Cave men

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Chapter 26

I read this chapter on Saturday afternoon. I am writing about it Monday afternoon. This chapter hasn't kept me awake at night (plenty of other things to do that during the pandemic). The struggle is what to say that would (or at least attempt to) be insightful.

You've read it. You know what happens. The Inferi creep you out. You don't read it right before bedtime. And as my wife says, if she does read it after dark then she reads the next chapter before daring to turn out the light. Or, as she says she has also done on her five journeys through the series: stop half way, finish it the next night, then read the next chapter.

Who knew there were such strategies to reading Harry Potter. Any more chapters I shouldn't read at bedtime? No one warned me about this one. Fortunately, I read it in the middle of the day.

Something that amazes me about my wife and three daughters is their knowledge of specific chapters. Make that every chapter. I've heard them recite the chapters in order and give a summary of each. When I told one of them Saturday which chapter I had just read, she countered: "Oh, that means The Lightning-Struck Tower is next." Of course, she was right.

So what to say about Harry and Dumbledore and the Inferi Apocalypse?

The cave in question might not be your ideal Man Cave, but it is a Time-to-Man-Up Cave.

Dumbledore is really good at magic, but we already know that.

Voldemort was Dumbledore's pupil, so he can anticipate the Dark Lord's moves and tendencies. Not a stretch to believe that.

Dumbledore's trust in Harry is more evident after the whole potion-drinking ordeal. Twelve goblets full did seem excessive.

I never really thought about which Horcrux would be found. The locket is a good start. Will Dumbledore smash it or will he put some kind of wizard force-field around it? Not sure how that works, but I say destroy it into a million pieces.

The chapter finishes one of my favorite and telling lines so far: "I am not worried, Harry," said Dumbledore. "I am with you."

And to lighten the mood ...

A Tik Tok user made a video of what the Hogwarts uniform would look like over time ✨ pic.twitter.com/0T499c6g0E

— Film Feed (@FiImFeed) April 12, 2020

Love is in the mist

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Chapter 14

Hermione loves that Harry is learning the traits of a young and psychopathic Voldemort. As she says, Harry just might discover some of the Dark Lord's weaknesses. But that's a competition for another day.

We learn in this chapter that competition definitely brings out something in people. Not sure it's always the best. In fact I'm sure it's not.

However, the Quidditch match did bring out the best of the Gryffindor team in its domination of the Slytherins. Nice motivational technique by Harry. Ron, of course, would succumb to the placebo trick. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if Ron's confidence disappears before the next match. It doesn't take much to send Ron into spiraling self-pity. Harry might have to slip the mickey for real next time.

The true competition in this chapter concerns hormones and snogging.

Hermione likes Ron, and Ron likes Hermione. But neither will admit it or do anything about it. This relationship has your typical rom-com plot written all over it. Ron's fling with Lavender Brown will end as quickly as it began. Will Ron and Hermione be snogging in the final scene? Grab the tissues.

While the Ron-Hermione match is no secret to Harry, he suddenly has a big secret. His gut quite literally tells him that he has special feelings for Ginny. He is denying it, of course, and I'm quite sure he will continue to do so for quite some time. Even when he admits it to himself, he won't want anybody to know. Harry has to have a secret to carry around of some kind or else he wouldn't be Harry.

So where does all of this teenage angst lead in the cold, misty air of Hogwarts? Will love potions be slipped into pumpkin juice? Will love spells be cast?

Enough slugs for one day

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Chapter 7

For a guy who had to be "talked into" coming out of retirement, Horace Slughorn sure likes forcing attention on himself. As with most new professors throughout this series, I suppose we'll be hearing a lot from Slug this school year.

Will he be an ally for Harry? Possibly. He likes to be associated with successful people and ride their robetails, so I could see him being helpful to "the chosen one." He might even buy Harry's theory that Draco Malfoy has the Dark Mark and is a future Death Eater. Of course, with a mom and pop loyal to the Dark Lord it only makes sense.

Malfoy sounded convinced that Voldemort will rise to supreme power, and Malfoy couldn't bear being on the losing side.

Which brings us to Harry's foray into the Slytherin compartment. He is desperate to convict Malfoy and is willing to risk much (including a physical beating) to get the evidence that his rival is indeed loyal to Voldemort. He said as much even though he didn't say too much.

Because I chastised Hermione for her lack of spy craft in Knockturn Alley I should do the same with Harry for getting caught. Hastily devised plans often fail.

School is about to start, and it looks like from the chapter names that I'm only two away from learning why this book is titled "The Half-Blood Prince."

I've ridden the Hogwarts Express at Universal in Orlando, but I've always wanted to ride a real train to real places and see real countryside. Add that to the bucket list.

Double-agent man

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Chapter 2

Is it coincidence that Snape rhymes with snake?

Or that he has a greasy, slick appearance?

Not if we buy what the author is selling in this chapter. She would have us believe that Snape is a spy for Voldemort. Even more than that, she says he is a most-trusted advisor to the Dark Lord.

This chapter forces us to decide if Snape is for good or for evil. There have been hints all along that his death-eating ways are not behind him. Is Snape the proverbial red herring?

What's a blogger to do?

I must choose, and I must choose wisely. I must weigh the evidence. But who's got time for that? I don't. So I'll go with my gut.

And my gut says Snape is reformed. He's on Dumbledore's side. If there's a spy in the Hogwarts camp, it's someone else. Someone we'd never suspect, but upon finding out will wonder how we missed it. Kind of like watching "The Sixth Sense."

Now, there is this thing about the Unbreakable Vow. And that did cause me to hesitate. But I choose not to be as gullible as Bellatrix apparently is. Remember the unbreakable comb? I've seen those break. There's always a counter-curse or counter-spell. And he could've crossed his toes or his ankles behind him.

I just don't think Dumbledore can be fooled. Voldemort, on the other wand, is proud enough to be fooled. You know, that whole truth about pride going before the fall. That's Voldemort. It's what all the bad guys do. They don't kill the good guy when they have the chance and it costs them.

So while Snape isn't particularly likable, I deem him trustworthy.

Of course I could be completely wrong. Either way, being a double-agent is a pretty good way to get yourself killed.

I won't tell you what draconian deed I think Draco has been asked to do.

I gotta have some secrets too.

Jarring turn of events

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 34

I don't know about the rest of you, but flying horses sounds like a fun way to fly. Half airplane, half roller coaster and full-on thrill ride. They should create a ride based on it at one of the Harry Potter theme parks at Universal Studios in Orlando. Half merry-go-round, half roller coaster high above the park and only after dark.

But hunting around in the creepy Department of Mysteries I will leave to our fictional characters. So back to them and the quest to find Sirius.

Oops, no Sirius. What a letdown for Harry and for us. All this excitement of getting away from Umbridge and riding the skies for nothing? Maybe not.

What is this jar that Ron has found with the Harry's name on it and the words Dark Lord? And why a question mark?

And who is this person who has sneaked up behind them and asked for the jar? The person called him Potter, which all of the unfriendly adults and some professors do throughout the books. That's as far as I will guess. It took all my strength not to peek ahead to the next page and see who it was.

But I will now and report back soon.

Another happy ending

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Chapter 17

This book has been a lot like an NBA game for me. The first three quarters are played to get to the fourth. That's when - if it's going to get exciting - it gets exciting. Maybe it's because it was the second book and the novelty is wearing off or maybe it just moved more slowly and cryptically than the first, but the payoff at the end was worth it. I found myself reading faster than usual.

So I guess from now on I will always suspect that Voldemort/Quirrell/Riddle/????? is behind whatever threatens to close Hogwarts, threatens Harry or anyone close to him, threatens any student or just generally causes mayhem of any sort.

Voldemort's problem is his cockiness. How many times have we seen it in movies when the villian wants to make his prey suffer and delays the deed. Goldfinger could've shot Bond, but he had to elaborately try and kill him with some kind of laser-beam thing. "Do you expect me talk?" asks OO7. "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die." And Goldfinger walks out of the room and Bond escapes. The Dynamic Duo did this all the time. It is a fatal flaw for fictional felons. It's not enough for them to kill. They have to make you suffer.

So the Dark Lord (don't get confused with Star Wars here) is revealed to be a former Head Boy at Hogwarts aptly named Riddle, the heir of Slytherin and once again inept at killing his nemesis. When it comes to killing Harry, Voldemort is as inept as GilLo.

BTW, did I laugh when Professor Gilderoy Lockhart de-memorized himself? LOL, for sure on that one. Now he can't take credit for making the school a Voldemort-free zone. Excellent.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Chapter 18

This chapter could've been anticlimactic, but after the Weasley reunion and the usual Dumbledore debriefing and the Hagrid homecoming, we get to see Lucius Malfoy taken down a few notches on his self-importance scale. I think he's trying to make up for not being the heir.

When Harry tricks Malfoy into freeing Dobby, he displays a more observant side to go with his resourcefulness and bravery.

It is nice to know that Dobby really was trying to help Harry. He's no Phoenix, that's for sure, but maybe he will be of more use in the future.

I would tell Harry to enjoy his summer, but that won't be easy where he's headed. Maybe being a Prisoner of Privet will prepare him for the Prisoner of Azkaban.