{"id":246,"date":"2011-03-10T08:00:12","date_gmt":"2011-03-10T16:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=246"},"modified":"2011-03-09T21:39:04","modified_gmt":"2011-03-10T05:39:04","slug":"mark-re-reads-harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone-chapter-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2011\/03\/mark-re-reads-harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone-chapter-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Re-Reads &#8216;Harry Potter and the Sorcerer&#8217;s Stone&#8217;: Chapter 7"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the seventh chapter of <em>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Stone<\/em>, Harry worries about which house he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be sorted into and OH, JK, YOU SLY DEVIL, YOU. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to re-read <em>Harry Potter<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><!--more-->I totally remembered a thought I had in my head back when I first read this chapter that I was so unsure about, I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t vocalize it. I wondered if it would prove to be damaging that all males were wizards and females were witches. By name, that is. It popped in my head when we first see McGonagall here at the opening of chapter seven because she seemed so stereotypical. Now, in hindsight, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m so glad I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t say anything at all because FOOT IN MOUTH. McGonagall isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t much of a stereotype at all and the gender disparities would be addressed in later books. I KNEW NOTHING THEN! DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T JUDGE ME!<\/p>\n<p>Man, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll say it probably a hundred times: This shit is still pretty magical. Entering Hogwarts for the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153first\u00e2\u20ac\u009d time is still overwhelming. Part of that, aside from the sheer physicality of Hogwarts, is that chapter seven is one gigantic (and largely unexplained) info dump for new readers. I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know at the time that the house separation was taken from British boarding schools, so, seriously, I swear, I thought it was just for these books. MY POOR, NA\u00c3\u008fVE BRAIN. I had no idea!<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has a noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Oh, so you mean Harry, right? JAYKAY, JAYKAY. Neville helps out in this book, too! We mustn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t forget Neville. EVER.<\/p>\n<p>But I wanted to take a chance to talk about an important theme here for the bulk of this review instead of dissecting every other sentence in chapter seven. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve already done that! And you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to read about me talking about ghosts and shit, do you? Actually, wait, I do like writing about ghosts. Maybe some other time.<\/p>\n<p>Now that I know the full story (!!!!), I wanted to point out that Rowling sows the seeds for future conflict and much angsting about one particular topic: free will. A large focus of this chapter is Harry\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worry that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll either be cast into Slytherin or not chosen for a house at all. His anxiety is, first of all, rooted in the fear of being rejected. We know his life with the Dursleys leaves him feeling constantly wanted, but without requite. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s learned, because of the way the Dursleys have treated him, that he should expect to get anything he wants. And look, we all don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need me to relate stories of my youth any more than I have, but I seriously <em>get<\/em> this. I get doubting yourself constantly, expecting the worst (or nothing at all), and feeling rather shite about everything you are or want or might be.<\/p>\n<p>The huge moment here is when Harry has the Sorting Hat placed on his head:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hmm,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said a small voice in his ear. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s talent, my goodness, yes\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s interesting\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6So where shall I put you?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, <em>Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Not Slytherin, eh?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said the small voice. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that\u00e2\u20ac\u201dno? Well, if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re sure\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbetter be GRYFFINDOR!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Of course, this theme would become much more obvious later, but at the time, this went right over my head. This is about agency, about the ability to have a choice, and Harry\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s desire to be in Gryffindor means everything here.<\/p>\n<p>When we learn more about The Prophecy in <em>Order of the Phoenix<\/em>, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important to note that Voldemort could have applied Trelawney\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s prediction to either Harry or Neville. But he <em>chose<\/em> Harry Potter, and it was his <em>choices<\/em> that lead him to become who he was by this point in the story. I think it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really significant that this entire time, Harry has a choice in these matters, despite that things may look predetermined. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not the victim of destiny. Hell, I think most of <em>Deathly Hallows<\/em> is proof that Harry\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s choice is all the difference.<\/p>\n<p>I think at the time, I was too caught up in the excitement of it all. I missed a lot of clues and hints throughout these books, but that happens. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s half the fun, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it? That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why I had such a strict spoiler policy in effect because there are few joys I appreciate more than being surprised. For example, here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something I never noticed:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well done, Ron, excellent,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Zabini, Blaise,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d was made a Slytherin.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>HOLY GOD, HE WAS IN THE FIRST BOOK. <strong>Head asplosion forever<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Welcome to a near year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I love you, Dumbledore. Forever and ever.<\/p>\n<p>I find it weird, having just finished the <em>Hunger Games<\/em> trilogy, how I look at food in books in a completely different light. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just so MUCH of it at Hogwarts. Piles and piles and mountains of it. (But not at the Dursleys, at least not for Harry.) Everyone who goes to Hogwarts doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to worry about food. Separate thought: Is Hogwarts free? I feel like this question was answered before, but I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t remember. (You can answer that! SPOILERS ARE NOT POSSIBLE WITH ME ANYMORE.)<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Rowling also starts seeding the clues towards the wildly entertaining endgame of this book right here in this chapter:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s turban straight into Harry\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eyes\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s forehead.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Oh, Harry. Er\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6I suppose I should say, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153OH, ME.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I totally bought the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Snape is evil\u00e2\u20ac\u009d line for like\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6SIX AND A HALF BOOKS. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m interested to read more about Snape in these early books, knowing that he was working for Dumbledore. I think he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the most intriguing character that Rowling created.<\/p>\n<p>Question: Have they <em>ever<\/em> sung the school song again after this chapter? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even recall anyone mentioning it in passing after this.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, if I had to choose a character that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the <em>least<\/em> intriguing to me, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d probably pick Percy. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s necessary to the story, yes, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m largely bored by him. He performs a very specific role and, until his big turn-around in <em>Deathly Hallows<\/em>, he really only fits within that role. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hate him, however! I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not saying that. But I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t find him to be a particularly interesting character beyond the last two books.<\/p>\n<p>To close this off, let me share with you a bit of Harry\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s dream that is a huge clue to the Quirrell mystery that I completely missed:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>He was wearing Professor Quirrell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s turban, <strong>which kept talking to him<\/strong>, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>IT WAS SO OBVIOUS. IT WAS RIGHT THERE AND I NEVER SAW IT.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the seventh chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Stone, Harry worries about which house he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be sorted into and OH, JK, YOU SLY DEVIL, YOU. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to re-read Harry Potter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[9,8,7],"class_list":["post-246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-harry-potter","tag-harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone","tag-jk-rowling","tag-mark-reads-harry-potter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<!-- WP Super Cache is installed but broken. 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