With that in mind, here are my thoughts on Harry's misadventures in Knockturn and Diagon Alley.
Chapter 4 - At Flourish and Blotts
Life at the Burrow sounds like a lot of fun. I like the talking mirror and the general hustle and bustle of the place. As Corrie pointed out, there is no way you could be lonely in such a full house. I also like how tactful Harry is about Ginny's mishaps in his presence. Having grown up in the sort of environment that he did, it is surprising how well mannered he is.
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| "She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and put her elbow in the butter dish." (Source) |
Ron and Harry receive a letter from Hermione, who informs them that she is, of course, busy with school work. I wonder what this school work is? Neither Harry nor Ron seem to have any homework and she doesn't have hew new school books yet...perhaps she is re-reading her textbooks from the first year.
Harry and the boys (minus Percy) spend the day playing Quidditch in the garden and we get the first mention of Ordinary Wizarding Levels (OWLs), as well as a reminder of the existence of Bill and Charlie. I wish we got to spend more time with them, but we won't meet either of them until Goblet of Fire and even then it's not for very long.
The next day it's off to Diagon Alley to get all of their supplies for the new school year and we get introduced to the concept of travelling through fireplaces. I wonder where J.K. Rowling got the idea for this. The only other such uses I can think of off the top of my head would be by Santa Claus, or Mary Poppins.
Inevitably, Harry's first experience with Floo Powder doesn't quite go to plan. Also - where in Diagon Alley were they supposed to get to? I don't think this is ever specified. Is there just a grate in the middle of the street that people use to come and go? Or is it the Leaky Cauldron? If it is the Leaky Cauldron, surely that would have been less confusing to say? And honestly, Diagon Alley - even stuttered the way Harry says it - doesn't sound anything like Knockturn Alley.
Harry manages to somehow arrive in Borgin and Burke's, covered in dust and bruises. His arrival goes unnoticed by the owner of the shop and is followed closely by the appearance of Draco and Lucius Malfoy. Draco spends the majority of the time complaining about Harry and being generally annoying and spoiled, while Lucius Malfoy harshly tells him to keep quiet and not touch anything.
Lucius Malfoy was already described by the Weasley boys as being a bit of a shady character, and his behaviour in this chapter does nothing to alter our image of him. He has come to Borgin to sell some of his more 'exotic' items, expresses displeasure about his son not doing as well as 'a girl with no wizard family' and assures Borgin that wizard blood counts for a lot for the Malfoy family.
That's not the last we see of the Malfoys in this chapter, as the head of the family plays a vital role in the progression of the story. We meet the two characters again in Flourish and Blotts, where all of the children go to buy their new school books. We know by now that the students of Hogwarts have all been instructed to purchase the books by Gilderoy Lockhart and it is in this scene that we find out why - he is the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher at Hogwarts.
As the crowd cheers this news, Harry and Lockhart pose for a picture that is worthy of the front page of the Daily Prophet and a sneering Draco Malfoy taunts the Weasley children. I absolutely love this scene - we are setting up the Malfoys as the clear baddies and my respect for Arthur Weasley multiplies. Having seen what a mild-mannered man he is, so childlike with in his fascination with all things Muggle, it is gratifying to see him stand up for his name and family. Good on you Arthur!
Malfoy gives Ginny back her tattered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration and so, the seed of the plot has been planted. It's a blink and you'll miss it moment, indeed it took me many re-reads to properly notice it and still makes me wonder how Lucius was able to slip Ginny another book without anyone noticing. Sneaky snake!
Until next time,
Lucia
Lucius Malfoy was already described by the Weasley boys as being a bit of a shady character, and his behaviour in this chapter does nothing to alter our image of him. He has come to Borgin to sell some of his more 'exotic' items, expresses displeasure about his son not doing as well as 'a girl with no wizard family' and assures Borgin that wizard blood counts for a lot for the Malfoy family.
That's not the last we see of the Malfoys in this chapter, as the head of the family plays a vital role in the progression of the story. We meet the two characters again in Flourish and Blotts, where all of the children go to buy their new school books. We know by now that the students of Hogwarts have all been instructed to purchase the books by Gilderoy Lockhart and it is in this scene that we find out why - he is the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher at Hogwarts.
As the crowd cheers this news, Harry and Lockhart pose for a picture that is worthy of the front page of the Daily Prophet and a sneering Draco Malfoy taunts the Weasley children. I absolutely love this scene - we are setting up the Malfoys as the clear baddies and my respect for Arthur Weasley multiplies. Having seen what a mild-mannered man he is, so childlike with in his fascination with all things Muggle, it is gratifying to see him stand up for his name and family. Good on you Arthur!
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| "Mr Weasley had thrown himself at Mr Malfy, knocking him backwards into a bookshelf." (Source) |
Malfoy gives Ginny back her tattered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration and so, the seed of the plot has been planted. It's a blink and you'll miss it moment, indeed it took me many re-reads to properly notice it and still makes me wonder how Lucius was able to slip Ginny another book without anyone noticing. Sneaky snake!
Until next time,
Lucia
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