Scarpnotes for
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Chapter Summary and Analysis - Part Three



Select book section:
Contents | Back | beginning | middle | end
Backup one page | Scarpin Main Menu

This, actually, is the book which prompted my interest in the Harry Potter series. Unfortunately, the US market didn't "catch on" to the J K Rowling books until they had already been a success in Brittan. Because of the (sometimes even angry) detractors claiming they should not be read by children; the parents of my patients began asking for my advice. After all, how do you keep your child from even wanting to read the book when nearly his whole school class is talking excitedly about it? And, after all, having your son or daughter sit down and actually read 341 pages - and do it willingly - can't be all bad… can it?

I've recommended to several parents that they begin a nighttime reading ritual with their child, to good effect. And I've even had the chance to read a chapter or two to some patients I was working with on their learning disabilities. I had a copy in my office and when I needed to evaluate an older child's reading ability I let them read a paragraph from the latest book. Many times they didn't want to quit! If a parent is concerned about what their child is "learning" from the books, reading it with them (or at least discussing it with them afterward) is ideal. Especially what Dumbledore has to say!


Literary annotations:
In this category are special annotations about literary aspects of the chapter. Author's intent, style, and explanations of word meanings are some of the types of entries
Parent's Guide annotations:
In this category are annotations for parents and other care givers of children. Ideas for discussions which will not only make the story more interesting but enable children to understand how it can apply their own lives.
Hero's Journey annotations:
In this category are special annotations about how the book is following Joseph Campbell's outline for the "master mythological styling."
0
2 - Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets
Pages: 341


13
The Very Secret Diary
It took weeks for Hermione to be released from the hospital and Harry needed to bring her the homework she was missing every day. One day he spotted a get well card from Lockhart that she was sleeping with under her pillow. Fortunately, for Hermione, Madame Pomfrey spared her much teasing by shooing the boys out. Rounding a corridor, they heard Filch's voice ranting about something as he walked away; then, spotted the reason why. The floor was filled with water again from Myrtle's bathroom and the ghost was wailing within. Carefully, they entered to find that Myrtle was upset because someone had flushed a small blank diary through her head in the "U-bend". The label said it was 50 years old and belonged to Tom Riddle, who Ron remembered had won the award for services to the school that he had polished many times. Over Ron's dire warnings that it might be dark and dangerous, Harry put the book in his backpack. When Hermione got out of the hospital, she tested the book but couldn't reveal any magic charms. They both, however, felt that, because it was Riddle's, and the close timing, meant that it was connected in some way to the first opening of the Chamber of Secrets. They also discovered that Riddle had won an additional "Magical Merit" medal, and was a both a prefect and the Head Boy.

By February 14th, Valentines Day, there had been no more attacks; and the Mandrakes were becoming secretive and moody which meant they were becoming adolescents. Ernie was still spreading rumors, however, and Peeves had now added dance choreography to his song. To other professors consternation, Lockhart was now taking credit for scaring the monster away. "For moral," Lockhart, on his own, decorated the school in pink and brought in dwarves, dressed in wings, as "cupids" to carry Valentines into classes all day. One cornered Harry in the hall and tore open his backpack trying to deliver a singing Valentine. Before Harry could retrieve all his things from the floor, now covered in spilled ink, the Dwarf had sung an insipid song that caused Harry to be ridiculed, especially by Malfoy. Draco picked up Riddles diary and Harry had to use "Expelliarmus" to retrieve it. Ginny saw the whole thing and ran away hiding her face. Back in class, Harry saw that the diary was the only book which wasn't covered in spilled ink; but, Ron couldn't notice because his wand was now blowing purple bubbles. Harry went up to bed early that night in order to explore the diary more completely. With his quill and more ink, he wrote "My name is Harry Potter" on a page of the diary. After a moment, Harry's words disappeared and "My name is Tom Riddle" appeared in its place. By "text messaging" the two communicated about how the book had been flushed, and the terrible things which had happened at Hogwarts 50 years ago; but, which were hushed up by the Headmaster. The Chamber had been opened, the monster attacked several students - killing one, Riddle had caught the person who had opened it, Dippet swore him to secrecy but only expelled and didn't imprison the guilty person. Riddle offered to "show" Harry the incident and Harry agreed.

When Harry put his eye up to a miniscule television screen which had appeared on the page, he "fell" headfirst into the page and landed on the floor of the Headmaster's office. Professor Dippet was calling to someone to "enter," and tall, black-haired Tom Riddle, about 16, came in. He was requesting to remain at the school during the summer, but Dippet said that he could not, due to the Chamber having been opened and a student killed. Upset, Riddle conjectured he might remain if the perpetrator was caught; but then denied Dippet's anxious question that he might know something more about the incident. Leaving the office, Riddle ran into a younger Dumbledore, but didn't return to his bed, like the professor had instructed. Instead, he hurried through the corridors to the dungeons and hid in the empty potions classroom. Shortly, Riddle jumped out and confronted the student Hagrid who had come to a small closet in order to remove a pet out of the castle. Riddle told Hagrid that he was going to "turn him in," because monsters don't make good pets. Hagrid argued that "it never killed no one," then deflected Riddles wand, allowing a giant, hairy spider to escape down the hall. Harry screamed, then landed back on his bed with the diary on his chest. Ron was coming into their bedroom and Harry gasped that it had been Hagrid who had opened the Chamber 50 years ago.
227

14
Cornelius Fudge
Hagrid's completely unrealistic fondness for monstrous creatures, unfortunately made the story about him quite plausible in their minds: "Fluffy," Fang and "Norbert" were just the ones they knew about. They wish they hadn't found out about Hagrid's past; but, as no further incidents occurred, there was nothing to be done about it. They were waiting for the Mandrakes to start trying to get into each others pots, for that would mean they were old enough to use for potions. Second years were given the chance to select the elective courses they wanted to add in their third year. Hermione couldn't decide so she just chose all of them. Ron and Harry chose the same so they could be together. The Friday evening before their next Quidditch match with Hufflepuff, Neville called Harry to their bedroom to see the shambles someone had made of Harry's things looking for something. Eventually, Harry discovered that Riddle's diary was what had been taken; and it must have been a Gryffindor who did it because they were the only ones who knew the password. Hermione urged Harry to report the diary but he wouldn't; because, somehow his mind he claimed that if he did he would have to tell about what he'd seen happen to Hagrid. On the way to the Quidditch pitch, however, Harry stopped short, because he heard, once again, the voice: "Kill this time… let me rip… ." Harry jumped, and Hermione clapped her forehead saying, "… I understand… I'm going to the library!" They had just gotten to the pitch and were mounting their brooms when McGonagall appeared and announced that the match had been cancelled and they were all to return to their common rooms for instructions. She took Harry and Ron with her to the hospital wing where there were two new petrified forms on beds — Penelope Clearwater from Hufflepuff and … Hermione, who was curiously holding up a small circular mirror!"

New restrictions were imposed. No one was to leave their common room after six o'clock every evening, all evening activities (including Quidditch) were cancelled, they had to be escorted around the school by teachers — including to the bathroom and faculty and prefects would patrol the halls all night. The school would be closed, McGonagall told them, unless the culprit was caught. Harry then felt he knew how Riddle must have felt with the thought of having to go back to the Dursley's. It was obvious to all the Gryffindors that a person from every house except Slytherin had been attacked; and even Percy was in shock. Harry decided that it was time to use his Invisibility Cloak again, in order to visit Hagrid and see if he really knew how to open the chamber. After everyone was asleep, they dodged the guards in the hall and were greeted at Hagrid's cabin by a crossbow and a snarling Fang. Once identified, they were ushered quickly inside and offered some tea, by a very distracted Hagrid. They quickly understood why, because a knock came at the door and they barely had time to hide under the cloak before Dumbledore entered, accompanied by Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. Seeming like a bumbling fool, Fudge stammered and blustered about arresting Hagrid even over objections from Dumbledore. "I'm under pressure," he fidgeted, "I've got to be seen doing something… we'll apologize if it turns out it isn't true." Then Lucius Malfoy appeared on the scene with an order for Dumbledore's dismissal as Headmaster. Even Fudge took issue with that, but Malfoy said all twelve governors had voted to remove him. "How many did you have to threaten?" Hagrid asked, but only received condescending insults for a reply. Dumbledore calmly acquiesced but clearly said, in Harry's direction, "I will only truly have left the school when none here are loyal to me…" and "help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." After Dumbledore had exited the door, Hagrid followed suit and said, generally to the room, "If anyone wanted to find out some stuff, all they'd have ter do would be ter follow the spiders… ."
249

15
Aragog
Early signs of spring were everywhere, but were barely noticed and seemed out of place without Hagrid and Hermione. The hospital wing was off limits to everyone, including Ron and Harry, so they couldn't even visit Hermione. Fear permeated everyone and everything, now that Dumbledore was gone, and was so palpable that it even seemed to dampen sound within the castle. To Harry, Hagrid's words about "following the spiders" were much more clear — if they could even find any, than Dumbledore's about "loyalty" and "asking for help." Malfoy pompously swaggered through the school telling his friends that it was his father who had gotten Dumbledore sacked. He almost even offered Snape the job by implying he would write to his father about it, and was taking bets with the Slytherin's that the next victim would die. Snape escorted them to Herbology where Ernie made a faint attempt at an apology to Harry, because he knew Harry wouldn't have hurt Hermione and couldn't be the "heir." Harry surreptitiously signaled Ron to look at the spiders he had found on the ground, all heading single-file toward the Forbidden Forrest. They decided to use the invisibility cloak to follow the spiders when it got dark, and would take fang with them; but first they had to endure Lockhart's DADA class, where he pontificated about Hagrid's guilt, and for herd of depressed Gryffindors to go to bed. Finally, they found themselves heading into the forest with Fang bouncing at their side. Ron never had been in the forest before, Harry only once; and then Hagrid had warned him to stay on the path, but which the spiders were now seeming to avoid. Harry lit his wand for light. Ron didn't dare use his broken one for fear of what it would do. Suddenly, Fang let out a yelp and they spotted what looked like something big lurking ahead of them. After tense moments, in a blaze of headlights, it turned out to be Ron's dad's old car having been turned "wild" by living in the forest. It seemed glad to see them, like a pup would its master, but the reunion was made short lived by loud clicking noises and being lifted off the ground by long, hairy arms.

Gigantic, black, hairy, eight-eyed, eight-legged, cart-horse-sized spiders carried the three to a clearing deep in the forest and called "Aragog, Aragog." An even larger, wizened spider, who seemed blind with age, appeared and asked who it was. Hearing that it was "men," it said "kill them"; but Harry called out that they were friends of Hagrid who was in trouble. They told it that Hagrid was thought to be the heir of Slytherin and the Chamber had been opened. Aragog responded that it couldn't be Hagrid. He had raised Aragog from an egg in the school closet. When Aragog had sensed the monster stirring (which was such a mortal enemy that he wouldn't even say it's name) he had begged Hagrid to let him leave the school. Aragog said that he had never killed a human, out of respect for Hagrid — who had eventually even found him a wife: Mosag; and that the girl had been killed in a bathroom, which he had never visited. Harry thought that the monster sounded like a "Voldemort," if Aragog wouldn't even say its name, so told the Monster that they would "just be leaving now." Aragog, however, thwarted them by saying his children didn't harm Hagrid by his command; but, he couldn't deny them "fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst." Fortunately, the little purple car, which had been waiting in the dark, rocketed forward with open doors. They threw Fang inside and jumped in themselves, as the car lurched forward, knocking spiders aside. At the edge of the forest, Fang bounded away to its basket in Hagrid's cabin while Ron pounded the air cursing Hagrid's completely naive love for monstrous beasts!

Lying on top of his bed, still completely dressed, Ron had just fallen asleep when Harry awakened him with a start, conjecturing: "what if the girl killed in the bathroom was — Myrtle!"
265
Getting Sacked The word ‘sac,’ means ‘bag’ in French. In medieval times workman carried the tools of their trade in a bag or sack, which they left at the end of the day in a safe place at their worksite. When an unsatisfactory worker was to be fired, on the last day on the job, his employer would hand him his pay and the sack containing his tools – he had gotten the SACK, he had been SACKED.
16
The Chamber of Secrets
Over and over again the next day, the two slammed themselves on the forehead for missing the opportunity to ask Myrtle how she had died, while they had her in the next bathroom stall those many months. They determined to break away from their teacher chaperones, somehow, and go ask her. McGonagall blind-sided them by announcing end-of-year exams, which everyone was certain would be cancelled under the circumstances. Further, she said, "the Mandrakes are ready… and tonight we will revive those petrified and be able to find the culprit." Harry noticed that Malfoy didn't cheer. Ron joked that it would be probably kinder to leave Hermione petrified until after the exams, there being only three days until exams she hadn't studied for. Ginny appeared at their breakfast table with the same look, Harry thought, that Dobby had when he was trying to reveal some forbidden information, but didn't know how. She began to tell them something difficult, but Percy butt in and she fled. Later, they were able to flatter Lockhart into leaving them alone during their travels to a next class, but ran into McGonagall on their way to the bathroom. To avoid trouble, they told her they were going to visit Hermione and she gave them her permission. Diverting first to the hospital wing, they saw that Hermione was clutching a piece of paper in her hand and they pried it out to read. Torn from an old Library book, it told about the deadly Basilisk: King of Serpents, gigantic, lives for 100s of years, hatched from a chicken's egg beneath a toad, killed using its poison fangs and looking directly at you, mortal enemy to spiders and was killed by the crowing of a rooster. In Hermione's handwriting was the word, "pipes" so they surmised that she had discovered Slytherin's monster to be a Basilisk traveling through the castle via the plumbing pipes. Hermione and Penelope had been looking around the corner in a mirror, Colin through a camera lens, Justin through Nick and Mrs. Norris at a reflection in the water; so, they weren't killed, only petrified. Harry realized that he must not be the only Parselmouth in school, there was another controlling the snake.

On their way to notify McGonagall they were stopped by a "loud-speaker" announcement for students to return to their common rooms and faculty to the staff room. Harry and Ron stepped into the faculty room; then, when they heard people coming, hid in a closet. McGonagall announced to the faculty that new writing had appeared claiming that a student had been abducted and taken to the Chamber — Ginny Weasley. Students would be sent home the next morning. Lockhart came in late and all the other faculty took out their frustrations over his arrogance on him, by telling him he could "make good" on all his brags about the monster, by single-handedly dealing with it that night. Incredulously, Harry and Ron didn't reveal themselves, or their knowledge, to the faculty! Instead, later that night they went to see Lockhart who was packing his trunks in order to "skip out" on the problem. He excused that he had never hired on for such danger, then confessed to them that he had never really done all the things he claimed in his books. He had merely studied stories of others, then done a memory charm on them so they would forget and not contradict his books. He tried such a charm on the boys, but Harry, now quite practiced in dueling, cried: "Expelliarmus" and blasted the man's wand out of his hand. All together, they went to find Myrtle and found out that she had died instantly when she had looked out from her stall because a boy was speaking some language. She saw yellow eyes, seized up and floated away. Harry found a small snake emblem on one of the non-functional sink taps in front of her toilet, and spoke Parseltongue to it — "open up." A large pipe appeared, which they all slid down until they hit the wet floor of a stone tunnel, probably under the lake. Harry lit up his wand and they crunched over the dried bones of dead rats and things until they saw a large molted snake skin. Lockhart feigned a faint, then tackled Ron's wand from him. He said he intended to take some skin back and tell people that they had lost their minds when they couldn't save Ginny. "Obliviate," he cried into Ron's wand, in order to modify their memories. Unfortunately for him, it was Ron's wand and the unintended backfire and explosion brought down the portion of tunnel between the boy's. Harry decided to go onward while Ron tried to clear some of the rocks for his return. With more confidence than he actually had, he told Ron, "see you in a bit," and walked toward what became a wall at the end of the tunnel flanked by two carved, entwined serpents with emeralds for eyes. Now quite practiced, he spoke in Parseltongue, "Open."; and it did!
283
Lockhart's wand: Why didn't Ron take Lockhart's wand? Although not logical, Ron kept using his own defective wand which, fortunately, was the foil of Lockhart's evil plan and his eventual downfall. Necessary for the story, but the kind of things compulsive fans write about.Bragging: Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "If I cannot brag of knowing something, then I brag of not knowing it; at any rate, brag." He also instructed the way to deal with a braggart: "There is also this benefit in brag, that the speaker is unconsciously expressing his own ideal. Humor him by all means, draw it all out, and hold him to it."
17
The Heir of Slytherin
With his heart beating out of his chest, Harry, tried to navigate the long chamber with his eyes mostly closed, for fear of a Basilisk jumping out at him from behind every corner. The snake-adorned columns were so tall they disappeared into the dark, greenish gloom. At the end, there was a gigantic statue of a monkey-like man and between its feet lied an unconscious Ginny. Foolishly, he threw down his wand and ran to her, pleading that she "not be dead." A voice startled him from behind saying: "she won't wake up." It was Tom Riddle, at least the nearly tangible figure of him, a bit blurry around the edges; but, he was nonchalantly leaning against a pillar, holding Harry's wand. Quite a bit slow on the uptake, Harry tried to bargain with Riddle for his wand back and help getting Ginny out of the Chamber before the Basilisk came. Finally, he realized Riddle was going to be an adversary and his muscles began to tense. The black-haired Riddle seemed to want to know all about Harry and revealed that he was a "memory, stored in a diary for 50 years" and had been brought back to corporeality by Ginny's continued use. She poured her soul into it, Riddle told him, and even though he had to listen to drivel and act interested, eventually he became stronger than her and was able to emerge from its pages. Ginny had indiscriminately written about her worries and fears and friends, and that she had noticed blanks in her memory when bad things happened. Riddle admitted he had eventually been able to take over Ginny's actions and had her write messages on walls, kill chickens and open the Chamber. She got frightened and flushed away the book, but Riddle then was able to meet Harry. He had been terribly upset that Ginny got the book back and pumped her for everything about her "boyfriend." From then on, he claimed, his whole goal had changed from getting rid of Muggles to destroying Harry.

Wandless, Harry tried to keep Riddle talking. The apparition drew the words: "Tom Marvolo Riddle" in the air and magically rearranged the letters into "I am Lord Voldemort." It was the name he had adopted while back in school, he said, when he realized that his surname came from a Muggle who had abandoned him. He was the last heir of Salazar Slytherin and it took 5 years to discover the Chamber. He said Dumbledore was the only one who he hadn't been able to manipulate and had watched him carefully after the incident with Hagrid. He had, indeed, framed Hagrid, but knew he couldn't open the Chamber again with Dumbledore watching; so, at sixteen, preserved himself in the pages of a diary in order to lead someone else into finishing Slytherin's "Noble work." Harry provoked Riddle by explaining those he had petrified would be revived tonight, and describing how disgusting and vile Voldemort had become. "Dumbledore is the greatest wizard in the world," Harry taunted, and "he's not as gone as you might think." Just then the sound of music came from somewhere deep in the darkness. Unearthly, it seemed to swell Harry's heart as it got progressively louder; until finally revealing Fawkes, the Phoenix. It had the Sorting Hat in its beak and flew directly toward Harry, then landed on his shoulder. Riddle mocked the help Harry had apparently been given; and when he found out that it had been Harry's mother's sacrifice which had saved the boy, mocked Harry's "lucky break" as well. Harry realized that Riddle was getting stronger the longer they talked and decided he needed to act quickly. Riddle spoke to Slytherin's statue and it opened to let out the snake. Harry backed into a corner and felt Fawkes fly as he heard Riddle hiss: "kill him!" He closed his eyes and was struck by something heavy which seemed to be thrashing. He squinted a little and saw the snake being occupied by Fawkes who dove into its eyes and blinded it. Riddle hissed for it to "forget the bird" and get Harry who was right behind it. Harry thought "help me… please" and the snake knocked the Sorting Hat to him with a flick of its tail. He put the hat on and something hard struck him on the head — a ruby-handled sword which he used the next time the snake struck to impale it through the roof of its mouth. Unfortunately, one of its poisonous fangs pierced Harry's arm. As the poison began to work, he thanked Fawkes for its help and the bird laid its head on Harry's arm. Riddle gloated that he had killed Harry; but Harry didn't feel like he was dying, and remembered that Phoenix had healing tears. By the time Riddle recognized Harry's return, and had raised the wand to finish him off, Fawkes had dropped the diary in Harry's lap. Without thinking, he picked up a broken fang and thrust it deep into the book. Riddle screamed as ink gushed out of the wound in its pages and he disintegrated into nothingness.

The silence of the Chamber seemed deafening. Harry retrieved the sword and diary and helped Ginny to stand. Terribly distressed, she wept and babbled about Riddle and the diary and being expelled. Harry told her that both Riddle and the snake were gone and helped her back out of the Chamber. The door closed behind them and they found their way back to where Ron had dug a hole in the rock-fall. Harry had to tell an incredulous Ron that he would explain the sword and the bird later, and helped Ginny through the hole. Lockhart was sitting in the far corner babbling to himself, having completely lost his memory. Fawkes offered its tail to Harry and holding hands with the others, they all flew back up the pipe into Myrtle's bathroom. Harry had to tell the ghost not to look so disappointed that they hadn't been killed. She said that she would have gladly shared her toilet with him. Following Fawkes back to McGonagall's office, Ron teased Harry that "Myrtle fancies you," and that Ginny "had competition."
306

18
Dobby's Reward
The group stood in the door, dripping muck and slime, only seconds, before Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shrieked in surprise and ran to their daughter. Fawkes flew to Dumbledore, who was sitting, with a pleased look on his face, next to McGonagall, who was holding her chest, gasping. Harry explained everything for over 15 minutes, except about the diary which he thought might get Ginny into trouble. Dumbledore broke in, broaching the subject with ease, and explaining how Voldemort could enchant people. When Harry then told about the diary, Dumbledore explained how Voldemort's real name was Tom Riddle, a student of his, 50 years ago. Mr. Weasley chastised Ginny for trusting something that could think when she couldn't see where it kept its brain. Ginny said that she found the diary inside one of the books they brought home from Diagon Alley. Madame Pomfrey was restoring all those who had been petrified with her Mandrake potion, and Dumbledore ordered an impromptu, celebratory, pajama-party feast. They explained about Lockhart, whose mind was now blank, and Ron was asked to take him to the hospital wing, leaving Dumbledore to talk to Harry.

Once alone, Dumbledore began by thanking Harry for showing him so much loyalty. You must have done so, the Headmaster said, "because nothing except that could call Fawkes to you." "And Tom Riddle must have been interested in you," he continued. "What do you think about that?" Harry responded that Riddle had claimed they had much in common; but, he didn't think so, because he was in Gryffindor. Then he told Dumbledore about the sorting hat wanting to put him Slytherin and how people thought he was the heir of Slytherin, because he could speak Parseltongue. Dumbledore said that Harry could speak the snake language because Voldemort could speak it, was the real heir, and had transferred some of his ability to Harry when he tried to kill him as a baby. The sorting hat recognized Slytherin's prized characteristics: Parseltongue, resourcefulness, determination and a certain disregard for rules; but put Harry in Gryffindor because he made different choices. "It's our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities," he said. He then showed Harry the markings on the sword pulled out of the hat. It was Gryffindor's and only a true Gryffindor could have pulled it out of the hat.

As Harry was leaving, Lucius Malfoy burst through the door, Dobby scurrying after him, trying to finish cleaning his boots. As Dumbledore was explaining that all the other governors had asked him to come back, Dobby was catching Harry's eye by pointing to Lucius then to the diary over and over. Lucius had threatened the other governors to make them vote Dumbledore out. The attacks had been stopped, the Chamber was opened by the same person as last time only this time Voldemort did it by possessing someone else through the diary. Malfoy became stiff and expressionless. If Harry hadn't been here, Dumbledore said, "Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame." Realizing what Dobby was trying to communicate, Harry broke in and accused Malfoy of planting it on Ginny when he accosted them in Flourish and Blotts. "Prove it," Malfoy spat, but was backed down by Dumbledore who said that even though the evidence was gone this time, he better not let any more of Voldemort's old school things get out or Arthur would be sure they were traced back to him. Thinking better of his urge to draw his wand, Malfoy swept from the room kicking Dobby down the hall. Harry took the diary and put it inside one of his socks. Then running after Malfoy he tossed the dirty sock to him saying that he had a present to give him. Extracting the diary, he was disgusted to be holding such a sock, so tossed it aside, and warned Harry that he would "meet the same end as your parents… they were meddlesome fools too." He turned to leave, but Dobby didn't follow, because he had caught the sock which meant that Malfoy had "given him clothes," and he was now free. Malfoy drew his wand to curse Harry but Dobby used elf magic to blast the man down the stairs, saying: "you shall not harm Harry Potter." The elf disappeared himself, after smiling when Harry begged him to "never try and save my life again."

The pajama party lasted all night. Hermione was awake, Hagrid came back from Azkaban, they had been awarded 400 extra points for Gryffindor - winning the House Cup for the second year and McGonagall announced that exams had been cancelled. The rest of the term was a blur. DADA was cancelled because Lockhart was gone, Lucius Malfoy was sacked as governor, Ginny was back to her old self and Draco no longer strutted around like an arrogant peacock. When they finally arrived at Kings Cross station, Harry wrote down his telephone number and gave it to Hermione and Ron saying they had better call him this summer.
327