Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – Chapters 12-17

So, I’m not going to continue this way… Next time, I’m just going to do a review of the book instead of chapter by chapter. Oi, this is a lot of work.

The next book on my list is The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. This is a massive tome coming in at just over 1000 pages. It’s going to take a while. Now, onto the review!

Chapter 12

So, Hagrid let slip the name Nicolas Flamel, and now our three heroes are digging around for it, and having no luck. My one question, mainly because my mother is a librarian. Why not ask the librarian? Or what about a card catalog? This is 1991 (give or take), right? How is it that the real world is so much more advanced?

We do see that Ron is a great chess player. Although, that never comes up after this book. Is he a good strategist then?

The biggest thing is the Invisibility Cloak that he gets, and what happens with it. It was his father’s, and as such, is given back to Harry. With this, Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised (because he is almost caught). Both of these items are neat. The mirror being more unique, as there are other mentions in fantasy literature about invisibility cloaks.

Chapter 13

Harry finally remembers where he saw the name of Flamel: on a chocolate frog card! They also realize that what is being hidden is the Sorcerer’s Stone! Yay! I still don’t understand why they didn’t go to a teacher. Although, they do later and are brushed off. If they had gone to Dumbledore, he might have listened.

The next Quidditch match happens, and afterwords, Harry sees Snape go into the forest, so he follows. He sees Quirrell and Snape talk, and it seems that Snape is closer to getting the stone. Darn that red herring.

Chapter 14

In which Hagrid gets a dragon.

It’s fun to see a dragon. Unfortunately, it gets them in a lot of trouble. I’m not surprised that Drako sees something, but poor Neville? He almost seems an extra in this. But as I think about it, having him in here makes sense because of what happens with Neville later. Although, I do wonder if he was in the original draft.

What I don’t like is how easy it seemed for Harry and Hermionie to get the dragon to the tower. The end of the chapter seems rushed to me. There were only a few lines about how they got up to the tower, carrying a crate with a dragon, all the way through the castle. Am I the only one that this seems a little much to? Considering how much Harry gets caught for nothing?

The other thing were the friends flying in. I thought that it was mentioned in later books that Hogwarts has protections about people coming in unwanted. I know they can’t Apparate in. Would it really be possible for 4+ people to fly in on brooms without anyone noticing? Although, looking into it, the only prevention is Apparation. Still, seems too convenient to me.

Chapter 15

After the events with the dragon, Harry looses a lot of points for his House. He goes from one of the most loved people to hated by all. This is the first, but not the last time this happens. I think this occurs in one form or another in at least half the books.

We do finally have more hints that there might be more with Quirrell than we thought. I don’t know that it’s enough, though.

The centaurs are a fun group. They seem so out of it, but what they are telling Harry is important. The war is beginning.

Chapter 16

Now we finally get down to it. Somehow Harry realizes that the dragon egg wasn’t by chance. That seems a bit of a stretch, but it does work. The best part is cowardly Neville standing up to his friends.

Now, as I read that they tricked Peeves, I had a thought. The ghosts can travel anywhere, through walls and such, correct? Wouldn’t this be an easy way to see what is going on? Who is the villain? There are a few ghosts who would be willing to help, I think. Nearly-Headless Nick being one of them.

Chapter 17

At the end of all things, or at least this book. We finally get to see who is the villain, and it is not at all who we expect. Although, reading back there are a few hints. This is my biggest peeve of this book. While there were hints, everything was hidden behind Snape and hinting at Snape at the same time. Other than Chapter 15, there is nothing to make us think there might be something up with Quirrell.

I like how the mirror worked. Still don’t understand it though.

The best part of the whole chapter was having Neville win the trophy for Gryffindor. If Harry was the last one, it wouldn’t have been the same.

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