Category: Harry Potter

I have already discussed some of the connections between Lockhart and Slughorn, but I want to glance briefly at some contrasts that exist between Dumbledore and Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This is an unusual contrast, and so you will have to bear with me as I develop the argument. Dumbledore’s role in Chamber of Secrets… Read more →

Potter fans and scholars have noticed that Deathly Hallows bears a number of allusions to the King Arthur legends, most notably in Harry’s retrieval of the Sword of Gryffindor from the frozen lake as an allusion to Excalibur being delivered from the Lady of the Lake to Arthur. But there is another Arthurian connection I want to briefly draw our… Read more →

Well this is rather startling news. J. K. Rowling admits that she had thought about killing Ron off in the Potter series. We can all be grateful she did not go through with it. Read more →

In the structure of the Harry Potter books, the Chamber of Secrets and the Half-Blood Prince stand in direct parallel. They are, of course, both the middle book in a pair of trilogies. They both feature Aragog the spider. In both books Dumbledore is removed from Hogwarts, in Chamber by being striped of his Headmastership, and in Prince by his… Read more →

Just finished Hog’s Head Conversations: Essays on Harry Potter, edited by Travis Prinzi, which is a fine collection of essays (which I have reviewed here). But I did want to hit a brief thought that occurred to me in the course of reading David Jones’ essay, “Interpret Your Findings Correctly: Harry’s Magical Self-Discovery.” In this essay, Jones argues that Harry’s… Read more →