Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The second installment in the Harry Potter series continues at Hogwarts. Harry and Co. embark on solving the riddle of messages written proclaiming the opening of the chamber of secrets and (usually accompanying) petrification of fellow classmates. The book progresses well and Professor Lockhart is hilarious in his reading and acting out of his own books, which are fantastic stories of his magical conquests. I found myself comparing people I knew to Professor Lockhart, identifying with the over-inflated ego, exaggerated stories, and desperate desire to be viewed as famous or important.

I was interested to see that it seemed there was little done t address the problem of how dangerous it is to go to Hogwarts. It also seems strange that so many secret passages and chambers exist that no one thinks to look in when people start getting petrified. However, Rowling does an awesome job weaving more intrigue into the dynamic interaction between Harry and Voldemort. And who knew that a phoenix's tears could (most conveniently) cure really bad poisons. I guess it was fortuitous that Dumbledore keeps one around. Rowling also did an excellent job with the friend interactions. The funny quips, the damaged feelings, the insecurities all felt a little too familiar for that time of life.