Thursday, April 05, 2007

Re-reading Chamber of Secrets

Harry is lying in the hospital wing, re-growing the bones in his arm, and he overhears Dumbledore and McGonagall talking after bringing in the petrified body of Colin Creevey.

"What does it mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently.

"It means," said Dumbldore, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."

"But, Albus . . . surely . . . who?"

"The question is not who," said Dumbledore, his eyes on Colin. "The question is, how. . . ."

Dumbledore was there the first time. Dumbledore didn't believe Hagrid did it then. How much did Dumbledore know about Tom Riddle's role in it, both at the time it first happened, and how much has he figured out since then?

From the above dialog, we can conclude Dumbledore knew Tom Riddle was behind it the first time and somehow knows or assumes that Voldemort is behind it again.

What I would really like to read, after I've finished reading the Deathly Hallows, is a re-telling of the events of all of the books from Dumbledore's perspective. I suppose we'll never know how Dumbledore came to know all that he has figured out about Tom Riddle, but I sure am curious.

Dumbledore says he wouldn't presume to say he knows all of Hogwarts' secrets (he says this at dinner during the Yule Ball, I believe, when he talks about finding the room full of chamber pots early in the morning). Yet we know he's been at Hogwarts over 50 years, was there when the Chamber was first opened -- why didn't he figure it all out sooner? Hermione figured it out. Is Hermione smarter than Dumbledore?

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