Chamber of Secrets Chapter 10

Pre-pubescent little puke

In this chapter, Harry finds himself in a mess after being smashed in the arm by a rogue bludger. One thing about Harry that is impressive is how he handles pain. Despite having his arm broken, he still manages to capture the snitch. As a 12-year-old, I would have been in the fetal position on the ground in tears. I think this resilience to physical pain was brought on by the years of physical neglect he endured from the Dursleys.


Someone needs to learn their anatomy

While Harry is in the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey tells Harry she has 33 bones to regrow in his arm. News flash, Poppy. There are only 30 bones in the human arm: humerus, radius, ulna, 8 carpal (wrist) bones, 5 metacarpal (hand) bones, and 14 phalanges (finger bones). By my count, that's 30. Even if you include the scapula and clavical as arm bones, that's only 32. Therefore, I can draw a few conclusions. Either Madam Pomfrey doesn't know her anatomy, J.K. Rowling doesn't know her anatomy, or Harry ended up with a few extra bones in his new arm.

Class system

So Dobby pays Harry a visit in the hospital wing. In their discussion, Dobby recounts his experience under Voldemort's rule when Voldemort was in power. This is the first time we see a definite class system in the wizard world. By Voldemort, at least, creatures with human or near-human intellegence were looked upon as inferior beings. I'm not sure if Rowling was drawing from stories of Nazi Germany, but it sounds pretty similar to Hitler and his Nazi regime.


Dobby also mentions to Harry that at home, he is treated like vermin. This is a good clue as to the family Dobby serves. This wouldn't be just any wizarding family. The fact that Dobby is treated so poorly is a good hint that his owner is a Voldemort supporter since under Voldemort's regime, house elves were treated the worst.

Powerful Magic of their own

I've already mentioned that house elves have powerful magic of their own. In this chapter, we get a few good examples of just how powerful that magic is. Normal wizards cannot apparate or disapparate within the walls of Hogwarts, but Dobby is able to do so. Dobby was also able to seal the barrier to platform 9 3/4 and bewitch a bludger to chase only Harry. I think the wizarding world underestimates the ability of house elves. Dobby's family certainly does. Otherwise, they'd keep closer tabs on him, preventing him from visiting Harry.

He knows. He always knows.

At the end of this chapter, Dumbledore states that the question surrounding the Chamber of Secrets is not who opened it, but how. This means Dumbledore knows who opened it last time, but is puzzled by how that same person could open it nearly 50 years later; and this, I think, scares Dumbledore more than he lets on.



Answers to the last quiz

1.) What is the incantation that goes with the movements "Swish and Flick?"

A.) Petrificus Totalis

B.) Aquamenti

C.) Wingardium Leviosa

D.) Expelliarmus

E.) Avada Kedavra

The movements for this spell are mentioned in Sorcerer's Stone.

2.) What is the spell Ron uses on Scabbers in Sorcerer's Stone?

A.) Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!

B.) Rainbow, daisies, sunshine mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!

C.) Sunflower, daisies, butter yellow, turn this stupid fat thing yellow!

D.) Sunbeams, daisies, butter yellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!

E.) Avada Kedavra

Ron tries this spell out on his journey to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express.

3.) Which of these spells is used in the Harry Potter movies, but not in the books?

A.) Aquamenti

B.) Bombarda

C.) Point me

D.) Riddikulus

E.) Avada Kedavra

This spell was never used in the books, but was used by Hermione in the Prisoner of Azkaban movie to break down the Astronomy tower door. A variation of this spell, Bombarda Maxima, was used by Professor Umbridge to break into the Room of Requirement in the Order of the Phoenix movie.

4.) What is the incantation Gilderoy Lockhart uses against the Cornish Pixies?

A.) Peksipiksi Pesternomi

B.) Peskipiksi Pesternomi

C.) Peskipiksi Pesternami

D.) Peksipiksi Pesternami

E.) Avada Kedavra

Pesky + Pixie + Pester + No + Me