Guest Article: Lou Morgan "Snakes in the Grass"

My guest today is the wonderful Lou Morgan, finally fledged author (novel coming out next year from Solaris, put it in your calenders!) and partner in crime from the madness that was Genre for Japan earlier this year. Lou and I ended up discussing the nature of Slytherin on Twitter, and I was delighted when Lou agreed to frame those ramblings into an article for me.

There are spoilers within for those who haven't read to the end of the Harry Potter series - be warned!

Snakes in the Grass (or: what's Slytherin's problem, anyway?)

'"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin,' said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin."' (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)

That, right there, is our introduction to Slytherin: the most infamous of the four Hogwarts houses. More importantly, it's also the first thing Harry Potter hears about Slytherin… the house which at some point has nurtured every one of the enemies he will encounter as he grows up, from Draco Malfoy to Voldemort himself.

Who can blame Harry when he begs the Sorting Hat not to put him into Slytherin - despite the Hat's suggestion that he would do well there?

It's not hard to see that Slytherin is meant to be the Big Bad of the Hogwarts houses. By giving Slytherin a snake as its emblem, Rowling taps straight into a long vein of serpent mythology from the Bible to Disney's Aladdin; from Medusa and the Gorgons of Greek Mythology to Conan Doyle's The Speckled Band, the snake has long been a symbol of… well, let's just say it's not good.

Slytherin doesn't exactly attract a friendly crowd, either. Again, Harry's early impressions (and ours as readers) formed by watching them at the Sorting ceremony are that they "looked like an unpleasant lot." They embody a creeping cold; a chill you can't quite shake - it's no coincidence that the teacher most associated with Slytherin (of whom more later) is described as having eyes which were "cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels." Their common room is a dungeon, and worst of all… they cheat at Quidditch.

They're a bad bunch, made up in our experience of bullies (Millicent Bulstrode), mean girls (Pansy Parkinson) and thugs (Crabbe & Goyle). There's more than a hint of an unsavoury belief system there too: of corruption and prejudice and sheer malice in Slytherin's collective obsession with "pure" blood.

And then there's Draco. A snob, indulged since birth and convinced of his own superiority, Draco is Harry's nemesis at Hogwarts… or is he? Draco may cast himself in that role, but we know better. Harry's true nemesis is a much more frightening figure. As the series progresses, Draco manages to become less threatening, not more. His induction into the Death Eaters and subsequent mission to kill Dumbledore marks him not as a fully-fledged Dark wizard… but as an inexperienced child who has bitten off more than he can chew - something we see Dumbledore comment on to Snape in The Deathly Hallows: "A frightened teenage boy is a danger to others as well as to himself. Offer him help and guidance."

…Which brings us back to Snape himself. The Slytherin house-master, he seems to embody its essence perfectly with his greasy hair, sallow skin and hooked nose - not to mention his hatred of Harry. We aren't surprised to learn that he was once a Death Eater - nor are we shocked by his apparent treachery. That's what Slytherin stands for, after all. Time and time again we are warned not to trust members of this particular house, from the Sorting Hat's song: "Those cunning folk use any means / To achieve their ends", to the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, who tells Harry: "when given the choice, we will always choose to save our own necks." So why should Snape's behaviour be any different?

The answer, we learn is simple. Told in flashback through Snape's memories in the closing chapters of the saga, we finally understand that there's a greater power at work in his actions. Love.

"'But this is touching, Severus," said Dumbledore seriously. 'Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?'

'For him?' shouted Snape. 'Expecto Patronum!'

From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe; she landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office and soared out of the window. Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears.

'After all this time?'

'Always,' said Snape."

Just like that, along with Harry, we learn that throughout Snape's life, he has loved Harry's mother, Lily. It this love which redeems him, just as it was Lily's love which saved Harry. Love is the driving force for good in the Harry Potter universe - and for all his faults, even Severus Snape is not immune.

That's the real secret of Slytherin. That all of the scheming, all of the corruption and cynicism and downright evil can be undone. Not easily - it takes huge sacrifice and courage, but the darkness can be overcome. Slytherin's role is to represent not just the greater evils in the world but the lesser ones: every bully we faced at school, every teacher who humiliated us, every tell-tale and tittle-tattle, every petty-minded boss. Slytherin exists to show us that even in the darkest, dankest places we can find hope - hope in Snape's final moments, hope in Dumbledore's determination to save Draco: "'That boy's soul is not yet so damaged,' said Dumbledore, smiling. 'I would not have it ripped apart on my account.'"

Perhaps, if Slytherin had been a different house -more like Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, the story would have been very different. What if Slytherin was more like Gryffindor? What if they had turned on Umbridge during her tenure at the school? What if, shamed that one of their number suggested handing Harry over to Voldemort, the Slytherins had refused to abandon Hogwarts before the final battle - as so many of the other students did? What if, instead of following Voldemort, they had turned against him? Perhaps if things had gone differently, such great sacrifices would not have been necessary - but conversely, we would not be left with the sense of victory, the sense of hope that the series ends with… hope tinged with loss, undoubtedly, but hope nonetheless.

Thanks so much, Lou! Brilliant article :-)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the last in the Harry Potter series, describing Harry's quest to seek the Horcruxes and his growing realisation that he and he alone has the means to defeat Voldemort. Harry begins to worry that trusting Dumbledore was a mistake, and loses heart in what he has to do. Everything leads to the Final Battle that takes place - where else? - at Hogwarts.

So here we are - the climax of the Harry Potter series. The book to beat all books. The one that people anticipated and queued for and devoured as soon as it became available. This one was supposed to tie up the loose ends and show us how the fight against Voldemort ended. It was known to be darker and bleaker than the others, and Rowling let slip on the run-up to the release that not all of our favourite characters would make it through.

Did this book achieve, in my mind, everything that I expected? Well, sort of. Of course, it was exciting and exhilarating and scary and full of compassion for these characters that so many of us followed eagerly. However, reading parts of the book I was... bored! This was something I certainly did not expect!

We start with an explosive escape for Harry from the Dursley's house - there is a distinctly odd and very touching scene between Harry and Dudley as they say goodbye for the final time. There is a massive sense of danger and Voldemort is really closing his grip around the wizarding community - with the death of a couple of characters, we (the reader) learn that no-one is sacred in this final book, and that really heightens the gloomy atmosphere.

However, there is then a few chapters which are a little dull concerning the wedding of Fleur and Bill. I can understand that Rowling is setting up a few things here, such as the sign of the Hallows, but it meanders somewhat. From here we have another escape scene that sends the pulse racing, but once Harry, Hermione and Ron are ensconced in Number 12, Grimmauld Place there is another period of slower time. During this I did love the way that Kreacher is redeemed - and certainly Hermione gets her opportunity to say I told you so.

The book continues in this vein all the way through - I found the pacing decidedly off. There were moments of pulse-pounding terror and huge excitement (such as the escape from the Death Eaters in the Malfoy mansion; the robbery of Gringotts; and, of course, the final battle) but these were small moments in a tapestry that included the Camping Trip of Doom (tm); planning in minutiae the trip to Gringotts; and many other quiet moments that seemed put in for no apparent reason. By this time, of course, the books had started being filmed for the big screen and I half-wonder whether Rowling wrote some of the Deathly Hallows with an eye for the film that would be made from this novel.

By far my biggest complaint about this novel is the rapid switch in concentration from the Horcruxes to the Hallows. I can see that Rowling wanted a comparison between dark and light, and the Horcrux idea did run out of steam a little, but the Hallows idea came straight out of left field. There has been not a hint or a tip that these would be important - they have never been so much as mentioned in the previous six books. Even the kid's tale that the Hallows are introduced in has not been used before this! And, with their introduction, Rowling suddenly has an awful lot to do and tell in the space remaining to her (which is why I object so vociferously to the period Harry and Hermione spent camping and trying to work out where they were supposed to go next - this was essential space that could have been used to flesh out the plot a little better and make it run more smoothly).

I also HATED the way that Dumbledore's back story was filled in during this novel, and how clumsily Rowling tried to bring in an element of doubt against the wonderfully strong character that has been the mainstay of the series. If we had seen this Dumbledore in prior books, then maybe there would not have been as much heartbreak evident at the end of the sixth book! Sure, Harry needs to feel conflicted about his quest and whether he would succeed, but does Dumbledore have to become so different?

My final issue is a more personal complaint - oh, how I missed Hogwarts and the characters we had come to know so well over six books! I believe there is a huge amount of mileage in Rowling writing the story of Hogwarts during that seventh year whilst Harry et al were elsewhere - I would love to have seen more of Snape in the role of headmaster, and the rise to power of the Carrows, and the way that Neville really came into his own and led Dumbledore's Army in revolt. I think this would make an amazing book and really fill in the gaps that were, of necessity, in the Deathly Hallows.

Obviously, there are moments of pure brilliance where Rowling really succeeds in writing a fitting finale to the series. The best of these by far is the chapter where Harry finally learns the truth about Snape. This is my favourite extract of the entire series:

" 'But this is touching, Severus,' said Dumbledore seriously. 'Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?'

'For him?' shouted Snape. 'Expecto patronum!'

From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe: she landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office and soared out of the window. Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears.

'After all this time?'

'Always,' said Snape."

I was moved to tears when I learnt the true motivation behind Snape's behaviour towards others in the books.

Of course, the last few chapters where Harry faces Voldemort are excellent and fulfilling (although Rowling keeps in the big reveal between Harry and Dumbledore for one final book!) I also liked the contentious Epilogue of the Deathly Hallows as well, although I know a number of people who refuse to accept that it even exists.

Altogether and overall, my review of this book can be summed up in three words: a little disappointing. I was expecting fireworks and got a damp Squib (geddit?) However, this doesn't change my opinion of the series as a whole, and my opinion is thus: I have just finished reading a modern classic; a series that deserves read after read, and should be handed down to our children in the same manner as C S Lewis' Narnia books have done. They are no less than brilliant.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a breathless ride, from the first couple of sequences involving the Muggle Prime Minister and then Snape performing a mysterious Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy to the heartbreaking funeral of one of my favourite characters.

It seems as though Rowling has achieved once again the tight plotting and exciting storyline that she managed in the Prisoner of Azkaban - this sixth book in the series is by far the best since that highlight.

Here we explore a great deal of Voldemort's back story through the use of memories that Dumbledore has collected from various people who had dealings with the Dark Lord. I loved delving into the why of Voldemort and how he became the pale and snakelike creature he now is from starting out as Tom Riddle.

As well as this, Rowling introduces the idea of Horcruxes - unlike some of the other items she has introduced into previous books just to fulfil some specific use, the Horcrux is much more than this and pulls together the plotlines that have gone before (e.g. the diary of the second novel). I enjoyed how Harry had to pursue Professor Slughorn in order to gain the final memory that would reveal Voldemort's plans.

Slughorn was an interesting addition to the cast of characters - a genial and rather shallow man, weak and somewhat cowardly. His arrival allowed Snape to finally take on the role of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and pushed Harry into taking Potions and thereby discovering the textbook that was once owned by the Half-Blood Prince of the title.

I adored the fact that Hermione was deeply jealous of Harry's newfound ability in Potions. I also liked the way that Harry used the notations of the Prince in his textbook - although this lead to one rather nasty and gruesome moment.

In fact, this book is heavy on the nasty events. It is emphasised how much the wizarding world has changed and grown more distrustful. Some pupils are no longer allowed to attend Hogwarts; each day Hermione scans the Daily Prophet to see who has died; and there are gory moments in the plot (such as when Draco and Harry face off against each other).

There are many moments that make this book one of the best in the series. For instance, I deeply appreciated the beautiful touch of Dumbledore saying, at the start of the book, that Harry would be safe because he was with Dumbledore - and then at the end of the book, Dumbledore says that he knows he will be alright because he is with Harry. It is a very poignant moment and reveals the deep feelings of love and respect that Dumbledore has for Harry.

I enjoyed finding out why Tonks' appearance and Patronus had changed, and I rejoiced when Harry and Ginny finally came together. Another paragraph that had me close to tears was when Harry realised that Luna and Neville were the only two members of the DA who had responded to Hermione's summons - very moving and honest.

Once again, the gloom of the book is disappated somewhat by some comedy moments - these included the Apparation lessons and test, and Ron's whole relationship with Lavender (pure comedy gold at times - Won Won!)

This book is excellent - thrilling and emotional in equal measure. And I defy anyone not to feel a tremendous sense of loss when they realise that the seventh book will not include Hogwarts, by now a character in its own right. I look forward immensely to the climax of the Harry Potter series.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I have to confess that, on my first reading of the Order of the Phoenix, I was disappointed but, on reflection, I think that this might be because of the excitement on the lead-up to the book's release. Certainly on this read I found the book extremely gripping and exciting, with a great deal of plot progression.

Here Harry is dealing with the aftermath of the return of Lord Voldemort, and coping with the fact that he is kept very much in the dark about what is happening. While at the Dursley's over the summer, he has been relying on the Muggle news to see whether Voldemort has started the expected killing spree and reign of terror. When Harry and his cousin Dudley are attacked by Dementors, Harry is forced to do magic outside of Hogwarts - something expressly forbidden - and is summoned to a hearing. This is where he begins to learn that times are changing - his relationship with Dumbledore is strained and distant; the Minister of Magic refuses to believe that Voldemort is back and a truly chilling new character (Delores Umbridge) takes on the role of Defence of the Dark Arts professor.

Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts is dark, dark, DARK! He is reviled by many of his previously friendly classmates for telling stories to gain attention; he starts having dreams that leads him to believe that he is starting to feel what Voldemort is feeling (including his glee as he commits murder); and he suffers a massive setback in his Quidditch career.

A lot of characters really develop through this book and it is fantastic to read more indepth plotlines for Ron, Fred and George, Ginny and Snape amongst others. Here we have, for example, an extremely illuminating glimpse into one of the reasons why Snape hates Harry so intensely. Ginny becomes a feisty and very effective witch, while the Weasley boys provide much of the comic relief. I was rather pleased to see Ron, in particular, step out of Harry's shadow in a subplot about him joining the Quidditch team. Neville Longbottom, also, is treated well in this book and we finally learn more about him.

Two new characters really steal the show though. One of these is the dreamy Luna Lovegood - piercingly honest at times, but also believes in fairytale creatures and gossipy stories from the wizarding world. The other is the aforementioned Umbridge - for once Harry is struggling against a person who is not part of Voldemort's group of Death Eaters. Umbridge is cruel, vindictive, truly repulsive to read about. You feel like cheering when George and Fred take her on! There are some sickening moments in the story where Harry and Umbridge have quiet scenes together, such as his string of detentions at the start of the school year - these made me shudder.

Obviously there are faults with the book. This is the one where Harry develops teenage angst. For a long period at the beginning of the book he is sulky, sullen and often shouts in CAPITALS to make his point - I guess he is quite accurately written in terms of becoming a teenage, but it becomes tiresome very quickly.

The subplot with Harry and Cho's 'romance' goes nowhere fast, and fizzles out rapidly when Rowling decides who she would most like to see Harry with - a relationship that has been signposted since the second book, but is none the less welcome for starting to take shape.

The beginning of the book is slow and dragging, up to and including where Harry meets the Order in Sirius' house. Lots of names are thrown in quickly and some of the characters suffer from not being fleshed out at all.

Unlike the fourth book in the series, these are really minor quibbles. Considering that Rowling is now dealing with a large ensemble cast, each of them seemed to get enough 'screentime' in this book. It was an extremely long book to read, but here I savoured each page rather than skipping through filler as I did with Goblet of Fire. Even the owls Hedwig and Pigwidgeon are given enough character for us to grow ever-more fond of them.

The DA lessons were incredibly funny and heartening to read about in the midst of all the gloom. Rowling also writes very effectively about the heavy workload of the students as they study for their OWLs (I love that OWLs and NEWTs correspond to our GCSEs and A Levels). It is also fun watching the three leads start to think about life after Hogwarts.

I think the real high point of this book is the fact that Rowling no longer feels the need to explain every little detail of the past four books - it is as though she now assumes that those picking up the book have already devoured her previous novels in the HP series, and so she steams straight into the plot. And the plot leads us on a rollarcoaster ride that culminates in the most dramatic climax yet (although Rowling still can't resist the big reveal between Harry and Dumbledore - however, here I can forgive her much since Dumbledore's quiet and dignified explanation had me close to tears).

As I have commented on in prior reviews it is the little details of the wizarding world that, I believe, makes these books so beloved. I shall pull out here the example of the students having to write a certain amount of feet or inches of parchment for essays rather than using a page or word count.

Finally, I leave you with a quote that had me giggling from Ron's description of his practical Divination examination: "He (Ron) had just made Harry feel rather better by telling him how he had told the examiner in detail about the ugly man with a wart on his nose in his crystal ball, only to look up and realise he had been describing his examiner's reflection."

A great addition to the Harry Potter series.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the one where Harry takes part in the Tri-wizard Tournament. The one where hormones start flying. The one where Voldemort grows ever stronger. The one where J K Rowling decided everyone needed more door-stops...

I want it said right from the beginning of this review that I adore the Harry Potter series in its entirety, but I do feel that some books are stronger than others. And this is one of the weakest in the series in my opinion.

For some reason, Rowling decided that she could no longer write her story in a few hundred pages - instead, we're presented with a positive brick of a book that stretches on for many hundreds more than I felt it should be. If all of the book had been written with the tight plotting and efficient writing of the Prisoner of Azkaban, I would have been immensely happy. However, there are long periods of "filler" and subplots that seem to go nowhere.

I couldn't believe that the whole section concerning the Quidditch World cup took a couple of hundred pages to go through. There were a lot of "and then...." teenage-diary moments. "And then Harry and Ron went upstairs. And then they went to sleep. And then they were woken up. And then they walked up the hill to the Portkey. And then they found their place in the campsite". A lot of this details could have been glossed over and shown to us through better writing.

It took another hundred or so before the Tri-wizard Tournament was introduced! I know that Rowling was building in certain events that were only revealed in their importance later on, but none of it was done in the same accomplished manner she achieved in the previous novel.

We were also subjected to two of her most common flaws. The first of these is introducing new items into the wizarding world to suit where the plot is going - here we had two new wizarding schools in the form of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, Portkeys and Veritaserum. I just felt that, if I had been in Harry's position, either I would have asked whether Hogwarts was the only wizarding school or Hermione would have volunteered the information at an earlier stage. But Rowling needed to have other competitors for the Tournament, and so into the book they came. Portkeys were introduced at the beginning of the book so that Harry could be whisked away using one of them at the end. It is disappointing to see an author with such a high profile use such a lazy method.

Her second massive flaw is giant dialogue-heavy sections where she, again, tells rather than shows. Here we have three! Firstly, Rowling uses Sirius to info-dump heavily about Voldemort and his Death Eaters (another phrase that we have never heard before this book). Then she "introduces" the Pensieve (although I am more forgiving of this since they do not seem very common in the world of wizards) to info-dump about the trials of the Death Eaters and shows the fate of Barty Crouch's son. And finally we have a long dialogue section with Barty Crouch Jr where he is under the influence of Veritaserum (mentioned as a throwaway line by Snape so that it can be used later in the book!) and explains his actions over the course of the novel. This, again, is incredibly lazy and leads to sections of information overload.

As I have said, I feel that the novel could have been shorter and snappier. We could easily have lost the whole Liberation of the House Elfs subplot involving Hermione - it didn't really progress at all. The lessons describing the Blast-Ended Skrewts were tiresome and boring - something I never expected from sequences with Hagrid. Although I could see the use of Rita Skeeter and the newspapers imparting stories, I felt too much page space was given to her.

This review is starting to sound rather scathing, but I genuinely liked the book other than those issues I have raised above. There is the usual charm and warmth you gain from reading a Harry Potter book. Seeing the pupils from the different schools and the wizards at the Quidditch World Cup added a new depth to the world.

The end play with Voldemort was thrilling and extremely dark. I loved the tasks in the Tri-Wizard tournament.

I felt that Dumbledore really grew as a character in this book - I especially appreciated the lines where Dumbledore explodes into Moody's office and Harry can finally see why he is the only wizard that Voldemort fears. He is stern and immensely powerful - this is very strong writing. I felt that Snape also gained valuable "screentime" and the start of his ambiguous relationship with both sides of the wizarding battle is explored.

There were moments of comic delight in the book - principally because of the increasing hormones evident in Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione are the main source of this, and it is a delight to see that their bickering is starting to reveal true feelings.

To sum up - the Harry Potter series is a tour de force and a marvel to read, but sometimes you have to slog a little, and this book is one of the slogs. Moments of brilliance as usual, but some rather laboured writing and wouldn't have suffered from being a couple of hundred pages shorter.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I have to say upfront that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is easily my favourite of the Harry Potter books, so this review is likely to be extremely biased but I shall try to remain objective! Harry is in his third year at Hogwarts, and the big news is the escape of Sirius Black from Azkaban prison, a dangerous and deadly wizard. Harry learns that, for some reason, Sirius is after him. Due to the increased security at Hogwarts, Dumbledore has reluctantly allowed the Dementors - ghostly cloaked beings that suck the happiness from a person's soul and eventually drive them mad - to guard the castle. The book uncovers the mystery of who Black is and why he is so keen to find Harry at Hogwarts, while also dealing with the regular shenanigans of a Hogwarts school year.

This book is where Rowling tightens up her act, in my opinion. The plot is excellently written with not too many of the loopholes that characterised the earlier two books. The use of the Time Turner was not too much of a McGuffin, especially since Hermione had been using it already during the school year. It was sleek and not too long, a fault of her later books. I enjoy reading Harry Potter books, but the later books definitely suffer from being longer than a few hundred pages. Here Rowling is forced to be efficient with her story, and it is all the more effective for it.

By now the wizarding world is firmly established, but Rowling still manages to spice up the book with many lovely little details. We hear more about the lessons taken by the children, and some new classes are introduced, such as Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. Some of the little details are my very favourite moments in the book, such as when Hermione achieves over three hundred percent in her Muggle Studies class. I also love the throwaway line from during Ron and Harry's Charms exam: "Hermione had been right; Professor Flitwick did indeed test them on Cheering Charms. Harry slightly overdid his out of nerves and Ron, who was partnering him, ended up in fits of hysterical laughter and had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour before he was ready to perfom the Charm himself." This always makes me giggle.

The village of Hogsmeade is another charming addition to Hogwarts, what with the sweet shop and the pub serving Butterbeer (which sounds delicious!). I do wonder at the fact that Hogsmeade has never been mentioned in two previous books though! Sometimes Rowling decides to add in features that have never cropped up previously and it can be a little jarring.

And she does love the big reveal! Here we have Sirius and Lupin going over the events of twelve years ago AND covering some of their school days, including why Snape hates them so, in a long dialogue-heavy section. I feel that this could have been spread out across the book in a better way, so that it didn't come across as much as an explanation to bring us (the reader) up to speed.

There were some wonderful new characters, such as Professor Lupin - I have always wished that he could have continued as the Defence of the Dark Arts teacher. However, I did not like Professor Trelawny much at all - the scenes in her classroom were dull and dragged for me.

Finally, I would comment on the fact that Rowling cannot seem to write an exciting Quidditch match - they all seem to be Lee Jordan commenting on players throwing the ball to each other, and then Harry catches the Snitch in some weird and wonderful way. Mind, I don't think it would be easy to write an interesting football or rugby match into a novel either - they are just too dynamic for the written word.

These are very minor niggles. In my view this is a richly entertaining and imaginative story, in which the main characters really develop. I appreciated the strong plotline. I cannot wait to read the next one!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry has had a miserable summer. None of his friends have written to him and he wonders whether Hogwarts and the world of wizardry that he discovered the year before is just a dream. Four weeks before he is due to return to school he has a visit from Dobby the House Elf who warns him away from returning to Hogwarts. And so we embark on another year at Hogwarts and another mystery - this time involving the Chamber of Secrets, of the title.

I still thoroughly enjoyed Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but not quite as much as the first. The main reason for this was the clumsy need to recap that Rowling displayed. The worst instance was when Colin and Harry are walking to the Quidditch pitch and Harry has to explain how it all works - it isn't completely unforgiveable since Colin has only just started at Hogwarts, but I felt it was superfluous nonetheless, and this was not the only instance.

My other reason for the half star being dropped was Gilderoy Lockhart, a very tiresome character who boasts constantly about his achievements. I can see how some people might regard him as humourous but I begrudged any of his 'screentime' and wished he hadn't been introduced.

In this book the fright factor is increased. There is a spine chilling scene in the Forbidden Forest, especially if you are not that fond of spiders, and I still have nerves when Harry faces off against Tom Riddle and he reveals who he actually is. Some younger readers might well be scared by some of the moments in this story.

Once again, the characters are fleshed out fantastically, even minor characters such as Lee Jordan (who commentates the Quidditch matches in a very entertaining manner). All of them are extremely memorable and, even in just this second book of the series, very familiar to the reader. It is a tribute to Rowling's writing of these characters that I never mix up my Professor Sprout with my Professor Flitwick - each of the people who roam the wizarding world have their own characteristics and personalities.

The little details also charmed me. I love the fact that the students have to turn in essays of a certain length in inches on their rolled parchment, rather than word count or pages. I enjoy the Dickensian element of the story - the quills for writing, the clothes and robes. The descriptions of the feasts are unbelievable - they make you wish you could be transported to eat there.

This is not my favourite of the seven in the series for reasons detailed above, but it is still a great read!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

I don't give out five star ratings very often. In my view a book has to be simply excellent to warrant it - it has to be a book that I return to again and again. In my opinion, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone falls into this category. It isn't as though it's a perfect book - the writing is pretty ropey at times and the basic story is not dissimilar to others I have read - but it is a warm, entertaining, and very inventive read.

Who doesn't know the story by now? Harry Potter is on the cusp of his eleventh birthday, living with the beastly Dursleys, when he is visited by Rubeus Hagrid who informs Harry that he is a wizard. From here Harry goes to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He finds out that he is famous, thanks to events that occurred when he was just a child and managed to defeat Voldemort (or He Who Must Not Be Named). In this first tale about Harry, we are swept into the world of wizardry and straight into a first-class mystery about the object being guarded by a three-headed dog...

So why do I love this book so much? Well, I can tell you why I don't love it! The plot is straight out of other books - who hasn't read about the orphan child who discovers hidden powers, and learns to use them in order to defeat evil? When have we not met a kindly elderly gentleman with long white hair and rather formidable magic skills? I can name a number of authors who have written about similar ideas, especially in the field of fantasy. Rowling is writing nothing original here, in terms of plot.

The reason why I was so taken by this lovely debut novel is the 'surroundings' to the plot. The world of Hogwarts and the fantastic little twists on familiar items that Rowling adds in are simply superb. Right from the first time we hear about chocolate frogs that can actually jump, and portraits which the subjects sometimes leave, I was hooked and felt that every little detail of the world was delightful.

Rowling also writes with great humour and an appreciation for the minds of children, and what would appeal to them. My favourite moment in this respect is when Harry and Ron are being held by the Devil's Weed and Hermione is fretting about not having wood for a fire when Ron yells "Have you gone mad? Are you a witch or not?" The relationship between the three main characters is written beautifully, from the way they defend each other to the bickering that breaks out amongst them.

In fact, all of the characters are very solid - it is easy to see this when people who have read the series pick out different favourites! I enjoyed the sarcasm and quiet menace of Snape, and was keen to find out more about the reasons why he hates Harry so much. McGonagall reminds me of my old English teacher (stern, but with a heart of gold underneath).

The writing is reminiscent of both Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. From the former, Rowling cherrypicks ideas from her various school stories (e.g. Malory Towers - castle-like school on a cliff, with four Houses, travel by train to get there). From the latter, she uses the sheer inventiveness and wit of taking common items or ideas and turning them on their heads. I have no objections to the hint of plagiarism since I love both authors and hence have taken this series to my heart as well.

Extremely good fun and a great way to encourage younger readers. Highly recommended.