ClaireB’s Comments (group member since Jul 06, 2014)

ClaireB’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Samantha wrote: "Hey everyone :) I'm planning on starting this book either today or tomorrow. Just popped in to see if anyone else was starting it yet!"

Hey Samantha ! Welcome to The Prisoner of Azkaban buddy read !

Chapter 1-2

(view spoiler)[ Right now I'm really envious of Hermione's super essay writing powers. 2 scrolls more thant what was asked! lol. I could really use that ability for my master thesis right now!


The way Harry got Dursley to promise to sign the hogmead's form is proof that Harry wouldn't have done so bad in Slytherin. I wonder, however, if Dursley would have kept his word had it not gone so horribly wrong (on the last day too, poor Harry)...
Maybe Harry is not such a Slytherin after all. He should have insisted on getting the form right away.

Also, can we discuss aunt Marge? Isn't she the worst? What kind of woman would encourage school beating like that? And how she verbally abuses Harry all the time! I can't stand it! She's almost as bad as Umbridge! (hide spoiler)]

Steven wrote: "✿ Claire ✿ ~ The Clever Berry wrote: "Hey Steven :) Could you add the BR points for the Chamber of Secrets ? Thanks !"

Done! sorry I missed that!"

Thanks Steven !

Hey Steven :) Could you add the BR points for the Chamber of Secrets ? Thanks !

Devann wrote: "that is an interesting point, especially since the two words have very different connotations in the english language and to me it would make it easier to just call them all wizards [which seems to..."

indeed (view spoiler)[ Voldermort's family on his mother side, the Gaunt, are direct descendent of Slytherin.
And it's true that it seems awefully convenient to have only them speaking perseltongue. But they don't say that in the books. Just that the gift is very rare. So maybe there are others. But considering it's seen as something dark, I don't imagine a lot of people just parade about saying that they can speak to snakes.
Also, it's not just a matter of speaking the language, is it? The chamber is well hidden. Who would have guessed from the start that it was in the girls' bathroom? Riddle said himself that it took him years of research to find it.

What I find strange on the other hand, is that this giant snake could survive centuries underground, without getting out of that room. How about that? How did he feed? (hide spoiler)]

Abbey wrote: "Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "✿ Claire ✿ ~ The Clever Berry wrote: "Devann wrote: "well i wasn't gonna start til the weekend but this thread is getting pretty active so here we go lol

Chapters 1-2

I fe..."

yes, that's the scene I was talking about ! It makes it so confusing. And it's not an issue of book vs movie adaptation, because the law exists in the movies too.

Steven wrote: "✿ Claire ✿ ~ The Clever Berry wrote: "I have to say I'm so happy to be participating in the Tower Team again. Nothing motivates me so much to read than joining a group challenge. I haven't read so ..."

that's the plan!

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "✿ Claire ✿ ~ The Clever Berry wrote: "Devann wrote: "well i wasn't gonna start til the weekend but this thread is getting pretty active so here we go lol

Chapters 1-2

I feel exactly the same. Thi..."

true, true. and when you consider that in book 3 (view spoiler)[ they just let it slide that he completely blew up his aunt like a balloon. It just makes no sense. I know that Fudge has other problems to think about with Sirius on the lose, but still. It just shows how incompetent the ministry of magic is. They aren't even able to follow their own laws. They should just delete that law altogether.
BTW, I just thought of something. In the movies, they really aren't consistent with that law. The first thing we see in The Prisoner of Azkaban is Harry performing the Lumos spell at the Dursleys'. It just makes it more confusing for the readers. (hide spoiler)]

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "@Claire - I will start my PB copy (my only copy).

I am a bit jealous of all the illustrated copies I see mentioned, but I hate reading Hard Back books in general."

Hardbacks are not my favorites, either. I usually avoid them as much as possible. But for a Harry Potter illustrated edition, I can make an exception ;)

I have to say I'm so happy to be participating in the Tower Team again. Nothing motivates me so much to read than joining a group challenge. I haven't read so fast in months. And buddy reading Harry Potter is so fun !

I'm so sad that soon I won't be able to read as much because of my finals.

Hey! Somebody told me to come to this thread ;)

Hi Diane ! I see you were desperate to find somebody to talk to about the Prisoner of Azkaban :) Well here I am!

I'm going to start it as soon as I finish writing this comment. :D I'm going to read from my illustrated edition, which I haven't even opened yet. I've been dying to see the illustrations in that one, but wanted to wait until I actually read it. To make the reread more interesting.
Which edition are you reading? book or audiobook?

Team Hermione.

Devann wrote: "well i wasn't gonna start til the weekend but this thread is getting pretty active so here we go lol

Chapters 1-2

people who say Harry didn't get snarky til book 5 clearly weren't paying that muc..."

I feel exactly the same. This underage magic law doesn't always seem very consistent. It always bothered me.

I just finished the book

(view spoiler)[Can we just appreciate the best advise a dad could ever give his daughter:

"What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain."

haha. I love Arthur Weasly ^^ (hide spoiler)]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
by JK Rowling

Date Finished: 05/14/18
pages: 259
BR/BOM? YES Link to thread
Characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Draco Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Fred, Crabbe, Oliver, Vernon

Melissa wrote: "Just getting to the part with the train. I always forget just how funny Fred and George really are in the books, especially with their mom. :)"

Fred and George are the best. I love how they tease their mother in that chapter. Poor Molly, it must be tiresome to raise them. LOL

Devann wrote: "haha Yeah I am really not a fan either but I was trying to be like 'diplomatic' about it XD And I agree that he keeps WAY too many secrets and I think a lot of major problems in the series could ha..."

I could not agree more! And it's in The Order of the Phoenix that it shows the most. So much could have been avoided.

Steven wrote: "Guys, I've posted AVADA KEDAVRA for 140 points! :D We are officially in second place! Keep on reading!"

We've already got a spell done ?
Great work everybody !!!!!

Devann wrote: "@ ✿ Claire ✿ ~ The Clever Berry

did dumbledore ever tell snape [spoilers removed]"

I'm not sure... You know Dumbledore. He has a habit of keeping secrets "for the greater good". He might have not told Snape, for whatever twisted reason Dumbledore made up.
I'm not a big fan of Dumbledore. Can you tell? haha

chapter 16

(view spoiler)[I love the friendship and solidarity between the teachers at Hogwarts. I love how they all played along in making Lockhart believe they were counting on him just to get rid of him.
"Right, that's got him out from under our feet" LOL I love MacGonagall so much. She's my favorite teacher.
It reminds me a bit of the Order of the Phoenix (view spoiler)[ when they all did all they could to make it difficult for Umbitch, hum sorry I mean Umbridge ;) (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "ch 10-15"

(view spoiler)[I never understood why they suspected Harry either. And especially before everyone learned he could speak to snakes. I mean, his mother was a muggleborn, one of his best friend is a muggleborn. Why would he go out killing muggleborns?
It always irks me to see how quick wizards are to turn their back to Harry. In book one, at one point nobody would talk to him because of the points he loses. (later books spoilers ahead)(view spoiler)[In Goblet of Fire, everyone is angry that he got into the triwizard tournament, especially Ron. In the Order of the Phoenix, everybody thinks he's a liar ! (hide spoiler)] Poor Harry. He can't catch a break. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15

(view spoiler)[The chapter in which Harry and Ron go to the Forebidden Forest to meet Aragog.
The magic in Harry Potter is very fascinating; A very curious case is the Weasley's flying car. It's fascinating how magic was able to give the car it's own personality to the point that it was able to go wild in the forest.

Also, this chapter always reminds me of my late grandmother with whom I watched the movie for the first time. She was absolutely terrified of spiders, a bit like Ron but worse. After that, she never wanted to watch any Harry Potter movie again. No matter that in the other movies there aren't any spiders. (hide spoiler)]