Harry Potter: Book 2 - 4

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Harry Potter Books La Luna Vita Blog

Bonjour!

Given that I've read the first four Harry Potter books in a row, I'd thought it would be better if I wrote a collective post, rather than one per book. It's actually a bit hard to write a review because J.K. Rowling is a fantastic author. While reading, you automatically get transferred to Hogwarts and the magical world. Not to mention, you get to know the deeper layers of the characters.

If you've seen the movies (which most likely you already have) I recommend reading the books. You don't even have to read them all or start with the first one. Just jump straight to your favorite one. The books are written is such manner that you will understand them without impediment. Not to mention, the author always does a small recap at the beginning and sometimes makes references to previous events throughout the novel.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:

Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts starts to get more interesting. While still in the Dursleys house, he gets visited by Dobby, a house-elf who definitely knows more than what he lets on. His warnings are premonitory about the dark year that lays ahead. Thankfully, Harry is rescued by Ron and his twin brothers, they used Mr. Weasly's magic car. Once he returns to the Wizarding world, Harry, Ron and Hermione meet their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gildory Lockhart, who is nothing but a narcissist and has never fought against anything remotely dark.

Things start to get strange in Hogwarts when Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, appears petrified in the middle of a hallway. Naturally, Harry and company were there at the wrong time and the wrong place. Later, when the Gryffindor students participate in a duel with the Slytherins (which is supervised by Professor Snape and Lockhart), Harry faces a snake that appeared thanks to one of Draco's spells. Harry automatically speaks to the snake without noticing anything odd. The problem is that he's actually speaking parseltongue, a language only Dark Wizards can understand. Therefore, the entire school starts to think he's behind the attacks.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

The third year begins with the news of a convicted murder being out on the loose, warning both muggles and wizards. The Durselys, as usual, are inhumanly cruel to Harry. They get visited by Aunt Marge, who surprisingly enough is far worse than Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. After constantly insulting Harry, he involuntarily blows her up and runs away with this Hogwarts stuff and with Hedwig. While alone in the empty muggle streets, Harry feels as if he's being watched when suddenly the Knight Bus appears and takes him back to the wizarding world.

He later finds that the escaped prisoner is Sirius Black and learns what he has been punished for. On the train back to Hogwarts, Harry faints due to the presence of the dementors -- creatures who feed on human happiness. This year with the help of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin, Harry will learn how to face these terrible creatures without passing out. He will also meet Sirius Black, who didn't want to harm him after all.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:

Oh the terrible things that lay ahead of the fourth year. This is when the story starts to get creepy. Though not at the beginning, while still in Pivet Drive, he gets visited by the Weasleys. The Dursleys were expecting them to knock on the door. But since they're not muggles, they decided to use the Foo Powder and appear in the Dursleys fireplace --which was a hilarious scene by the way. They picked Harry up in order to attend the Quidditch World Cup. Things start to get weird when the game ends, Voldemort followers cause a riot and the Dark Mark appears. Once again, Harry and company are spotted at the wrong place and wrong time.

When the new school year begins, they learn that it will be unlike the rest given that the Triwizard Tournament will be hosted in Hogwarts. Wizards from other countries are expected to arrive, and one candidate per school can participate. To everyone's surprise, Harry's name pops out of the Goblet during the announcement of champions, making him the fourth. His friendship with Ron stumbles and the entire school is against Harry participating. He confines his troubles to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Mad Eye Moody. Only at the end will Harry comprehend that the malevolent Lord Voldemort was behind his participation and that he has returned to finish what he started.

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