tonnes of spoilers. Also, if you haven't read it, you need to sort that out). It all ties in with the last book and it's making me so happy to see how Rowling was creating little strands of the horcrux plot early on in the series.
Harry's 'dark' side. You get to see that Harry isn't a perfect Gryffindor. He can speak parseltongue. But, he uses it for good, showing that not all Slytherins, or descendants of that house founder, are rotten to the core. It puts him on an even keel with Voldemort in terms of skill too. For the first time, we see that Harry Potter is special for reasons other than his famous past.
Hagrid's back story. This totally makes my heart bleed. Loveable, clumsy Hagrid being blamed for something that he'd never do. They totally should have let him back as a mature student and reinstated his wand after this. My bby.
Mr Weasley. I love this man. He's so pure and his interest in Muggles is so endearing. I'm not prepared for the darkness that comes into his life in the next few books. His character also gives me a reason to hate the Malfoy's even more.
There were so many perfect little stories in The Chamber of Secrets, and I can't believe I used to rate it as one of my least favourites. From Aragog to the puzzles surrounding the injured students, to the Whomping Willow and more, this book is a work of art.
