hpchapteraday

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | J.K. Rowling

Hi everyone! I'm really sick so you'll get more themes tomorrow but today's is Ch 17 "Chaos" and tomorrow is Ch 18 "tradition" followed by Sunday ch 19 "Blame"

CocoReads Feel better! 8y

julesG Feel better soon! 8y

Lmstraubie Feel better!! 8y

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Graciouswarriorprincess Feel better! 8y

Karenlovesbooks Get well soon! 😻 8y

Reecaspieces Feel better!! 8y

freyaheart Get well soon!! 8y

monkeygirlsmama Get better quickly! 🍲 8y

monkeygirlsmama Oh, and thanks for the prompts, @steverogers. 🙃 8y

pppooraikul Don't push yourself too hard! Hope you feel better soon. 😊💗 8y

Jhullie Take care of yourself and don't worry about the prompts, we are all enjoying reading HP again. Look after yourself. 💙🤒 8y

Morphidae Hope you feel better soon. I'm in the hospital and don't even have the book with me. 8y

Redjewel_7734 @hpchapteraday @Morphidae Hope you're both feeling better soon!! 💜 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Morphidae You feel better also! 8y

Morphidae If we don't hear from @steverogers by March 2nd, I'll take over the challenges on My Challenge Tribe for the time being. Meanwhile, I'll have a small prize for someone randomly selected from all in February who completed at least 20 days. 8y

maximoffs @Morphidae go ahead and do the challenge. I ended up in the hospital again last night 8y

Redjewel_7734 @steverogers hope you're better soon! 8y

Redjewel_7734 @steverogers Do you want me to help with some themes until you're feeling better? 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Morphidae Thanks for all you do to help out! 😘 @steverogers Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that. Best wishes to you for a full and quick recovery from whatever's got you down. 😷🤒🤕🤧☕️🍪💚 8y

Morphidae @steverogers I hope you'll feel better soon. Being in the hospital is no fun. I'm there myself but should be transitioning to rehab in the next day or two. 8y

Morphidae @Redjewel_7734 Do you need help finding the themes? They're from some type of biblical reading, I think. 8y

Redjewel_7734 @Morphidae I'll get some up this evening. I know @ first we were going along with HP& the Sacred Text podcast, but we're ahead of them now. We've had power outages where I live, so it has slowed me down a bit. I'm open to any help & suggestions though ☺ (edited) 8y

Morphidae I'm at a loss then. Give me a couple days to settle into rehab and I'll see what I can do. @Redjewel_7734 8y

BarbaraJean @Morphidae @Redjewel_7734 Thanks for being so proactive and offering to come up with some themes! I'd be willing to help if you'd like! 8y

Redjewel_7734 Hey everybody! I posted some themes to take us through the 11th; hopefully that will give @steverogers time to get better-though I'm happy to keep helping as long as it takes ☺I've tagged it with the #hpchapteraday tag so hopefully everyone can find it easily. 8y

Redjewel_7734 @steverogers I have a new appreciation of what you do! Coming up with themes is not easy! I hope you're feeling better soon & feel free to let me know if you need me to keep going with themes while you recuperate. We all want you healthy & back to your best; we truly miss you & appreciate all that you do with our #hpchapteraday. 💜🌺🌼🌸🌻💐 8y

ScorpioBookDreams @Redjewel_7734 Has anyone created a new challenge yet? 8y

Redjewel_7734 @Morphidae is going to do that, but I don't know if she's gotten to it yet. Today is the last day of the Month 2 challenge. 8y

Graciouswarriorprincess Feel better soon! @Morphidae let me know if you need help! 8y

Morphidae @Redjewel_7734 @Graciouswarriorprincess @hpchapteraday @steverogers I've got the new challenge up for the third month - Month Three of Harry Potter Chapter a Day - at https://www.mychallengetribe.com/Challenge-841751-month-three-of-harry-potter-ch.... I'll select a random winner for a small prize from all who complete the challenge with 23 or more check-ins. (edited) 8y

Morphidae Well unless someone can help me figure out My Challenge Tribe, I'll have to figure out another way to do the prize. Much to my dismay, they don't seem to provide some very obvious information to the "coach." 8y

Redjewel_7734 @Morphidae unfortunately, I'm no help there. These challenges are the first time I've used My Challenge Tribe, so I know nothing. Maybe try on your computer vs phone? Some sites are more full featured on the full site vs the mobile site...that's all I got 🤓 8y

Redjewel_7734 Just wanted to check in with everyone. @steverogers how are thing going with you? You've been missed. Do you need me to do another round of themes? I hope all is well and you're recuperating strongly. If I don't hear otherwise, I'll post another round of themes on the 11th. Hope everyone is doing well & enjoying this read as much as I! 8y

Redjewel_7734 Has anyone heard from @steverogers ? I'm concerned about her as it's been quite a while since she's posted anything. I'm going to continue to post themes for us; I just wondered if anyone knows if she is ok. I worry. @Morphidae @monkeygirlsmama @Lmstraubie @anyonewhoknows 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Morphidae I second the suggestion to maybe see if you see different options on desktop vs mobile? Otherwise, I'm also no help. Sorry and good luck🍀! @Redjewel_7734 I haven't heard anything and had been wondering myself. 😔@steverogers Please let us know how you're doing. We miss and wonder about you. Praying you're alright. 💙 8y

ScorpioBookDreams @Redjewel_7734 I've been worried about @steverogers too. Hope she's ok. 8y

Morphidae @Redjewel_7734 @monkeygirlsmama @steverogers I'm in rehab and won't have access to my laptop for at minimum another two weeks. 8y

Redjewel_7734 @Morphidae no worries. It's most important to take care of you first; the other stuff will wait ☺ 8y

Redjewel_7734 I just want to reassure everyone that is checking that I will post the next round of themes by the end of day today (3/12/2017). 8y

BarbaraJean Thank you, @Redjewel_7734 ! 8y

Redjewel_7734 Hey everybody, the themes for the rest of Goblet of Fire are posted. ☺You should be able to find them on my timeline or by using #hpchapteraday or #themes 8y

monkeygirlsmama @morphidae Just focus on you! 😊@Redjewel_7734 Thanks! I'm behind in posting, may or not play catch up. Been sick for the last week but better now. Hope to get back on the post wagon this week. 😏 8y

Redjewel_7734 @monkeygirlsmama glad you're feeling better! 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Redjewel_7734 Thanks! I thought I was in the clear, but now my kids have it. Doh! And today my sinuses are giving me a run for my money. Double doh! 😝 8y

Redjewel_7734 @monkeygirlsmama gotta love the circle of sickness that kids bring 😝 8y

Morphidae Month four challenge is up: https://www.mychallengetribe.com/Challenge-841792-month-four-of-harry-potter-cha... 8y

Redjewel_7734 Just wanted to let everyone know I will have the themes for Order of the Phoenix posted by the end of this weekend ☺ 8y

MatildaBaggins Thank you @Redjewel_7734 😊❤️ 8y

Redjewel_7734 @MatildaBaggins you're welcome 😊 8y

Redjewel_7734 I've posted the themes for 1st half of Order of the Phoenix 😊 You can find them using #themes 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Redjewel_7734 Will you posting #themes for the remaining chapters of book 5 also? 8y

Redjewel_7734 @monkeygirlsmama Yep😊I'll have them up by the end of day on the 26th. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Redjewel_7734 You thoroughly rock! 😁 8y

Redjewel_7734 💃 8y

IamIamIam So excited to jump in on the next book!!! 8y

Redjewel_7734 @lamlamlam feel free to jump in any time😊There's never a wrong time to read HP 🤓 8y

Redjewel_7734 Hey everyone!!! The #themes for 2nd half of OOP are up; you should be able to find them easily with the tag 😊 8y

MatildaBaggins Thank you @Redjewel_7734 😄 I'm a bit behind so time to play catch up this week! 8y

Redjewel_7734 @MatildaBaggins the good thing is that with this project playing catch up can be quite fun 😁 8y

Redjewel_7734 Hey everyone! The #themes for the first half of Half Blood Prince are posted 😁 8y

Redjewel_7734 The #themes for the 2nd half of HBP are posted 🎉 8y

Redjewel_7734 The #themes for the 1st half of Deathly Hallows are posted 😁 8y

Redjewel_7734 #themes for the 2nd half of Deathly Hallows are posted 😁🙌🏻 8y

Redjewel_7734 #Themes for the first act of Cursed Child are up 😊🙌🏻 (edited) 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | J.K. Rowling

ScarletQuill Perfect! Love this, good idea for the daily themes. Thanks! 8y

freyaheart Love this!! 8y

sprainedbrain Thank you for this! 8y

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carrceli Yay!!! 8y

monkeygirlsmama Thank you!!! 8y

Redjewel_7734 Magnificent! 8y

RebeccasReading Thanks so much for including the dates! 8y

Jhullie I am so far behind...thanks for this, I know how much I need to read to catch up now. 8y

Beckys_Books This helps! 8y

freyaheart Hope everything is going well at #hpchapteraday HQ we miss you @steverogers 💘 8y

Morphidae Just checking in and hoping we'll get the next set of prompts by tomorrow! @steverogers 8y

maximoffs @Morphidae you will! Work has been absolute insanity (it's what happens when you work at a brokerage firm. They take your life) 8y

monkeygirlsmama @steverogers I was just popping round to ask the same thing. Yay! Really enjoying this read through with all of you. 8y

julesG thank you for organising this read-along. @steverogers 8y

maximoffs Sorry @Morphidae @monkeygirlsmama I started throwing up last night almost non stop. I'll get something up today 8y

Redjewel_7734 @steverogers hope you're feeling better soon!!!! 8y

monkeygirlsmama @steverogers You feeling and getting better is far more priority! (((Hugs))) Focus on that, and the theme prompts can be considered later. No worries! 😘 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | J.K. Rowling

Hi everyone! They'll be a bit of a change in how we do this now:
I'll be posting the themes a bunch at a time and letting everyone use the posts as their discussions. I got a new job that's extremely demanding which makes it hard for me to make a post every day.
The Challenge Link created by @Morphidae will be used this month. I'm trying my best to stay on top of this despite falling behind personally but my job is all sorts of crazy. Thanks!

hpchapteraday If you have questions please use @steverogers to contact me. Thanks everyone! 8y

elkeOriginal @steverogers The January challenge link let me check off today so now I am unclear whether to keep that one going or log into the new link? 8y

maximoffs @elkeo either is fine. That one is good for a few more days (it hasn't actually been 30 days ye) but since another one was made whichever you want to use is fine :) 8y

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Lmstraubie @steverogers Thank you for putting this together. However it works is wonderful because we get to revisit or 1st visit an amazing book series adventure. You're doing a fabulous job! 8y

Morphidae Here's the link again: https://www.mychallengetribe.com/Challenge-841697-month-two-of-harry-potter-chap... 8y

Morphidae @elkeo Also, if the badges matter to you, you'll want to check off the last of January's or make sure you have at least 20, so you get January's badge - 25 if you want to be eligible for the January appreciation gift if @hpchapteraday is still doing that. 8y

maximoffs @Morphidae I believe the Month 1 challenge still has a few more days, I had it written down when to put up the next one, (I think I was on Friday since that would have been 30 days) because it wasn't based off month. It's all good though, thanks for helping! 8y

Morphidae @steverogers Okay, so if I need to do next month's I should base it on the challenge date rather than the calendar date? 8y

Morphidae @steverogers And sorry for stepping on your toes. I got into a bit of a panic. 8y

maximoffs @Morphidae I'll do next months! No worries. But yes they should all last for 30 days and then another one will be created 8y

maximoffs @Morphidae no worries! I totally understand (edited) 8y

Megld4 Congrats on the new job! 8y

Redjewel_7734 Congrats on the new job!!! 8y

monkeygirlsmama That all sounds just fine on this side of things. Good luck to you in your new job and your personal endeavor to stay caught up with your HP reading. Thanks for all you do here! Thanks to @Morphidae for tackling the challenges site set up for February. 😙🙂 8y

Bostonmomx2 @hpchapteraday congrats on the job. I've totally lost track of what day we're on. May I suggest when you post the chapter themes you also post the date? Thanks 😉 8y

Morphidae Yes, please post the date. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @hpchapteraday @steverogers I know you're busy, but just had a quick question. Do you know when we might expect the first set of theme prompts to be posted for book 3? We have only one day/chapter left in Chamber of Secrets. Thanks! ☺️ 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | J.K. Rowling

Here are the themes for the remainder of CoS. Please note some do vary from the podcast.

julesG Thank you. I will try not to "binge-read" all at once. 8y

Clare-Dragonfly Thank you! 8y

Whatannareads Thank you :-) x 8y

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MyNamesParadise Thank you for posting all of these in advance! 8y

Redjewel_7734 Thanx 😊 8y

SandyY15 Thank you so much for posting them in advance...it's much appreciated!! 8y

freyaheart Thank you 8y

monkeygirlsmama Thank you! 😁 8y

BookishMarginalia I like having them in advance too. Thanks! 8y

ScorpioBookDreams Thanks for posting these. I appreciate having themes in advance 😊😊 8y

Morphidae Will you have the Challenge Tribe February challenge set up for tomorrow so we won't lose our streak? 8y

monkeygirlsmama ⬆️⬆️⬆️What @Morphidae said. If it's not too much trouble it would be awesome. 🙂🙂🙂 8y

Morphidae I don't know if they are going to show up in time so I created one for February. If they do show up, it can be replaced. I don't mind. https://www.mychallengetribe.com/Challenge-841697-month-two-of-harry-potter-chap... 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Morphidae 👍👍👍 8y

68 likes14 comments

hpchapteraday

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | J.K. Rowling

alexbaysinger Hermoine, Ron, and Harry were innocent bystanders who happened to come across Mrs. Norris. However, them being there looked suspicious. Also, the monster from the Chamber has been released to prey on innocent students/cats. 8y

mllemay In this chapter, you really start seeing the divide between those who believe Harry is innocent (Ron, Hermione, McGonagall...) and those who think he may not be so innocent (Snape, Filch, Percy, Justin). Harry also doesn't think he can prove his innocence without investigating the situation first because the truth is so strange (him hearing voices) that he doesn't think anyone will believe him. 8y

Kat.Kao More perception driving people's opinions & actions: Harry and Draco are both suspects based on circumstantal evidence. 8y

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Redjewel_7734 These are all such great insights into innocence. What I take from them is the importance of not jumping to conclusions about guilt & innocence. Have we ever been in time when the cruciality of being well informed was more apparent? 8y

monkeygirlsmama
Ron, Harry, and Hermione are called in by Dumbledore when Filch blames them for attacking Mrs. Norris. They claim innocence and Dumbledore subscribes to the "innocent until proven guilty " theory, so releases them. Ron's brother the prefect finds him leaving the girl's toilet (not innocent). Anything else? 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Redjewel_7734 Ooh, good interpretation of the theme. (RE: not jumping to conclusions) 8y

Redjewel_7734 @monkeygirlsmama Thanx!☺ 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | J.K. Rowling

Reecaspieces To me this chapter showed so much creativity from Jk. Loved the ghost party. That was so creative. And when they started head hockey. How funny!! Off subject I know! Rumors?? How about the rumors that will be started because of Filch's cat being frozen and Harry standing there....hmmmmm. I know there is more... (edited) 8y

Godmotherx5 @Reecaspieces The ghost party was funny. I did not recall it from reading the book many years ago. I forgot a lot of details. This has been a lot of fun. 8y

Redjewel_7734 I wasn't sure about this theme until I listened to the podcast, but they did a great job with it. I really like the idea that Filch fosters the rumors of his desire to torture students in order to stave off inquiries into his magical abilities. 8y

monkeygirlsmama This didn't strike me as a very appropriate theme. George & Fred watched the Slytherin Quidditch team practice, and rumor has it they're crazy fast on their new brooms. Harry might share info with Ron and Hermione about the Kwikspell packet he found on Filch's desk; this could start a rumor. Ron & Harry caught in the hall in front of the writing on the wall and Mrs Norris' stiff body will likely lead to rumors that they're involved even when not. 8y

Kat.Kao The idea fits so well with image being a big part of much of the book so far. Rumors are used to create image (Nick) and can alter them (Filch and the Kwikspell packet). 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Orion Press

I am SO SORRY for the delay guys! We had a work emergency. Thanks for understanding.

451Degrees Hope it all worked out for you! Thanks for keeping up with it @steverogers ☺ (edited) 8y

Redjewel_7734 We appreciate all you do organizing and keeping this going! I'm so enjoying all the insights & dialogue about these themes within the best series out there! 8y

Redjewel_7734 I feel the confusion in this chapter in Harry & Hermione trying to figure out the meaning behind Draco's slur. This underscores to me how much they still have to learn; yes they've been part of the wizarding world for over a year, but there are still a lot of ins & outs for them to navigate & figure out. 8y

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Reecaspieces Oh and Harry being bewildered about early quidditch practice.....and then malfoy at quidditch practice.... 8y

monkeygirlsmama Don't even think about it, @steverogers! You're doing great and we appreciate it. 😗 8y

monkeygirlsmama For the topic of confusion you need look no further than the very start of this chapter. Harry is confused by Wood's impromptu early morning wake up call. Everyone on the Quidditch team is confused by what he's trying to explain to them because it's complicated and they're all half asleep or falling asleep.😴 Harry and Hermione are confused by Malfoy's obviously rude comment, but they don't have enough experience to know the derogatory meaning. 8y

monkeygirlsmama When Ron tries to put a curse on Malfoy, for his cruel words against Hermione, Ron's broken wand gets the direction of the spell confused causing Ron to be the recipient of the hex instead. And later Harry is confused by the evil voice he'd swear he heard in Lockhart's study. Lockhart says he didn't hear anything, but Harry is certain he heard whispers and is confused about where the voice came from. 8y

Kat.Kao Harry is not back into his routine yet--everything about his second year so far has been confusing, from being blocked from the train to his weird fan club to the mysterious voice. 8y

mllemay All of the above! Plus Colin is confused about Quidditch. And also about how to have normal and pleasant interactions with other human beings - he needs to tone that sh*t down lol 8y

SandyY15 @hpchapteraday Thank you for doing this for us! I am truly enjoying it, but it's a very daunting task for you to do this everyday for a year!! Can I ask how some others knew the theme before you put it up? I'd like to be able to work ahead when I know things will be coming up. (Like right now when I'm wide awake at 2:38 AM! 🙄) 8y

Whatannareads No worries Hun, I appreciate it's an epic task! I myself usually not to good at consistency with these things but so far so good 😊. And we are all loving it x 8y

janeycanuck @SandyY15 I think it's because of the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast. Each episode looks at a chapter through a theme. They are only on book 2 right now but if I recall, the themes are initially coming from this podcast. I'm finding it really enjoyable to read the chapter and then listen to the corresponding episode. 8y

SandyY15 Thank you, @janeycanuck ! I didn't know about the podcast. I will have to check that out! 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Orion Press

Rozilla Gilderoy Lockhart's level of attraction for people seems to be very superficial and polarizing. People seem to either love him, or else they find him perplexing/annoying. It seems to come down to whether people are attracted to his grandiose image (the smiling, boasting, brightly colored robes, etc.), or whether they find it laughable. 8y

Reecaspieces Gilderoy is very grandiose in his own eyes!! No doubt about it. But, Harry attracts just about everyone😂. Everyone wants to know Harry! Including Gilderoy 8y

mllemay @Reecaspieces I think it's interesting to contrast the two...Harry seems to have that natural magnetism that just brings people to him (and he still finds it uncomfortable), whereas Gilderoy has to work so damn hard for all the attention he gets and be constantly "on", if that makes sense. 8y

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Reecaspieces @mllemay oh yes that makes complete sense. He constantly monitoring his space to see who he can get attention from. And I agree with the contrast....different strokes for different folks! 8y

monkeygirlsmama Lockhart is used to women being attracted to him and thinks everyone wants to be like him. More than anyone else, Lockhart's biggest fan who holds the record for being the most attracted to him is himself. He's so full of himself and egotistically expects Harry is of the same mindset. Harry and Ron can't stand him and his self indulgent behavior. However, despite their inability to understand why, Hermione seems to be deeply attracted to him. 8y

monkeygirlsmama Also, as has pretty much always been the case, Hermione is attracted to the idea of being the best in class and proving herself. She is always the first one, sometimes the only one, to put her hand up to answer a question and always she is right. On the pop test Lockhart gives, she attracts his attention by performing so well and scoring perfect marks when most of the students could barely answer any questions let alone three pages worth. 8y

mllemay Lockhart definitely seems threatened by all the people who are attracted to Harry, even though Harry doesn't like attracting attention to himself and doesn't do much to intentionally be the center of attention. There are some hints of jealousy in Lockhart because of that and he will do anything to keep all of the attention only on himself. (edited) 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Reecaspieces Yep. Harry's not seeking out attention, yet constantly attracts it whether he wants the recognition or not. Lockhart wants the attraction and goes out of his way to superimpose himself into situations that will attract more attention to himself. Secretly his attraction to Harry is for the sake of the public eye. Draw him in and soak up some of his spotlight to increase his notoriety. 8y

Morphidae Lockhart also strives to make Harry look unattractive to others by loudly telling Harry he mustn't try to get so much attention so "early in his career." 8y

saraisabel @aliana_sofia and @adrianarozas you should join us 8y

Kat.Kao Attraction in this chapter is about image--the one Lockhart projects and the one people have of Harry. 8y

Redjewel_7734 @Kat.Kao I think you summed it up nicely. I also think focusing on attraction in this chapter plays up Lockhart's narcissism & incompetance...I wonder what current real world examples we could apply that too as we learn more... 8y

monkeygirlsmama Do we have a theme for chapter 7 yet? 8y

Whatannareads Doe we have a chapter 7 theme? 😊 x 8y

SandyY15 @monkeygirlsmama @Bookishlychaot1c I think it is "confusion." I've seen other people post that today. I'm not sure where THEY got it, because I get the themes here. I'd like to be able to know a day or 2 ahead of time for the opportunity to work in advance when something is coming up. 8y

Whatannareads @SandyY15 yes I am the same like imagine yourself and many others long working hours and "grown up" ?commitments means some days I don't get to read at all! Lol x 8y

SandyY15 @Bookishlychaot1c Same here! I have parent/teacher conference nights coming up in February...I am lucky to be able to drive home without falling asleep after those long days/evenings!! 😴 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Orion Press

mllemay I don't think Harry and Ron end up feeling responsible for their actions in this chapter. There are other things they could have done when the barrier at the train station did not work for them (first among them - contact an authority figure!!) but they went straight to the flying car. They abandoned Molly and Arthur Weasley at the train station, were seen by Muggles, damaged the Whomping Willow... 8y

mllemay And in the end, they only felt sorry they got caught and almost expelled. They were definitely not regretting their actions given how much acclaim they got from the other Gryffindors. 8y

monkeygirlsmama This chapter starts with the Weasley children being irresponsible as one after the other three of them realize they've left items behind, causing Mr Weasley to turn the car around 3x. Once at the train station Ron and Harry are responsible for getting through the barrier, but something goes wrong and they can't. They have the bright idea to take the flying car, but this is irresponsible because the invisibility cloaking device isn't working right. 8y

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monkeygirlsmama Harry and Ron are responsible enough to try to keep the car above the clouds where it can't be seen, but they are also responsible for keeping an eye on the train so they know where to head to find Hogwarts. When they crash they are responsible for damaging the tree they land in, but it is equally responsible for whomping the car to bits. After Snape finds them, Prof McGonagall is responsible for setting a punishment for their careless behavior. 8y

Reecaspieces All of the above!!! I am loving this chapter a day! Thanks for whoever put it together!! 8y

Kat.Kao Harry and Ron are total middle schoolers with this decision. They're so excited to be responsible and solve this problem that they make a terrible choice. I think Ron might have also jumped on a chance to show Harry how cool his weird family is with their illegal flying car. 8y

Redjewel_7734 Responsibility in this chapter makes me realize the lack of it and the need to reinforce responsibility & accountability in ourselves and those we can influence. The closest we come to that in this chapter is McGonagall's punishment of the boys-which is light considering the offense-& Hermione's & Percy's censure of their behavior. Yay for at least that ☺ 8y

Morphidae All of these are good points. However I'd like to add that if the Weasleys had been less distracted and had gone last, so no child got left behind, none of this would have happened. The children are their responsibility and knowing their brood, they should know they need to keep an eye on them. They are middle schoolers. (But then we wouldn't have a story!) 8y

46 likes8 comments

hpchapteraday

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | J.K. Rowling

Reecaspieces Lots of people feel shame in this chapter for many reasons. Harry because he has money and the Weasley's do not. Also Harry because Gilderoy Lockhart makes a big deal out of him. Mrs. Weasley because her husband got in a scuffle with Malfoy. I am sure there are many many others....these just stand out more to me. (edited) 8y

monkeygirlsmama To me, Ginny stands out initially as feeling the most shame. She's so overwhelmed by her crush on Harry that it causes her to be distracted and fumble about. This embarrasses her causing her to blush. Later on Lucius Malfoy tries to shame Draco for not getting better grades and allowing a muggle-born student to do better than him. (...to be continued...) 8y

monkeygirlsmama (...continued from above...) I also noticed Harry feeling shame about his financial situation as compared to that of the Weasleys. He knows they work hard for what they have yet it's so little, but he has an excess that he didn't have to do anything for. This knowledge makes him feel guilty. There's more shame to be doled out when we meet up with Malfoy again at the bookshop. He tries to shame the Weasleys and Grangers for their lowly statuses. 8y

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Reecaspieces @monkeygirlsmama I agree totally with you about Ginny!! I think it's precious. ❤️️❤️️❤️️ 8y

alexbaysinger Gilderoy Lockhart has no shame. He's a publicity whore. 8y

Redjewel_7734 I think what we learn about shame in this chapter is that is important in how you allow you to shape your actions. Harry is ashamed he has so much when he feels he's done nothing to earn it-so he does what he can to share it by buying ice creams & giving Ginny the books he was given for free. The Weasley's give selflessly though they often feel shamed by having so little. Contrast that with the Malfoys and how Lucious uses shame to belittle. 8y

Amandajoy I think Fred & George are interesting here because they don't have any shame but not in the same way as Lockhart. They seem concerned about lack of funds but not ashamed & they seem proud of their dad for taking on Malfoy. Maybe we should all take a page out of their book! 8y

Kat.Kao Shame is used as a check on behavior--Fred is ashamed of his joke, and Harry's shame of his fame and wealth causes him to downplay those elements. 8y

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | J.K. Rowling

mllemay Obviously, everything about Ron's family and house raises Harry's curiosity because he's getting a glimpse at what his life would have been if his parents hadn't died. Mr Weasley's curiosity about Muggle objects and the twins' curiosity about Muggle tricks and tactics (such as lock-picking) are what allow Harry to escape from his room at the Dursleys! 8y

Kat.Kao This makes me think of Alice in Wonderland and how things were more and more curious to her the more she explored. For Harry, the more he learns about the wizarding world, the weirder it seems. 8y

Reecaspieces This is by far my favorite chapter out of the whole series. I love the flying car!! And what about the garden gnomes curiosity....when they start picking them out of the garden they all start coming up to see what's going on. 8y

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monkeygirlsmama The Weasley boys showed up at Harry's because they were curious why he didn't reply to his mail. Harry was curious how they got to his house, and then how he was going to get out. The boys used their curious muggle lock picking skills to help Harry escape. Mrs Weasley was curious and worried about where her boys went with the car. And Harry was curious about life in a real wizard family's house, including the odd chore of de-gnoming the garden. 😋 8y

monkeygirlsmama We also see Ginny displaying curious behavior as she runs, hides, and spies out on Harry. Ron says it's very unusual for her to be so quiet, but it's obvious to the reader that she's very curious about Harry and extremely intrigued by him. 8y

Redjewel_7734 I like the link between curiosity & engagement brought up by the HP& the Sacred Text podcast. Contrast how apathetic & disengaged Harry was at the Dursley's and compare that to the boy staying at the Burrow. Curiosity is a trait to be cherished and to nurture in ourselves and in those around us ☺ 8y

43 likes6 comments

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/21/17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to check in for the challenge for the chance to win a prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/23/17 IS CURIOSITY

alexbaysinger Dobby was trying to control Harry's fate by intercepting his letters from his friends. Harry was trying to control Dobby's outbursts so that the Dursley's wouldn't hear them. The Dursley's were trying to control Harry by forcing him to stay in his room and be quiet during their dinner party. Finally, the letter Harry receives shows that the magical community tried to control the use of magic. (edited) 8y

ScarletQuill Okay I'm jumping back into the read. I'd recently re-read book 1 before this so I ended up slacking off on the read along. But book 2 here I come! 8y

Reecaspieces When they lock Harry in his room and feed him through the slot in the door!! So sad! The Dursleys try to control magic....just can't be done! 8y

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monkeygirlsmama Harry had to control his surprise when he found Dobby in his room. Dobby tried to control Harry's fate by stealing his letters and trying to keep him from returning to Hogwarts. When Harry wouldn't comply he tried harder to control him by threatening him with a magical punishment. Uncle Vernon tried to control Harry by locking him in his room and keeping him from contacting his friends. Harry had to control himself to keep from using his magic. 8y

freyaheart With my knowlege of Obscurials now I see a whole new danger present if the Dursleys had succeeded in keeping Harry locked up. He couldn't use magic for fear of being expelled so he would have to repress it. 8y

Redjewel_7734 The interesting thing I see in this theme is the choice of control. Dobby is trying to control Harry & whether he returns to school; Harry is resisting this by refusing to agree with Dobby's demands. Dobby then forces the issue & between the Ministry & the Dursleys, it seems Harry has lost any control of his life. But he still has hope-he hopes someone will notice his absence on the first day & come to check on him. (Cont) 8y

Redjewel_7734 I think this hope stems from seeing the letters Dobby had been stealing. He now knows that his friends haven't abandoned him, so he has hope he can regain control somehow. 8y

Rozilla Dobby tries to control Harry's choice about returning to Hogwarts because that type of behavior is all Dobby knows. He is under the control of a wizarding family, and will be forever: Dobby may not have seen other interaction styles modeled, and may not know of other ways to influence behavior. Dobby and Harry seem to be equally isolated in that they both are portrayed as prisoners to some extent in their respective homes. 8y

mllemay @Rozilla that parallel is super interesting! I was going to mention the control of Dobby by his magical family (which is basically slave labour) but I hadn't made the connection that he then tries to emulate this with Harry. That's why I love this read-along so much!! 8y

mllemay In this chapter, we basically see Harry lose all control and agency over his life. He loses the ability to have the upper hand when the letter from the Ministry arrives. He loses control over the situation in his interaction with Dobby. And he even loses control of his own freedom of movement when the Dursleys lock him in his room. But the last line of the chapter does suggest all is not lost... 8y

Amandajoy I think we see the theme of control a lot through Uncle Vernon. He tries to control every aspect of the dinner. He becomes angry because he can't control magic & Harry. Then when he realizes Harry can't use magic, he exerts total control over Harry again. 8y

Loretta Just curious...what are we going to use for themes when we run out of Sacred Text podcast episodes? 8y

hpchapteraday @Loretta I've picked themes from when I was going to do this project myself! 8y

Loretta Awesome!! 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/20/17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to check in for the challenge for the chance to win a prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/22/17 IS CONTROL

alexbaysinger I think the biggest disappointment for Harry in this chapter comes from the fact that his friends haven't been sending him letters. He thinks his friends have forgotten about him. The fact that his birthday goes unnoticed by the Dursley's only adds to his disappointment but it doesn't effect him as much as his belief that his friends from Hogwarts have forgotten his birthday. 8y

Reecaspieces What about poor Hedwig? She is disappointed because she can't fly around outside. 8y

Amandajoy Poor Harry. He thinks things will be different. He has friends who promised to keep in touch & it's the first time he's looked forward to his birthday. Sadly, none of that happened. Must be terribly disappointing for him! 8y

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Kat.Kao It's disappointing when you've changed, but the bad things in your life are still there. Hogwarts doesn't eliminate Harry's problems. 8y

monkeygirlsmama I think it's safe to say Harry is disappointed to be back at his childhood home. His family treats him like crap. They discount his interests and ignore him. He can't practice quidditch or do his homework because Vernon locked his things up in the cupboard. Hedwig is locked up so he can't send mail to his friends. (Hedwig must be disappointed about being locked up too.) Harry is missing his friends and is disappointed to have not heard from them. (edited) 8y

monkeygirlsmama Harry's 12th birthday has come around and he's been forgotten again. Just when he thinks perhaps his family has actually remembered Uncle Vernon blathers on about his stupid dinner. Harry ends up being punished and spends his birthday slaving away doing chores before eating a disappointing dinner of bread and cheese though the family will have a big, fancy meal with their company. 8y

Rozilla It must be disappointing for Harry to be forbidden from using magic during the summer. I am disappointed he can't use it to defend himself against the Dursleys and their horrible behavior. A few harmless spells might be fun! 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Rozilla Yes! 😆He gets so frightened by the threat of magic, I think he might keep his tail between his legs if he actually got dealt some. 8y

Redjewel_7734 Harry's disappointment permeates this chapter-his birthday not even being acknowledged, no contact from his friends, no access to his Hogwarts things, being mocked by Dudley, being forced on the celebration of the day he began life to pretend he doesn't exist. I wonder if these interludes back at the Dursley's are a point to remind Harry that magic can't solve all his problems. So yes magic is great, but he still has to learn to deal without magic 8y

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

monkeygirlsmama Voldemort tries to use the love Harry's parents for him against him, but instead strengthens Harry's resolve to win. Afterwards, in the infirmary, Harry wakes to see the outpouring of love and well wishes through treats - and almost toilet seats- from his friends. Dumbledore even shows his compassion and grandfatherly like love for Harry in the way he trusts him throughout the story (give him the cloak, helping him find the mirror, etc). ❤️ 8y

Yunie241 I love the loved showed by Hagrid's concern for Harry's well-being, as well as the love for James and Lily that all of their friends had to send photos to Hagrid so Harry could have a keepsake of pictures of his family. 8y

Reecaspieces Love ❤️ is all over the chapter. Love between friends, love between parents and children also, love between students and teachers (and yes it can happen!) 8y

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pppooraikul Just finished the chapter, practically the book, and all I can say is, I LOVE this series and always will. ❤ 8y

Kat.Kao This is the first time Harry has felt love. I wish the books had explored that more deeply--he seems pretty well-adjusted for someone who has only experienced contempt and apathy! It must have been incredible for him to see how much people care for him. 8y

mllemay I like that we see the different forms love can take. Dumbledore's affection for Harry is expressed through trusting him and giving him the tools to go through something difficult, and through just spending time with him and imparting information. Hagrid's love comes out through taking care of Harry and giving him gifts. Ron and Hermione's love for him is seen through their worrying about him and always being there for him. 8y

mllemay Lily's love isn't visible anymore but it's still protecting Harry all those years later. I think it's a beautiful message about love and how it might not always manifest itself in a "conventional" way but it's still valuable and powerful. 8y

Redjewel_7734 This chapter & theme makes me want to be more conscious of expressing love in my life-not just in words. The important thing about love in this chapter is that it is expressed in actions not just in words. Lily didn't just tell Harry she loved him she cast herself between him & death. Dumbledore gave Harry what he needed to confront Voldemort. Hagrid reached out & created a gift of love. 8y

LDuffN I love that my daughter and I are doing this challenge together. Do we start Book 2 tomorrow? 8y

Amandajoy I think we see in this chapter that when you work together with love you can defeat those who are only interested in power. Harry didn't defeat Quirrell/Voldemort by himself, it took a lot of love behind him to allow him to succeed. Not saying this is relevant today of all days, but... 8y

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | J.K. Rowling

RebeccasReading Is this the last chapter in the book? 8y

WanderingBookaneer @Writergal : No, there is one more. (edited) 8y

RebeccasReading @WanderingBookaneer thanks! I guess I got a little ahead at some point. 8y

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WanderingBookaneer @Writergal : It's harder now that the chapters aren't posted. (edited) 8y

Amandajoy I think we see the destinies of Harry, Ron, Hermione, & Neville & the roles they will play in the demise of Voldemort. The bravery, the cleverness, & the teamwork. And we see that ultimately Harry's destiny is to face the end alone. 8y

Reecaspieces It is Harry's destiny to take on Voldemort and if is Ron and Hermione destiny to be his friend and have his back!! (edited) 8y

freyaheart Please post the chapter numbers 8y

451Degrees Love the way you put it @Amandajoy ! Perfectly sums it up☺ 8y

monkeygirlsmama It seems destiny wise, this second to last chapter shows us that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are going to be a team. They each have a role to play and bring something to the table that is required for them to take down Voldemort or anyone working with him. Alone, none of them are strong enough or wise enough, but as a group they can conquer. (edited) 8y

Redjewel_7734 I thought it was interesting to hear what HP & the Sacred Text podcast had to say about Neville & destiny. How would things have been different if, instead of counting Neville out, the trip had taken him into their inner circle from the beginning. As much as Harry has been on the outside all his life, he should have understood Neville more and brought him into this circle of which Neville obviously wants to be a part. 8y

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Sorry everyone! I fell asleep early.

mllemay Harry and Hermione are clearly regretting the impact their rule-breaking had on Neville. I think you can also see regret through the fact that Hermione won't even participate in class anymore - she just listens quietly! Finally, the detention in the Forbidden Forest is clearly meant to make the students regret their choice to break the rules and make them think twice about doing it again. 8y

Redjewel_7734 What I notice about regret is it makes Harry think twice about meddling in things and this is a good lesson. Sometimes meddling is necessary, but it is always important to think twice and consider consequences rather than just rushing in blindly. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @hpchapteraday No worries; thanks for all you do! 😏 8y

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monkeygirlsmama What's already been said... After getting caught by McGonagall, Harry and Hermione regret forgetting the invisibility cloak in the tower. (Really, how'd they do that anyhow?! Duh!) They deeply regret the punishment of losing 50 points each for their house because they know how important the points are in beating Slytherin, and everyone is going to suffer now because of them. 8y

monkeygirlsmama I think McGonagall regrets that she has to now doubt Harry because she trusted him, even though his track record of following the rules ha sheen far from perfect. And poor Neville regrets listening to Harry because after McGonagall said she felt Harry was trying to set up Malfoy Neville believes his friend has, in a sense, lied to him. This is a chapter full of regret but where regret does spur some better behavior in a way. Short lived I think. 8y

BarbaraJean I was struck by the lack of regret on Hagrid's part. The kids clearly regret what they've done, but Hagrid just seems oblivious--when he's the one whose unwise actions created a problem Harry & Hermione were trying to fix. They took care of an unsafe situation and covered for Hagrid so no-one would find out he was hiding a dragon. He's the one basically in charge of their detention, and he says nothing about his part in why they were there?! Gah! 8y

Reecaspieces I agree with @BarbaraJean.. Hagrid was a little clueless to what he caused. 8y

Kat.Kao The regret Harry and Hermione feel towards hurting Neville got to me. I wonder if that hurts Harry the most, given his background. He of all people knows what it's like for someone you thought cared about you to betray you. 8y

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

monkeygirlsmama Hagrid rebels against the wizard world rules by accepting a dragon egg and then beginning to raise it once it is hatched. Sweet little Norbert is an unintentional menace, but Hagrid has a hard time giving him up. Harry, Ron, and Hermione rebel and break rules frequently, though in this chapter it was predominantly when they snuck out of their dormitory after bedtime. And when trying to break Hagrid down for info about the Sorcerer's Stone. 🐲🐉 8y

Lizpixie Charlie and his friends rebel against the Ministry when they break the rules aiding and abetting the trio moving Norbert out of Hogwarts. Draco rebels against the unwritten rule of not grassing to teachers by dobbing in Harry, Ron & Hermione, and of course the trio are rebelling against the rules by not only being out of their common room after hours, but also dragging a baby dragon around the castle. 8y

Lizpixie I don't believe what Hagrid does can really be classed as rebellion, he's not deliberately breaking rules by keeping Norbert, he's just so fascinated with fantastic beasts that he just doesn't honestly think about anything else. 8y

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Reecaspieces Also, Harry and Ron rebel against Hermione about making a study schedule!! Gotta love Hermione!! ❤️️ 8y

Amandajoy I see Hagrid's rebellion more against the idea that creatures like dragons are scary & bad rather than against the rules per se. I almost feel Hagrid is the only one not rebelling intentionally this chapter. Everyone else is intentionally & consciously breaking the rules. 8y

Kat.Kao Rebellion to me implies rebellion against something. I don't think the characters are rebelling so much as breaking the rules and doing what they want. (edited) 8y

mllemay @Amandajoy although in this particular chapter, the other characters wouldn't have to break the rules if Hagrid hadn't broken them in the first place. So they're intentionally breaking the rules so that Hagrid's "rebellion" won't have negative consequences for him. Maybe that attenuates it a bit? 8y

Amandajoy @mllemay That's a fair point. I just think in his heart Hagrid believes that if he could raise the dragon in a loving environment people would see them as safe. I don't see his actions as an act of rebellion & I'm not sure he fully thought of the consequences for the others. I think rebellion requires a certain mindset. 8y

Redjewel_7734 I think the interesting question with this theme is when is rebellion justified? Is the trio's rebellion justified because they're trying to help Hagrid? Is Hagrid's justified because he doesn't see the danger of some of his pets? When should we rebel and when should we follow the rules? 8y

mllemay @Amandajoy I agree with you that it's not really rebellion. I was just questioning the degrees of responsibility with regards to the rule-breaking, I guess lol. And to add to the rebellion point, if we take the definition from the post itself, rebellion requires open action whereas Hagrid keeps Norbert in secret. (edited) 8y

mrsrouvray What chapter are we up to?! I haven't had a good week so I'm a couple behind 😔 8y

freyaheart Just to let you guys know. I reached out to Harry Potter and the Sacred Text and let them know about our reading challenge. I can't wait to see once we pass them how the themes will diverge. 8y

Reecaspieces Just friends trying to help other friends out....not sure rebellion works for me... but they did know they were doing wrong. SO... 8y

monkeygirlsmama Do we have a theme yet for 1/18th? 8y

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here is the theme for 1/16/17!

monkeygirlsmama This chapter was full to the brim with hope. ❤️To start with Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still hoping to determine the identity of Flamel. Gryffindor's team had hope that they could beat Hufflepuff in the Quidditch match because this would put them ahead of Slytherin. Ron and Hermione had hope that if he needed it during the game they could defend Harry from Snape with magic. 8y

monkeygirlsmama Ron, Hermione, and Harry gave Neville hope that he was worthy of being part of their house. Malfoy's continual abuse had put doubt in his mind that he was strong enough, but the hope the others gave him allowed him to eventually stand up to Malfoy. Harry was worried about playing the match with Snape as ref, but his worries were washed away and replaced by hope when he saw Dumbledore in the stands. 8y

Lizpixie @monkeygirlsmama has hit the nail on the head, everything about this chapter has hope involved. Plus there's the hope at the end, that the trio can stop Snape (who they mistakenly believe is the one involved) and prevent the philosophers stone falling into the wrong hands. 8y

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monkeygirlsmama @Lizpixie Having never read the books before, but having at least seen the movies I think it's fun watching things unfold that I know are presented in a light that doesn't actually show things as they are. 8y

alexbaysinger At the beginning of the chapter Harry, Ron, and Hermoine had lost hope that they would find anything about Flamel. Then Neville restores that hope by giving Harry the card from his chocolate frog which mentions Flamel's name. Also, at the end of the chapter the gang hopes that Quirrell can stand up to Snape in order prevent him from getting his hands on the stone. 8y

Reecaspieces I think this is the best chapter of the book. I love how each of the kids are coming into their own. Neville especially. Hope abounds in this chapter. 8y

Amandajoy I love how Harry gives Neville hope that he is in the right house. 8y

Amandajoy I also found it interesting the hope they place in Dumbledore. Once they see him at the Quidditch match, everyone (Gryffindors especially) think it will be ok. I think this is foreshadowing the hope they all place in Dumbledore as the series goes on. 8y

Kat.Kao I love Neville so much. He really embodies hope, and how it can overcome fear. 8y

suvata This chapter is FULL of hope. Harry's kindness gives Neville hope. Harry's friends hope that nothing bad will happen at the Quidditch game. Dumbledore's presence at the Quidditch game gives Henry hope. 8y

451Degrees This chapter is the essence of hope in both a positive and negative manner. Obviously Gryffindor continues to have hope that they will win the Quidditch Cup surpassing Slytherin once they beat Hufflepuff. Harry is also gaining hope that he is beginning to fit into the wizarding world with how well he's doing in classes (except potions) and in Quidditch. Some negative aspects of the chapter regrading hope is near the beginning of the chapter the... 8y

451Degrees (Cont) Trio is losing hope that they will never find out who Flamel is therefore not figuring out what Fluffy is guarding. Another is that Neville is losing hope in himself being a Gryffindor when Draco puts the Leg Locker curse on him. However near the end of the chapter he redeems himself by standing up for Harry which gives everyone hope in him☺️ 8y

pppooraikul I agree with everyone here that this chapter is brimmed with hope. But what struck me is Harry thoughts after the match; "He'd really done something to be proud of now - no one could say he was just a famous name anymore". That moment, hope flickered inside Harry's heart and it made him who he became years later. 8y

Redjewel_7734 What I like in this chapter is seeing how hope can give one strength to act. Hermione's hope to be at the top of the class spurs her to plan her studies for the year end tests. Harry's affirmation of Neville's belonging in Gryffindor gives hope that allows him to stand up to Malfoy & his goons. Harry's hope to prove himself & to survive the Quidditch match spurs him to make the quick snatch of the Snitch. 8y

Redjewel_7734 The extrapolation of this theme for us is how can we use hope to spur us in our lives. I think this is a very pertinent question in these uncertain times. We have to let the hope we have for the world we would like to see spur us to get involved and take actions, even if they are just small changes and actions in our own small world...enough small changes & actions can add up and show us to be the force we all hope to be. 8y

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Side note on today's topic: we are following Harry Potter and the Sacred Text's themes for the first book (and part of the second). This was the theme they chose for this chapter. We understand that this is an extremely sensitive topic for many, and ask that all discussions be kept respectful. We also understand it might be hard to see this theme, and would recommend listening to the podcast to hear their take on it.

monkeygirlsmama Forgive me if you've mentioned this before, but where might one find the podcast? I am curious to listen to their take on this theme as I had trouble distinguishing anything coming close to it in my reading of today's chapter. Thanks! 🙂 8y

alexbaysinger The only thing that I think might represent white privilege in this chapter is the introduction of the invisibility cloak. People who are white take for granted that their skin tone allows them to go where they want and do what they want without being scrutinized or judged because of their skin color. 8y

alexbaysinger Being white almost makes you invisible to society in a way because it is considered the "norm" while people of color stand out as being different. (edited) 8y

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pppooraikul @monkeygirlsmama You can search Podcast for "Harry Potter and the Sacred Text". They're currently on book 2, chapter 12 this week. ? 8y

monkeygirlsmama @alexbaysinger Hmm I suppose you may be on to something there in regards to the correlation. Though I don't think it's quite as cut and dried as "can go where they want and do what they want", but I totally get what you mean. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @pppooraikul thanks 🐹 8y

pppooraikul @monkeygirlsmama You're welcome. 8y

alexbaysinger @monkeygirlsmama Yeah, I was just taking a stab at it. I am by no means an expert on this topic. White privilege I mean. I am an expert on Harry Potter. 😉 8y

Reecaspieces Yeah...I think this is such an obscure topic for this chapter...it should be a topic about family or lack there of for Harry. Seeing his family in the mirror for the first time....also what about the sweaters the whole Weasley family gets....can't get much better than that. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Reecaspieces Ooh, yes, family would have been a good topic. That or dreams, connections, or something. Oh well, lots of chapters yet to come so I'm sure we will come across the occasional theme that's not quite as obvious. 8y

Amandajoy Listening to the podcast definitely helped me understand the theme a bit better, though I still find it a stretch. I saw it through Malfoy & his attitude toward those he deem to be "lesser." For Harry, no amount of white privilege is going to bring his family back. 8y

Redjewel_7734 @alexbaysinger I agree with you that the invisibility cloak is a great correlation to white privilege. Just like the cloak, white privilege allows one to play with visibility & invisibility. One's visibility as white allows one to have better chances at jobs, education,etc & by putting on the cloak of white privilege, one can disappear from many consequences & negativities that POC have focused on them, like higher incarceration rates & violence. 8y

Redjewel_7734 The important thing is to realize the benefits that this visibility/invisibility gives one & work to share the benefits of that cloak as Harry shares with his friends. We can do this by standing up & being visible & vocal in the fight against injustices against POC & other minority groups, & if we can utilize our privilege to shield someone, we should. 8y

Redjewel_7734 One of the things I love about thematic reading is learning from the themes & bringing those lessons into my life & actions. :) 8y

Morphidae I thought I had was that the dreams the Mirror of Erised show are very different for Harry and Ron than would be for someone less privileged. They get dreams of family and personal success whereas people of color might get dreams of safety, equality, or some type of financial advancement. 8y

Kat.Kao @Morphidae that's a great point! I also wonder how the chapter would have been different if Harry had been a girl, or a student of color. Giving an 11 year old an invisibility cloak with no restrictions is a huge gesture of trust. 8y

mllemay I was really struck by Dumbledore's line "strange how short-sighted being invisible can make you." It reminds me of people who say that racism, or sexism, or any other prejudice doesn't exist anymore just because they don't encounter it because of their privilege. Not having to contend with a negative reality makes you more prone to dismiss it, but just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't real. 8y

451Degrees I took this theme as more just privilege in the wizarding world. Draco makes fun of Harry and Ron because they're families "don't want them" or aren't bringing them home for Christmas. Ron I feel is jealous that even though Harry has no family he is more privileged than he is being rich, famous, and acquiring the Invisibility Cloak from a secret someone. I also feel like Harry begins to feel privileged to do as he likes because of the cloak like.. 8y

451Degrees (Cont) wandering the corridors and going into the Restricted section in the library. Also in a way the reflections of the Mirror of Erised can be based off of privilege for instance Ron wants glory because he was privileged enough to have a family, yet all Harry wants is to have a family even though he has the fame and glory. Intriguing theme for this chapter! 8y

451Degrees I like how everyone is relating the Cloak to having white skin! It's something I never thought of in terms of relating to each other. Nice correlation all! 8y

freyaheart I didn't see the connection to the cloak until I read the posts here and listened to HP and the scared text. I made the privilege connection with Draco saying "I don't feel sorry for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home" Draco has that privilege to go home but others do not for what ever reason. 8y

WanderingBookaneer Everyone has been posting Dumbledore's "short-sighted" quote as if Harry was the only one being invisible in the scene. As an older white male, Dumbledore admits he has other ways of becoming invisible. I wonder how many of those are afforded by the fact that he is closeted. 8y

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/14/17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to check in for the challenge for the chance to win a prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/15/17 IS WHITE PRIVILEGE

monkeygirlsmama When this chapter was beginning, Wood and Harry were still keeping his joining the quidditch team on the down low. Their goal was to maintain the secret until the last minute when the team walked out onto the arena, therein maximizing the surprise for Slytherin. During the game, Harry's goal was to catch the snitch and help Gryffindor win the match. But someone, maybe Snape, had a goal of preventing that by casting a spell over Harry's broom. 8y

Lizpixie I think Harry's goal in this chapter is to prove himself as good at something in the wizarding world. He's been ridiculed, bullied and made fun of since he arrived at Hogwarts, so he feels the need to prove himself as deserving of this new life. 8y

ErinC I loved that Hermione's goal has shifted so much because of their newfound friendship that it's now to protect Harry. 8y

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alexbaysinger We don't know this until later, but Snape's goal was to protect Harry and it was Professor Quirrell/Voldemort's goal to harm Harry. 8y

alexbaysinger Also, Hagrid's goal was to keep Fluffy and the information about the what was under the trapdoor a secret (although he failed, lol). After Hagrid revealed Nicolas Flamel's name it became Harry's goal to solve the mystery of what Fluffy is guarding and why Snape might be after it. 8y

Kat.Kao The shift in goal over the students overall from beating the other houses in the first book to being united in the final book is huge, and totally changes so much about Hogwarts. I'm excited to see that shift over the course of the books. 8y

451Degrees I think the main goal in this chapter is that Harry is striving to meet everyone's expectations of him as a wizard and he wants to show that in one way through quidditch. It's his goal to be good at it (especially to beat Slytherin) and catch the snitch which he does achieve in this chapter. Oliver Woods' goal is to be the best house team ever to win the Quidditch Cup. And Quirrel's goal of killing Harry failed during the game. 8y

Reecaspieces Then there is the failed goal of dumping Harry off his broom. #gohermione 8y

mllemay @ErinC I love that aspect of it too! She's finally allowing herself to direct her ambition towards something other than just being the best in class and that's so nice to see. 8y

Amandajoy Everyone's working towards some sort of goal this chapter. Gryffindors to win the House Cup; someone knocking Harry off his broom; Hermione saving Harry; the trio learning about Flamel & what Fluffy's guarding; and Hagrid keeping a secret. Some succeed & some don't. I'm glad to see that for Hermione, learning is always a goal. 8y

BarbaraJean @ErinC @mllemay That's what stood out to me as well--how Hermione's goals shift from being academic and rule-oriented to being people/friend-oriented. I saw her Gryffindor loyalty come out more in this chapter through that shift in her goals. 8y

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/13/17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to check in for the challenge for the chance to win a prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/13/17 IS GOALS

451Degrees I really feel like this chapter solidified the trio's friendship! Harry and Ron grow closer in this chapter by wanting to break more school rules together much to Hermione's disapproval. However this is also where Hermione really joins these two in friendship. Harry and Ron risk their lives to save Hermione's from the troll and Hermione lies to McGonagall to save Harry and Ron from being punished for trying to save her. I feel like these acts... 8y

451Degrees (Cont) really put their friendship in concrete. The chapter then ends on a bomb quote which pretty much summarizes the whole friendship theme. "From that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend." ☺️☺️ 8y

Peddler410 @hpchapteraday I'm confused! Aren't we reading chapter ten on 1/13? This post says chapter 11. Or am I reading this wrong? 8y

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monkeygirlsmama @Peddler410 I think that's a typo, as it should be day ten. 8y

monkeygirlsmama This is a chapter that saw the birth or new friendships. Harry begins to train with Wood which opens up the door for a kind of teammate friendship between them. Hermione struggles to make friends because of her inability to balance her need for friends vs her need to be the best. Then Ron inadvertently hurts her feelings further ostracizing her. But before all is said and done, Harry and Ron rescue Hermione and she reciprocates by saving them... 8y

monkeygirlsmama (continued...) from McGonagall's wrath at being in the middle of things and taking on the troll. They weren't friends, per say, so Hermione didn't need to stand up for the boys, but they'd put their lives on the line for her. And, really, who can not in good conscience call that an epic way to begin a friendship? 8y

WanderingBookaneer This chapter begins by affirming that Harry and Ron are partners in crime and ends with Hermione—previously ostracized for being a know-it-all, turning the duo to a trio. The theme of friendship is present from the first paragraph to the last. 8y

WanderingBookaneer @steverogers : The chapter numbers have been incorrect since yesterday. 8y

Yunie241 I love the theme of friendship that runs through this chapter with the formal formation of the trio. Hermione bent the rules to protect Ron and Harry, and they realized that her doing this meant they must be important to her. 8y

Amandajoy This has always been one of my favorite chapters of all the books & it's because of the theme of friendship that you see throughout. This is where the three finally all become friends. You can see the friendship grow out of the ways they all stick up for each other. 8y

suvata The final sentence in this chapter says that the best. "There are some things you can‘t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them." 8y

Graciouswarriorprincess I love this theme of friendship in this chapter. Ron and Harry's friendship has bloomed and Harry is starting new friendship with Wood and soon to be Quidditch team. Harry and Ron finally become friends with Hermione at the end. Harry also mentions that he feels more at home at Hogwarts then he ever did at Privett Drive. I think that's the point in these books: friendship, family and love! Isn't it what we all want?😊 8y

Kat.Kao I was struck by how Hermione seems to not have any friends before she befriends Harry & Ron, & it's hard to tell how she feels about it. Harry's POV is pretty limiting. She SEEMS fine, but is she? I wonder if she had friends at her Muggle school. Maybe working hard and showing what she knows has become a defense mechanism. It's possible she was just as lonely as Harry before Hogwarts. 8y

maximoffs @WanderingBookaneer sorry about that! I started a new job so every thing has been crazy 8y

WanderingBookaneer @steverogers : No worries. Good luck! 8y

mllemay @Kat.Kao that's such an interesting question! I'm inclined to agree with you that Hermione might not have had that many friends in the Muggle world either. It's possible that what is happening with Ron and Harry is her first opportunity to develop a real and lasting friendship with anyone. I find it interesting that JK Rowling decided that Hermione's two best friends would be guys as opposed to exploring female friendship. 8y

Reecaspieces Less pressure with guy friends. I love the friendship between these three. They really do well together. 8y

Redjewel_7734 I like the exploration of the different types of friendship as represented by the Quidditch balls that was spoken of in the Harry Potter & the Sacred Text Podcast. The Quaffle is your larger circle of friends and acquaintances, the bludgers are your "frenemies" & the Snitch are those closest & most special friends which are the hardest to find but the most worth the wait & work of finding them. Great metaphor that I had never even thought of! 8y

mllemay @Redjewel_7734 I love that metaphor as well! 8y

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/12/17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to check in for the challenge for the chance to win a prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/12/17 IS FRIENDSHIP

monkeygirlsmama Malfoy set Harry & Ron up to be discovered after hours by Filch. This act alone was nefarious & fueled by hate & fear because Malfoy doesn't take kindly to anyone standing up to him. He especially doesn't like it when the person is someone with as much implied power as Harry's backstory suggests he has. Yet, his act of ratting them out wasn't really a betrayal, in my mind, as you have to have a bond to break in order to betray & they had no bond. 8y

monkeygirlsmama McGonagall betrayed the punishment code when she didn't offer Harry any consequences after he rode his broom to chase Malfoy despite the teacher giving specific instructions for everyone to stay on the ground. She saw the importance of what he did and what he could do, and opted to forgo any traditional punishment. 8y

451Degrees In this chapter I see a couple betrayals that stand out. I feel like Harry is betraying Gryffindor by putting house points at risk by going to meet Draco after they are supposed to be in bed. Hermione tries to get this point across to him yet he still goes to meet Draco and almost gets caught. The other is that Draco doesn't actually show up for the dual and even though they aren't friends that's breaking an agreement they had. 8y

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Kat.Kao I think Harry found Ron's instant support a surprise--growing up, betrayal was the norm for Harry. Ron's unquestioning loyalty is a betrayal of Harry's expectations for how other people treat him. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Kat.Kao 😲 That's great. 8y

tpixie @Kat.Kao interesting twist on betrayal!! 🙃 8y

alexbaysinger I agree with @451Degrees, even though Malfoy and Harry aren't friends, they did agree to meet up for the duel. Therefore, Malfoy not showing up and ratting him out to Filch instead was an act of betrayal. Also I guess you could say Harry and his crew betrayed Dumbledore by going into the third corridor when the students were explicitly told not to go there, but it was an accident so that's bit of a stretch. 8y

alexbaysinger Also, Peeves betrayed the students by yelling out their location to Filch. Peeves then turned around and betrayed Filch by telling him "nothing" after he said he would tell Filch which way the students went. 8y

Reecaspieces Lots of betrayals in this chapter. What a great way to keep it interesting. (edited) 8y

suvata @451Degrees You make an excellent point about Harry betraying Gryffindor. I hadn't even considered that until you mentioned it. 8y

Bklover Isn't this Chapter 9 that's Betrayal? Am I messed up somehow? 8y

451Degrees @suvata I didn't think about it either! It's great the themes make you see different things!☺️ 8y

OrangeMooseReads @Bklover the date is today but the chapter is 10 and then further down it says for 1-12 the theme is friendship. I'm guessing a typo. Everyone else seems to have done ch 9 betrayal. I read that too and got confused as well. (edited) 8y

mllemay Malfoy definitely betrays Harry when he doesn't show up to the agreed-upon duel. But I agree with others who said that Harry and Ron betray the Gryffindors by going to the duel at all. I feel like that's a worse betrayal than if Harry just hadn't shown up for the duel because he has a much stronger bond with his housemates than with Malfoy. 8y

Amandajoy I see the biggest betrayal is when Harry & Ron sneak out for the duel. They betrayed their house & risked losing points (or worse, being expelled 😉). I don't see Malfoy not showing up as a betrayal, I feel like it was expected. 8y

Redjewel_7734 Lots of betrayal here and everyone has pointed them out quite well-what I would ask is are any of the betrayals justified? When is betrayal justified and when should it be called out for what it is? 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/11/17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to check in for the challenge for the chance to win a prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/12/17 IS BETRAYAL

451Degrees In this chapter I think one of the expectations/promises from Harry's perspective is that magic isn't as easy as he thought it was going to be. It's a promise that even though he's famous and we'll known, he's going to have to work towards being successful and good at magic. I also think this chapter is promising Snape's behavior towards Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor's for the rest of the series. This is just an intro for Snape's wrath. 8y

monkeygirlsmama There weren't any bonafide promises made, but many implied throughout this chapter. Hogwarts itself promises to be a challenge to learn to navigate. Filch & Mrs Norris promise to be always there watching, just waiting for the kids to make a mistake. McGonagall makes sure her students know her class is serious business and any misbehavior will be rewarded with ejection from the class. And Snape seems to promise a continued dislike for Harry. 8y

Reecaspieces Promises of new beginnings. Magical promises! (edited) 8y

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Lizpixie There's the promise of a new magical life for Harry, the magical promise others expect off him that he fails to immediately show, the promise that his relationship with Snape is always going to be extremely difficult, the promise that Hermione shows with her magical aptitude, the promise of friendship between Harry & Ron, and the promise of a new family in Gryffindor. 8y

WanderingBookaneer I love that the chapter ends with questions. They contain an implied promise that answers will be forthcoming. 8y

Kat.Kao Promising is about following through and consistency. I think we see a lot of setup for that here. It'll be interesting to see that variation over time, as the characters grow and change. 8y

Rozilla Maybe Harry "the boy who lived" represents a promise for the world being OK. Students are fascinated with his presence at the school. By now, all the other students know the story of how he survived the attack on his life as a baby. Maybe people need to hold onto that idea, especially since later in the chapter the notion of activities by dark witches/wizards is raised regarding the Gringotts robbery. He promises hope for people. 8y

alexbaysinger I guess I could say promises made earlier in the book were fulfilled in this chapter. Like the promise that Ron made to Harry that he wouldn't be the worst in the class and everyone starts magic at the same level. Also the promise that Harry's life at Hogwarts will be better than the life he left behind. Finally the end of the chapter promises mystery and adventure. 8y

Amandajoy I struggled with this theme today. The promises I saw were colored by the things that happen later in the book or series. I saw more expectations than promises. 8y

mllemay @Amandajoy I'm also having a hard time locating the theme in this chapter... The closest I can come to it is that life at Hogwarts is promising for Harry in the sense that it's better than life at the Dursleys. He is making friends and living in a more welcoming environment. But nobody really makes promises in the traditional sense of the word. 8y

janeycanuck I agree with @Amandajoy and @mllemay on today's theme. It feels like Ch 8 is mostly about setting the stage for the rest of the book by describing the castle & classes - so maybe it's J.K's promise to us, the readers? 8y

Redjewel_7734 I think that what is interesting with this theme is to explore how promises are subverted in this chapter. We generally think of buildings as stable and relatively unchanging, but here we see that Hogwarts subverts that-but as the changes are relatively dependable there is the promise that if you take the time to get to know Hogwarts, that knowledge will be rewarded (if only by being able to get to class on time). 8y

Redjewel_7734 Another promise is subverted has to do with Hermione. In the muggle world, she has had the experience of if you take the time to learn and have the answers, the teachers will reward this. However, we see that in potions class this promise of how a classroom works is broken by Snape's behavior and pettiness. 8y

Yossarian So, are these kids taking math and science, too? Or is it like those religious schools where they skip Evolution and Sex Ed and just teach you Creationism and Potions? 8y

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/10/17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to check in for the challenge for the chance to win a prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/11/17 IS PROMISES

monkeygirlsmama I saw vulnerability when the kids all got their first look inside Hogwarts. It was massive and incredible, but a little intimidating too. There were the ghosts, and then the uncertainty as to what "test" would be required for them to be sorted. Harry specifically felt vulnerable because he already felt completely unprepared for what to expect since the entire non-Muggle world and interaction was new to him. 8y

monkeygirlsmama Being a small boy totally surrounded by an otherworldly experience would in and of its own right make you feel vulnerable, but the added pressure of finding a place and not being tossed back out was a real fear for Harry. After the relief of being sorted and not finding himself booted back homes Harry felt vulnerable once again when Snape looked him in the eye and he felt a jolt in his scar. Not knowing why or how it happened made him feel weak. 8y

451Degrees Harry is feeling quite vulnerable in this chapter going into the Great Hall. One of the things that he's constantly being nervous about is having to be sorted in front of the whole school. He is afraid that it will be like his old school where he won't get picked for a team until the very end. He doesn't even think he's going to get sorted and that they'll send him back to the Dursley's! Another aspect of vulnerability I saw was the sorting hats.. 8y

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451Degrees (Cont) ability to read Harry's mind. As soon as Harry thought about not being in Slytherin, the hat retorted with talking about how well he could do in that house. I would definitely feel vulnerable if a talking article of clothing was reading my mind!😳 8y

freyaheart Having the sorting hat look into your mind would leave anyone feeling vulnerable and exposed. Seeing all your deepest darkest inner workings. 8y

alexbaysinger I'm sure all of the first years felt pretty vulnerable when the first encountered Professor McGonagall, as she can be a bit intimidating. 8y

Reecaspieces As with any first year student....they are all vulnerable. All want to be liked...I am sure at hogwarts with the sorting hat....dang!!! Scary situation but I would have loved every minute of it!!! #waitingonmyletter #hpchapteraday 8y

Lizpixie I think for Harry, the vulnerability he feels is when the sorting hat is placed on his head. For the last ten years living with the Dursleys, the only place that's truly his is the privacy of his own mind. He's spent years pretending and trying to be unnoticed, and then he has to sit in front of a roomful of strangers & have his thoughts laid bare? This is one of the points in this book that I pity that little boy the most. 8y

Rozilla @Lizpixie You made a great point. Harry may be being asked to share in a way that is completely foreign to him. Feeling vulnerable would be a realistic outcome! 8y

pilardib I think vulnerability is part of experiencing these new things. Like many people said, the sorting ceremony is a great example, and one of my favorite moments of the series. Yes, it's a bit intimidating to have a hat read your mind, but who wouldn't want to know their Hogwart's House? :P 8y

Kat.Kao The Sorting Hat is so scary, especially to a kid that age. At 11, you just want to belong. If you're someone who is just creating an identity, being sorted into a House you feel goes against that must make you feel so exposed. I'm an adult and part of me feels judgement when I take Sorting Hat quizzes! 8y

mllemay All the first years are definitely vulnerable - they don't know anything about how things work and that could lead them to physical injuries (not knowing that Peeves can play mean tricks on you, or that the forest is forbidden) and just feeling lost. And I think Harry has another layer of vulnerability because he goes through this experience while being observed by the entire school. (edited) 8y

mllemay The other students will get to figure things out by themselves and their mistakes probably won't be noticed or commented as much but Harry's behavior will be judged by everyone. I feel like that leaves him more exposed and vulnerable than everyone else. 8y

Amandajoy Starting at a new school always makes one feel vulnerable, so the first years' feelings are understandable. But then to be put told you will be sorted (judged) in front of the whole school takes that to a new level! I do like how at the end of the chapter they find themselves in the warm, cozy, safe Gryffindor common room. Show that Hogwarts isn't all scary. 8y

Whatannareads I think like everyone else has addressed a new school would make anyone vulnerable, add the fact that HP is well known already and bring on board his past experiences so far it's gonna make you feel exposed and vulnerable but then so are the rest of his class mates! Hermione is using her impressive knowledge to cover up her vulnerabilty for example. 8y

Whatannareads I think it also shows how easily influenced you can be when you are feeling exposed/vulnerable!! 8y

WanderingBookaneer @Lizpixie : Beautifully stated. 8y

WanderingBookaneer I was struck by Ron telling Harry that to be placed in houses you needed to take a test. He knew there was a chance that it was a joke, but he couldn't be completely true. This exacerbates Harry's anxiety and adds to his fears. This shows that ignorance of something makes one vulnerable to those peddling lies or half-truths. 8y

RebeccasReading I'm not sure if it makes the students more or less vulnerable to have their houses chosen by the sorting hat vs another person, but it would be a very vulnerable moment for each of them, especially if they were hoping for a certain house. 8y

Redjewel_7734 @Lizpixie Great points! And everyone has picked up on the things I was picking up on in this chapter. What I admired about Harry is that despite his vulnerability in these moments, he is brave enough to make his choice known to the Sorting Hat. So many probably just wait to hear where they will go, but Harry tells the hat "Not Slytherin" and that took guts. The Hat may be invading his space, but Harry is still in control of that space. 8y

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/9:17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to check in for the challenge for the chance to win a prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/10/17 IS VULNERABILITY

monkeygirlsmama There were lots of expectations surrounding Harry. First, you have the expectations that everyone on the wizarding world hold for him based on his legacy alone. They expect him to be someone incredible, but poor Harry doesn't feel incredible. He now knows his story but he hasn't gotten used to it yet, and he feels unequipped to live up to those expectations because he's always been made to feel inferior. 8y

monkeygirlsmama Harry has his own expectations. He expects Hogwarts is going to be a great change from living with the Dursleys and is extremely excited about going. Yet he expects that he won't be very good at the wizardry since he's lived a muggle life. When he meets Draco on the train he knows from his behavior he is the wrong kind of person to be friends with. He expects turning him down might come with consequences; however he doesn't care. 8y

Hooked_on_books This chapter is rife with expectation. Everyone's expectations of who Harry is, his expectations of a wizarding family, and the first years' and reader's expectations of what's waiting behind the castle door. So many unknowns building here. 8y

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freyaheart So much expectation in this chapter. So much. 8y

451Degrees This chapter like everyone has said so far is full of expectations. Harry was not expecting the Dursley's to treat him the way they did when they returned to Privet Drive and was even saddened by their behavior. He also had expectations about wizarding families to be more fantastic than muggle families. He soon finds from Ron's perspective that they are just like muggle families with the same trials and tribulations. Another expectation I found... 8y

451Degrees (Cont) was from Draco when he finds out who Harry really is. He is expecting Harry to join his gang since "he's famous and shouldn't be hanging around those kinds of wizarding families." I just feel like Dracos opinion of Harry completely changed once he knew who he was. The chapter ends with all sorts of expectations from Harry going into the castle and unsure and excited about what it's going to be like. 8y

Lizpixie I think the biggest expectations in this chapter come from the wizards/witches towards Harry. They expect him to be this wondrous magic wielding saviour, but instead he's just a confused, frightened lonely boy. The only person who treats him like a boy who should be looked after and even pitied is Mrs Weasley. Her expectation that he needs mothering and looked scared and lost is the only concern shown for his state of mind in the whole chapter. 8y

Reecaspieces So many expectations in this chapter. Like everyone has said, the expectations of the wizardry world has for Harry is the biggest. Everyone just assumes he knows all about everything. Like Hermione telling him all the books he is in. Harry has no clue. (edited) 8y

intothehallofbooks I love that Harry expected to be able to get thru Platform 9 3/4 even though everything from his Muggle upbringing was trying to say it didn't exist. But the paper telling him to be there and Mrs Weasley telling him how to get thru supported his expectation that it would work, which I think showed him that it's ok to expect things from his wizarding life even if he didn't quite know what those things are yet. 8y

Rozilla I like that ordinary life and problems find their way effortlessly into the story. The description by Ron about expectations placed on him by way of having 5 older brothers was a perfect example. He is expected to do wonderful things but, even if he does, the impact is lessened by the existence of that expectation. Families! ;) 8y

alexbaysinger I agree with everyone's comments here about how everyone expects that Harry will be a great wizard. Harry expects that he will be the complete opposite, he's afraid that he will be the worst in the class. Also, Harry defies Malfoy's expectations when he rejects Malfoy's friendship. Even Scabbers defies expectations a little bit. Ron thinks he useless but he helped win the fight with Malfoy's gang. 8y

alexbaysinger Another example of expectation is when Harry goes to the trolley expecting normal muggle candy but instead gets wizard candy. 8y

mllemay Expectation everywhere in this chapter, as everyone has pointed out! Harry not knowing what to expect but still thinking it will be better than what he's leaving behind. The expectations of others felt by Harry and by Ron and how both assume they will fall short. Hermione's expectations for herself (which seem to be incredibly high because she is the only witch in her family). Malfoy's expectations that everything will go the way he wants it to. 8y

Kat.Kao Haha my expectation was that there would be adults on a train filled with kids who can do magic! I think the train ride is a great example of the inconsistency the first years can expect: rules but little supervision. 8y

DrJAdMerricksson Well, Harry has no idea what to expect of the wizarding world, thanks to the Dursleys. They expect Harry to be stuck in train depot because there is no Platform 9 3/4. Ron expects he will be judged against his brothers, rather than for himself. 8y

Yunie241 I love how Harry, in spite of the awful childhood he has, still has such high expectations for everything. He expects to find platform 9 3/4 even though the number is absurd and he has to know that. He doesn't say "well it doesn't exist, better go home". Instead, he phrases everything as how long he has to catch the train before it leaves. He fully expects that the train exists. 8y

WanderingBookaneer Your first day of school is always full of expectations, particularly when you are going to a new school. For Harry this is doubly compounded by the fact that he had no idea what he could expect from a wizarding school except for the clues he could infer from his list of supplies and the books he read during summer break. 8y

Redjewel_7734 Expectation is everywhere in this chapter...the bigger question is how do expectations shape the characters & by extension how do we allow expectation to shape us, both in how others' expectations of us shape our actions and how our expectations of others lead us to treat act towards them. In the story, I think the most interesting example of this is how Harry acts toward Ron & Draco. Harry has expectations of Draco due to their conversation in (edited) 8y

Redjewel_7734 (Cont) Diagon Alley & by the fact that he surrounds himself with "body guards" and his expectations of Ron have been shaped by watching him with his family & in the fun they've had getting to know one another. It would be easy to fall in with the idea of going with the rich & popular crowd, especially at Harry's age & considering how isolated he's been in the past, but Harry chooses to go with behavior and I admire him for that. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Rozilla Good spotting. I didn't think of that angle, but you're totally right. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @alexbaysinger Whoa, great points. I completely breezed over both of those when I was considering the topic. 8y

WanderingBookaneer Through her use of characterization, Rowling sets up expectations for the reader. Ron is loyal to his family. Neville is bumbling and forgetful. Harry and Ron might become friends. Hermione is bossy and nerdy. Draco is a snob. Crabbe & Goyle are bullies and Draco's figurative lackeys. 8y

syasutake I read Hermione differently this time because I had the word expectation in mind. From what she said, I got the impression that she expected to have to work extra hard because she was from a Muggle family. It made me see her in a different light. I haven't had time to comment every day, but this themed reading has been enlightening so far. 8y

Whatannareads I find there is a parallel here between Harry's Expectations of himself.. and the Expectations from others of Harry I.e. Everyone is expecting Harry to know what to do already, yet Harry has no idea what to expect from his own magic or from his journey at Hogwarts. 8y

Tikabelle ::Jack Sparrow voice:: I'm catching up. 8y

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/8/17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to sign up for the challenge for the chance to win a prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/9/17 IS EXPECTATIONS

451Degrees I feel like the main point of this chapter is revealing how much Harry is a stranger to both worlds he lives in. In the wizarding world he questions hagrid about everything from Gringotts to quiddich to all the magic creatures. He also contemplates at the end of the chapter how he doesn't know why he's famous and how everyone else idolizes him. I also found he was a stranger in the muggle life when he says he's never been to London. Harry I feel.. (edited) 8y

451Degrees (Cont) Is just a stranger in whatever world he is in which is difficult to think about😔 (edited) 8y

KateTheBookworm @451Degrees So true! It's also interesting to see how much Hagrid is a stranger in the muggle world at the beginning of the chapter. He has a hard time getting around, can't use muggle money, and is openly stared at. Quite a contrast to when we see him enter the wizarding world at the Leaky Cauldron and be greeted with, "The usual, Hagrid?" ? (edited) 8y

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Megld4 @KateTheBookworm Yet even in the wizarding world Hagrid doesn't quite fit it. He got expelled and is considered by some to be a sort of servant. This chapter solidified the mutual appreciation Harry and Hagrid feel, I think at least party due to the fact that neither entirely fit in. 8y

KateTheBookworm @Megld4 Totally agree! I really think that's a lot of the reason Harry and Hagrid get along so well. Both outcasts of a sort. (edited) 8y

monkeygirlsmama @451Degrees Baffled how I missed this. (Suppose daughters and hubby bothering me repeatedly while reading didn't help. 😀) Such a great take away for this theme. It really is possible to live an entire life in one place and still be a complete stranger. Bam. That's heavy stuff right there. (edited) 8y

Lizpixie In this chapter, Harry I feel is starting to realise just how much of a stranger he will be in the life that he should have been living from birth. Meeting the people in The Leaky Cauldron, who treat him like a celebrity, unsettles him very much, and I know if that was me, I'd be very worried about the reception I'd be getting at my new school. Being a complete stranger to a new life can be like wearing an ill fitting suit. 8y

Lizpixie It's uncomfortable, itchy and it feels like everyone is staring at you. 8y

monkeygirlsmama My mind went a few other directions when it came to this topic of being a stranger. I was stuck on the door sign from Gringotts, the one that both welcomed yet warned strangers. ⚠️ To me it was saying being a stranger doesn't have to be a bad thing, we will accept you. However, don't take our welcome as an invitation to screw us over either or there will be hell to pay. 💰🐲💔 8y

monkeygirlsmama The other things that popped for me were that Harry felt like a stranger in the pub and Diagon Alley; however everyone that recognized him flocked to him. His reputation proceeded him. You can be a stranger in that you don't really know anyone or visa versa, but rumors and stories will spread- bad and good. (Edited because autocorrect "fixed" things without my noticing. Whoops. ?) (edited) 8y

monkeygirlsmama Lastly, in the cloak shop Harry met a boy who felt inclined to speak his mind about people. He didn't know who Harry was, nor did he consider or care that he (Harry) might not reflect those hateful feelings let alone feel personally affronted by them. Moral: Strangers or not, everyone has feelings and we should be mindful of how our words and actions can affect them. Being a stranger is hard enough without having to deal with other ppl's baggage. 8y

451Degrees @KateTheBookworm & @Megld4 totally agree with y'all! Hagrid is just as much of an outcast in both his worlds as Harry is and that would be an understandable foundation for their growing friendship! 8y

451Degrees @monkeygirlsmama I didn't see it till today when I read it. When it said Harry had never been to London I was like um I'm pretty sure Surrey and London are only like an hour from each other. Meaning Harry has pretty much never left Surrey his whole life! 8y

freyaheart Everything is so new and strange to Harry but everyone knows who he is. 8y

alexbaysinger It seems as if Harry is a stranger to himself. He doesn't remember anything about the night his parents died yet everyone in the wizarding world knows his story. With the Dursley's he never really had an identity now that as he is brought into this new world he is forced to get to know himself as "The Boy Who Lived". 8y

Yossarian For today's theme, I would have chosen either "kidnapping" or "attempted manslaughter" for taking Harry away from his legal guardians and abandoning them on an island without their boat, food, or water. 8y

Reecaspieces Hagrid is also in a strange muggle world since he cannot use magic...he was stuck in the turnstile, uncomfortable in the seats in the train, can figure out muggle money. Lot of strangeness for both characters. 8y

Born.A.Reader All of the First Years felt nervous being in a strange place but Harry feels like a complete stranger to everything and everyone, having not lived in the Wizarding World before. But I think he felt more at home at Hogwarts, surrounding by all these strange things than he ever did at Privet Drive. 8y

Amandajoy I found it interesting that Harry's a stranger to the Wizarding world, all of it's new to him, & yet he's a stranger to no one. It must be odd feeling so new & out of place & being famous for something you just found out about. I also liked the juxtaposition of Hagrid being a stranger to the Muggle world. 8y

Amandajoy @Megld4 I never thought about the connection between Hagrid & Harry & them being outcasts. I always looked at the people rude to them as jerks. But I guess you're right in that there are a lot who look down on those two throughout the series. 8y

Kat.Kao Harry repeatedly chooses to remain on the outside, even though it would be easier not to--when he meets the boy in particular. Instead of letting the boy guide him, he sticks with Hagrid and remains a novelty. 8y

suvata How about "stranger" as an adjective? Since his birthday, things just keep getting stranger and stranger for Harry. 8y

WanderingBookaneer "Harry had never been to London before."
The Dursleys never took him. He never went on a Field Trip. Forget about magical England, Harry was a stranger in his own muggle land. The Dursleys controlled his exposure to all unknown, uncontrollable elements. (edited) 8y

DrJAdMerricksson Harry's not just a stranger to both Muggles and magical worlds, he was to the family he lived with, too. They never made the effort to get to really know him at all, despite living together for a decade. And, I imagine, having Harry as a skeleton in the closet probably kept the Dursleys' relative strangers to their own cohorts for fear of someone finding out. 8y

LDuffN Harry is a stranger to himself. Everyone seems to know who he is but he has no idea. Doesn't know about his parents or the true reason he came to be with the Dursleys. 8y

WanderingBookaneer Has anyone else wondered if the phoenix whose tail feathers are in Harry and Voldemort's wands in Fawkes? 8y

WanderingBookaneer Harry's eyes have been opened to see a whole new world he was previously unaware existed. Harry has always felt out of place at the Dursley's because he was treated like a pest. In this chapter he learns that there is something even stranger: being treated like a celebrity or a hero for something that you not only didn't remember, but only recently found out. 8y

freyaheart @WanderingBookaneer they are from fawkes 8y

WanderingBookaneer Thanks, @freyaheart ! 8y

Redjewel_7734 All of these are such great points about the "being a stranger" theme & are just what I was picking up on. It makes me want to be more aware of what I say and how I act towards strangers. While in today's world safety is always a consideration that shouldn't stop us from reaching out to one another, giving people a chance and welcoming them into our world-after all, there's always a great chance that a stranger is a friend you've yet to meet. 8y

ScorpioBookDreams I love all the hidden subtext that JK Rowling has written. For example, when Ollivander tells Harry that Lily's wand was good for charm work (signifying the charm Lily left in Harry when she sacrificed herself) and James's was good for transfiguration (i.e. being an animagus). 👏👏👏 8y

mllemay @ScorpioBookDreams yes, that's the fun of re-reading! You pick up on so many more details and you can make connections you didn't see before 🤓 8y

Yunie241 Every time I read this book, I can never get over the fact that Rowling lets Harry be the stand-in for the reader during this chapter. He's just as clueless as you are to the world of magic and is asking all the questions you would be as the reader. This contrasts with Harris, someone familiar with the magical world, who constantly casually mentions things that Harry would have no knowledge of. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @WanderingBookaneer Is that Dumbledore's Phoenix? I've never read the books before, but have seen the movies. (edited) 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Redjewel_7734 well said 8y

Whatannareads It must be really difficult entering a world you've only just found about- and having people recognised the emphasis behind the name! Like it's been said previously I love how JKR writes this chapter, the reader can see it through Harry eyes as it's both new to reader and to Harry. But also the strangeness of the new world he's suddenly been catapulted into, and has to get his head around x 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/7/17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to sign up for the challenge for the chance to win a prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/8/17 IS BEING A STRANGER

KateTheBookworm I'm most interested in a controversial display of generosity - the Dursley's taking in Harry after his parents death. However grudgingly, they raised him, fed him, sent him to school, etc. And at this point in the book, they've gone through great lengths to "protect" Harry from the wizarding world. There are some very strange contradictions in the Dursley's behavior between generosity, care, and derision. 8y

WanderingBookaneer Hagrid is the first person that we see is generous to Harry. More than that, I think he is the first—as far as Harry can remember—to treat him with a sense of humanity. I see it as paying it forward. Dumbledore was the only one who treated Hagrid kindly once upon a time and so Hagrid is doing the same with Harry now. 8y

451Degrees Of course the main generosity seen in this chapter is between Hagrid and Harry. Hagrid is one of the first ppl to celebrate Harry's birthday since his parents and actually made it a big deal. But what I found most generous of Hagrid was the knowledge he bestowed upon Harry. He went in thinking Harry knew some of the world he belonged in and instead he's blindsided by Harry's ignorance to the wizarding world. He could have waited for someone else.. 8y

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WanderingBookaneer @KateTheBookworm : I never questioned the things the Dursleys provided for two reasons. The first is that whether or not we get along or agree with them many of us are bound to our families in an almost pathological way. If it has to do with familial duty, we obey. As for feeding him, [clothing him], and sending him to school: the Dursleys gave Harry the basics that are required by law. I wish we knew what happened when they found him, (👇🏻) 8y

WanderingBookaneer but I am willing to be that for once Petunia put her foot down and told Dursley they had to keep Harry. 8y

451Degrees (Cont) to explain everything but he answered Harry's questions to the best of his abilities and tried to help Harry comprehend the news of him being a wizard. I think this is one of the most generous things he could have done for Harry and I think that's what their relationship is built off of! 8y

KateTheBookworm @WanderingBookaneer That's what's so interesting to me. Does it count as generosity? Do you have to be kind to be generous? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I have a lot of questions about the Dursley's. For example, why are they working so hard to keep Harry from the wizarding world? Wouldn't an offer of 7 Harry-free school years be their dream come true? 8y

Kat.Kao I found Harry's reaction to everything to be generous--instead of gloating or plotting revenge, he's more focused on Hagrid and this new world. 8y

WanderingBookaneer @KateTheBookworm : I think the Dursleys are afraid of what might happen if Harry goes to wizarding school. They are afraid that Harry will use his powers to get revenge. After all, that's what their Dudleykins would do. Remember, by this point they do not know underage wizards are not allowed to do magic outside Hogwarts. 8y

WanderingBookaneer @451Degrees : I hadn't considered it in this way. In one fell swoop Hagrid gave Harry his roots and his wings. 8y

451Degrees @WanderingBookaneer I never thought of it either till following this theme and focusing specifically on it! I also didn't think of the Dursley's being afraid of Harry using magic against them! Although I know later on in the books a lot of issues come up with the Dursley's and magic folk... 8y

monkeygirlsmama @KateTheBookworm they're afraid of the unknown. I think that Petunia might secretly harbor feelings of jealousy because Lily got her letter & went to Hogwarts. Pentunia was left behind, meanwhile Lily went off and made their parents proud. Pentunia might have been more put out about not having the same opportunity as opposed to truly fearing the magical world her sister inhabited. Her jealousy turned to hate. That's my take anyway. (edited) 8y

monkeygirlsmama I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said. I thought that Hagrid was the most generous in this chapter. He gave Harry probably the first bday cake he'd ever been given. He saw he was hungry and promptly cooked him a plate of sausages. He generously told Harry's story, knowing it would be hard for himself. And when the Dursleys spoke ill of James, Lily, Harry, and Dumbledore Hagrid rushed to defend their honor. This is generosity IMO. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @KateTheBookworm I'm so happy we're all doing this reading together and chatting about our takes on each theme. It's really interesting because so often someone picks up on something completely different. I never truly stopped to consider the Dursleys' "generosity". I don't doubt they had a hidden agenda or something when they initially took him in, but still there had to be a modicum of generosity that sparked their initial decision. Right? 8y

Lizpixie In this chapter is where Hagrid & Harrys friendship first begins, with the generosity that Hagrid shows towards him, which turns into respect and love. I don't think their relationship would have gotten to where it does in the end without that first display of "here's a cake I made for you, let me tell you about your parents." That made Harry almost pathologically grateful to the first person to show him any type of humanity. 8y

alexbaysinger I would also add that Dumbledore showed generosity toward Hagrid by letting him stay on at Hogwarts as groundskeeper after he got expelled. I suspect that Dumbledore also let Hagrid keep his broken wand inside that pink umbrella. Also, let's not forget the obvious that Hagrid is a giant and, therefore generous in size. 8y

DrJAdMerricksson People have already mentioned Hagrid and Dumbledore's generosity. Two other things stand out to me rereading this. The first is that Hagrid's tale brushes against a bigger generosity, that generosity of love that protected Harry. And it's opposite. We see how Petunia was shaped by a (perhaps only perceived) lack of generosity in terms of praise from her parents for the Muggle daughter, which is so sad to me. 8y

mllemay The contrast between Hagrid's generosity in giving Harry ALL the information and the Dursleys' pettiness in withholding all of it from him for ten years is truly shocking. Seeing Hagrid just calmly and matter-of-factly telling Harry about his parents and his history and the wizarding world is so beautiful - definitely the best and most generous gift Harry has ever received. 8y

Amandajoy If course Hagrid is what comes to mind when thinking of generosity in this chapter. He brought Harry a birthday present & answers Harry's questions about his parents. At this point in his life, I would say Harry's never had someone be so generous toward him. 8y

Redjewel_7734 @KateTheBookworm I like your idea of exploring the generosity of the Durselys. However, I would say any generosity behind the idea of "protecting" him from the wizarding world is contradicted in the single line "we swore we'd stamp it out of him". It would seem they took him out of a sense of maybe obligation and perhaps even revenge on the Potters somehow-getting back at them for any real or perceived slights through their treatment of Harry. 8y

Redjewel_7734 I think generosity is a great focus for this chapter because we have such a great contrast between Hagrid's generosity & the Dursleys's lack of it. The Dursleys can't even be bothered to remember Harry's birthday, but the first thing Hagrid does is wish him Happy Birthday and give him a cake. The Dursleys try to break Harry down, while Hagrid builds him up. The Dursley's withhold while Hagrid gives. & Harry finally has a choice of paths to follow. 8y

Whatannareads One of my favourite chapters in the book, as many others have said it's the first time anyone has shown Harry generosity, and Hagrid is the embodiment of good especially to Harry. It's the first time he finds out about his parents and the first time he's given a birthday cake 🎂! It's one of my favourite chapters of this book! 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/6/17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to sign up for the challenge for the chance to win a fabulous prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/7/17 IS GENEROSITY.

hpchapteraday #hpchapteraday 8y

451Degrees For today's theme of fear I felt most of this chapter was focused on the Dursley's fear. The initial fear of getting the letter and wondering if they are being watched by 'those people.' They are also fearful of having a wizard in their household to disrupt the normalcy they cherish. Perhaps there is also correlation with fear and magic stemming from the fact that the Potter's downfall was through magic and the Dursley's fear they could have the.. 8y

451Degrees (Cont) same fate as them. In my opinion Harry doesn't seem to have much fear in this chapter other than the bullies in the beginning and then the loud bangs at the end of the chapter. Although it could be argued there might be some fear in him wondering why someone would be writing him. Also one of my favorite chapters because there's #nopostonsundays 😂👍🏻 8y

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WanderingBookaneer "These people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me."

Ignorance begets fear begets prejudice. The Dursleys are prejudiced against magic folks, but the magic folks make broad generalizations about muggles. We also see magic folk that are prejudiced against mudbloods and squibs. ?? 8y

WanderingBookaneer There are characters that can see beyond the divisive lines drawn by society. Hermione and S.P. E. W. is the best example. As the series moves to its conclusion that message of unity and inclusion becomes central to the plot. We see its first seed in the quote above by Vernon Dursley. 8y

WanderingBookaneer In this chapter the Dursleys are forced to face that which they fear most: magic. They also learn they cannot run away from it. 8y

freyaheart The Dursleys are so afraid of things they don't fully understand. This is almost topical in a way. 8y

alexbaysinger The Dursleys fear the wizarding world and everything it represents. Petunia and Vernon are fearful of the letters because they prove what they have always suspected, that Harry is a wizard and part of the world that they fear. If Harry reads the letter and attends Hogwarts, the Dursleys fear that their "normal" way of life will be disrupted. 8y

Reecaspieces I love how JKR can make the fear in her characters comical. Mr. Dursley is so determined. The way the Dursleys run...it also shows you can't always run from your fears. You must face them. 8y

Yunie241 The Dursleys make it their life mission to hide Harry away because he is the personification of everything they fear. When these letters start coming, it terrifies them because after all the time that they spend trying to hide away what they fear, these letters have always known where Harry was and their hiding and denial did nothing and can do nothing. 8y

Rozilla The weird part to me was that a large source of fear in this chapter is possibly experienced by the letter sender. They are SO insistent that he be contacted. Why? Then it dawned on me that fear has driven everything so far. Dumbledore was afraid to let Harry grow in his world (enter "The Dursleys"). Do the letters represent an attempt to reconnect? Does Dumbledore feel anxiety/fear over the decision he made for Harry's placement? 8y

the_hibernator Harry was afraid of Dudley so that he stayed out of the house during summer. Mr Dursley was driven to distraction by the letters. But notice the likable character handled his fear much more gracefully. 8y

KateTheBookworm Harry's entire life has been dictated by the Dursley's fear. That fear really comes to the surface with the letters. It gives the Dursley's something tangible to be afraid of. Vernon, in particular, is terrified by them. (Carting his family to a remote island? Buying a gun??) Petunia seems less afraid. Or maybe she just better understands that they aren't going to be able to stop the letters from getting to Harry. 8y

KateTheBookworm @WanderingBookaneer Great point about ignorance and the "us vs them" mentality shown by both the Dursley's and the non-muggles. Vernon's comment that you quoted echoes McGonagall's from chapter 1 when Dumbledore tells her he's leaving Harry with the Dursley's. "You can't mean the people who live here? [...] You couldn't find two people who are less like us."

Yikes, lady! (edited) 8y

Lizpixie Fear drives all of them in this chapter. Vernons fear that "they" are watching, Petunias fear that her family will never be the same, Dudleys fear that his father has gone mad & his perfect existence has gone & Harrys fear that a new life may be just within reach unless the Dursleys take it away too. Fear is pervasive, it crawls into every book & cranny of your world. 8y

Kat.Kao I really felt for the Dursleys and their complete horror at the letters. They know nothing about this world apart from Lily's death and that the people are weird. The inability to escape the letters is comical, but also sad and true to life: you can't outrun fear. 8y

mllemay Seeing Vernon lose his shit over those letters is so funny but also sad when you think how all of this could have been prevented if he had just let Harry have the first letter and dealt with it rationally 🙄 sometimes the thing you fear isn't actually all that scary in itself and it's what you imagine/anticipate around it that exacerbates the fear. 8y

maximoffs "Harry-hunting" sounds legit terrifying ? 8y

JessClark78 Vernon and Petunia have a lot of animosity toward the magical community and the immense fear that there might be one of them in their own home is pretty evident. Vernon is desperate to keep the letters from reaching Harry. I think some of it may come, also, from a fear of retribution for their poor treatment of Harry over the years. After seeing the addresses on the letters they start treating him a little better, believing they're being spied on. 8y

maximoffs I wondered a lot here about why Uncle Vernon was so fearful of a letter that would do what he wanted for so long: take Harry away for the majority of time. And I wonder if it's a lot more fear of the unknown. Anyway! I contemplated a lot of this in my blog post https://harrypotterchapteraday.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/please-dont-let-me-get-t... 8y

monkeygirlsmama I took note of several instances where the driving emotion was fear. 1. Harry avoiding the house in summer. 2. Harry's fear of how the smelly uniforms would affect his treatment at school. 3. Dudley's jealousy when Harry got mail. 4. Harry's fear when his uncle took the letter. 4. The Dursley's fear that Harry would turn out like his parents. 5. Vernon's fear when the sender knew Harry lived in the cupboard & when the letters didn't quit coming. (edited) 8y

monkeygirlsmama In each of these fear based scenarios, when it comes down to it, the fear is directly related to the unknown. Not knowing what will happen or why something is happening can be altogether debilitating and maddening, as is especially noticeable in the way Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia try to manage their fear of anything non-muggle related. (edited) 8y

monkeygirlsmama @JessClark78 Ooh, yes, you're right. They've been horrid to him and if someone is watching who has magical abilities that can throughly upset their life and exact revenge, well, they want to avoid that scenario. 8y

Morphidae I just added the app today and found out about the rules. Is it too late to enter into the full contest? The challenge website won't let me go back and mark Wednesday and Thursday off. 8y

Ladybug66 Fear of someone watching them, like they knew where he was staying, and they moved him to the second room 8y

maximoffs @Morphidae nope not too late! I'll count anyone with 25-30 check ins :) 8y

Amandajoy With the Dursleys you see the fear of what we don't know or understand. I think it's something that shows up throughout the series. But you have to wonder what would have happened had they put their fear of magic aside & tried to understand instead. 8y

BarbaraJean @WanderingBookaneer @KateTheBookworm @Amandajoy - Totally agree with your observations on the Dursley's fear coming from their ignorance of/prejudice towards a community they don't understand. I didn't see much fear in their actions at first (just determination to maintain a 'normal' appearance to the outside world & not be associated with magic). But the idea of fearing the 'other' is so present, to an extent on both Muggle and magical sides. 8y

Morphidae @steverogers Great! I look forward to a HP year! 8y

stacybmartin I love that Uncle Vernon is so paranoid and fearful that 'they're watching-spying-might be following' them, that he actually goes to Harry's cupboard and makes him move into a real bedroom. It's sad that it takes the possibility of a phantom 'they' but at least Harry doesn't have to sleep with spiders anymore! 8y

DrJAdMerricksson The Dursleys are certainly afraid of what they dont understand. I think they are also afraid of Harry finding out about what he is, for fear of retaliation. If he does magick by accident, what could he do with training? He wouldn't, he doesn't have that personality, but he could. I think Harry's afraid of being stuck in this situation 'forever', since to the young, growing up seems so far away. 8y

MyNamesParadise @monkeygirlsmama great observations! I hadn't considered Dudleys jealousy as fear, but it makes sense. Somebody wants to contact Dudley desperately and then that'd mean there's something special about Harry! 8y

Redjewel_7734 The Dursleys's fear is written all over this chapter. Vernon is obviously terrified of this "they" trying to send the letters and what they know, but also I think he & Petunia are afraid of what this means for the future they planned. What will it change for Harry to know what this letter contains? And maybe their greatest fear is change to the status quo. 8y

Redjewel_7734 I also see a mix of fear & hope in Harry in this chapter. Fear of not knowing who is trying to contact him, why, and what it could mean for his future. But also hope...for the first time, someone outside of the Dursleys is aware of him and trying to reach out to him. For Harry, change is hope. 8y

Whatannareads Well fear- The Dursleys we all know are afraid of anything abnormal and of course there nephew knowing his background and represent perfectly in Uncle Vernons temporary decent into madness when the letters start coming through not only clinging on the "normalcy" they believe is right for them but also They fear Lily's past come back to haunt them! 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here is your discussion post for 1/5/17
*Please focus on how this theme shows up in this chapter
*Tag any spoilers (anything not revealed up to this point in the reading) this post.
*Don't forget to sign up for the challenge for the chance to win a fabulous prize (http://bit.ly/hpmo1) anyone with 25-30 check ins will be entered and anyone who completes the whole challenge will get a handmade holiday gift.

THEME FOR 1/6/16 IS FEAR.

MyNamesParadise I LOVE YOU FOR DOING THIS!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ 8y

WanderingBookaneer I love that Harry's loneliness is evident in the empathy he feels for the boa constrictor. He understands and relates not only to its loneliness, but also to its captivity. 8y

451Degrees @WanderingBookaneer I found this to be true as well! Even in his loneliness he strives to relate to those who are in similar situations as he is. I think he and the snake are one in the same in this chapter 8y

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451Degrees This chapter really shows how isolated and lonely Harry is living in the Dursley's residence. I found that the communication between them and Harry to be a main point of today's theme strictly because even if they are acknowledging that he is living with them they aren't speaking to him. They are pretty much ignoring the fact that he is standing right in front of them as they talk about him. I feel like this would make one feel immensely alone... 8y

451Degrees (Cont) in the fact that the people you live with can't even speak TO you even if the topic is ABOUT you. Also I found in today's theme in Harry's school life. This chapter mentions that he is teased and bullied at the muggle school which adds another layer of loneliness to Harry's life. And as mentioned above I found the snake and Harry's stories to be ironically intertwined but Harry strives to relate to the snake instead of talking down to it. 8y

WanderingBookaneer @451Degrees : My wife and I are reading the last book and I was telling her earlier that Harry is his best self when he is helping others. He seldom thinks of helping himself first. 8y

intothehallofbooks In the beginning of the chapter there is a comparison of the many pictures of Dudley and how the room holds no sign at all that another boy lives in the house. This is such a lonely image to me and I'm sure Harry constantly felt the slight since the Dursleys did not document his existence in their family with photographs. 8y

WanderingBookaneer @intothehallofbooks : Good point. I'm sure it also highlights the fact that he does not have such pictures with Lily and James. 8y

freyaheart He have to live under the stairs, they have no pictures of him and they talk about him like he isn't there in front of him. I'd feel pretty lonely too if I had to live in that awful home for 10 years. 8y

monkeygirlsmama Many areas of Harry's life screamed of loneliness; most of them have been listed here already. 1. He lives in a cupboard w/ 🕷 because he's not considered part of the family. 2. He's treated like a servant & left out of the family's social events. 3. He has no photo of his parents & is forbidden from ever even asking about them. 4. Cousin & classmates bully him, so we see he has no friends. 5. He finds himself drawing a life comparison to a snake. 8y

monkeygirlsmama Simply put, the chapter is overflowing with Harry's loneliness. His feelings of being ostracized are so normal to him because it's happened his entire life. 😰 8y

Lizpixie I agree. If you don't come out of reading this chapter, aching for this little boy who is so lonely he empathises with a captive snake, then you are thoroughly devoid of feeling. Having been the middle child in a big family, I can easily remember how it felt to have my voice drowned out, to be unwanted and alone. No child should ever have to feel like this, but unfortunately it happens every day. 8y

ErinC I noticed the same as @WanderingBookaneer with the parallels between the snake and Harry. I also think it gives hope/foreshadowing potentially since the snake was able to escape his captivity and loneliness so hopefully Harry will as well. 8y

Amandajoy I saw the loneliness not only in how Harry empathizes with the snake, but that he's so starved for companionship that he tries to make friends with it. And then his treatment in the house with the lack of pictures & not being allowed to talk about his parents. All makes for a lonely little boy. 8y

Bookworm83 @Lizpixie My heart hurts every time I read this chapter. Harry's loneliness is also evident in the fact that he is starved for any type of acknowledgement or happiness, even if it comes secondhand from the very people who have been mistreating him. After he gets the cheap lemon ice and Dudley's left overs, he says he should have known it was too good to last. It's a very lonely life if this is his "good" (edited) 8y

Kat.Kao I think Harry might have felt envious of the snake. Even though the snake had never been to Brazil, he knew he belonged there. Harry had no idea where he belonged. His parents were dead, so that's not an option. I wonder if partly why the spiders kept getting a mention was because they were a comfort to Harry--they were the only creatures to not actively reject him. 8y

janeycanuck What gets me is how lonely Harry feels when the Dursleys are around and at school yet what he gets really excited about is the prospect of being alone - truly alone - when Mrs. Figg cannot babysit him on Dudley's birthday. But going to the zoo and meeting the snake gives him the chance to see he's not the only one who is lonely even though they aren't alone. 8y

pilardib There's also a passage that describes how "strangers in the street seemed to know him". Even though he feels like a nobody and lonely in the muggle world, the boy who lived is, ironically, being celebrated in the wizarding world. 8y

stacybmartin The fact that Harry picks a spider off his socks instead of smashing it (which is what I'd do if I found a bunch of spiders in my bedroom - or perhaps burn the place down!) screams loneliness to me. He's used to the spiders living in his closet and they're basically the only living things that don't despise him. That's just sad. 😥 8y

mllemay I agree with everything that was said about Harry's loneliness. I think the Dursleys must also feel a form of loneliness. They have to deal with raising a child who is from a community they are terrified of and they can't discuss it with anyone they know because no one could understand. It doesn't excuse their mistreatment of Harry but I think we should acknowledge how lonely it is to have a shameful secret that you have to hide from the world. (edited) 8y

the_hibernator Loneliness works as the glue that bonds Harry to the snake. http://hibernatorslibrary.blogspot.com/2017/01/hpchapteraday-sorcerers-stone-cha... 8y

Loretta @WanderingBookaneer I also love how it seems to be mostly subconscious. He's not actively comparing himself to the boa constrictor, he just can't help empathizing. 8y

alexbaysinger Yes I agree, Harry is able to bond with the snake so easily because their situations are very similar. Both are lonely even though they have people around them all of the time. In fact, I would go as far to say that the Dursleys put a "glass" between themselves and Harry, ignoring him most of the time except to punish him or make him do housework. 8y

alexbaysinger Also, this chapter really illustrates what a good heart Harry has. He can empathize with others because he knows what it's like to be lonely and ostracized and he doesn't like it when he see it happening to others. 8y

JessClark78 I can't imagine the loneliness Harry is feeling. Having no knowledge of his parents and being treated like a servant and an outsider by the only family he has while seeing how loved and spoiled his cousin is is heartbreaking. His similarities to the captive boa make me think of how isolated Harry must feel inside. 8y

Ruri_kaichou What really struck me was how lonely Harry would have been as a baby/toddler. In general, babies thrive on attention and social interaction. But the Dursleys only gave him the bare minimum physically. And when he did get attention, it was negative. So as he got older, he didn't want others to feel that loneliness and had learned empathy. He has inner strength through that loneliness. 8y

Loretta One other thing that the 'Sacred Text' podcast made me realize is that both Harry and the snake have never been "home"--the snake has not been to Brazil and Harry has never been to a magical place. But they both still long for their true place. 8y

BarbaraJean What I noticed is the way Harry's coping mechanisms are described: how he used to wish that some unknown family member would come take him away & how he (thinks he) imagines that strangers on the street recognize him (so much foreshadowing!!). There's such a need to just be acknowledged coming out of his loneliness. I also wonder if the loneliness gives him perspective to handle the fame later--he knows what it is to not be acknowledged by anyone. 8y

Yunie241 I just find it so sad how Harry is unable to find his place in the world. The Dursley's treat him like he's poisonous to their way of life, and he feels like he doesn't belong anywhere. The way he identifies with the snake born in captivity feels like Harry trying to find a physical embodiment of his own loneliness. 8y

maximoffs This chapter left me grappling with the idea of being alone vs. Lonely and how the two are related but so very different. I also found a loneliness in Vernon I had never thought about. All he does on the car ride to the zoo is complain about people and most people who complain all day are some of the loneliest people I have ever met. It made me wonder about if Harry placed a strain on their marriage and how maybe there's an element of loneliness 8y

maximoffs for Vernon there I never even thought about. 8y

maximoffs More thoughts here! https://harrypotterchapteraday.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/many-days-i-wish-i-was-a... 8y

mllemay @steverogers I definitely noticed the Dursleys' loneliness this time around re having to raise a magical child who they are terrified of while hiding it from everyone they know. Definitely something I can see only now that I am older lol 8y

ScarletQuill Harry isn't even allowed to ask questions about his parents and not being able to talk about them must be a whole other source of loneliness. And they treat him like he's not there so he's lonely despite being in a houseful of people. 8y

ScarletQuill I'm also struck by how he's been cheated out of even having memories of his family to hold onto in lonely times. So that there isn't even companionship in his imagination. This is all he's ever known and it's so sad yet he's still this relatively plucky kid. 8y

DrJAdMerricksson Growing up an ignored child by my parents unless it was to criticise, that made me feel a kinship with Harry. I was blessed with both an extreme introvert personality and with paternal grandparents that treated me well and were my primary caretakers during my earliest years. I'm surprised at how well Harry did turn out given the level of neglect and emotional abuse he was subjected to. He's likely, but also easy at being alone. No friction. 8y

DrJAdMerricksson He's lonely....Not likely 8y

Redjewel_7734 Harry's complete isolation & loneliness is what strikes me. He's ignored, bullied, & abused by the Dursleys. He's isolated at school since the other kids are scared to run afoul of Dudley's gang. There's no hint that he felt connected to another adult like a teacher. He's isolated from knowing about his parents since questions are frowned upon. Imagination isn't allowed-all in all Harry's very survival as the person he became is utterly amazing. 8y

Whatannareads Loneliness runs strongly through this chapter and I think goes hand in hand with isolation. I am sorry if this is already been point out but I believe "The cupboard under the stairs" is a physical representation of how lonely Harry is, he's different to his aunt, uncle and cousin- limited information on his parents, no friends to speak off and adult figure in his life to look up too. I think also the ? he Identifies with a captive animal!!! ? 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

Hey everyone! This is important! I know we get excited because we see parallels to other books and other characters but we have so many new readers! If you're referring to a spoiler (literally anything that didn't happen in what we've already read) PLEASE TAG IT AS SUCH. You can also edit your comment to do so. You can always reply and say "that's explained later but when I read the first time I saw it like ..."
Thanks so much!

MyNamesParadise I understand needing to have the spoiler marker however for a lot of people it's being able to re read the series with a community and tie things we notice early on to things we know later? So won't there be two different things happening? I feel like things could get confusing? 🙈 I first read the books years ago and see things differently now. Are we not supposed to mention later books/events? 8y

hpchapteraday @MyNamesParadise If you mark things with a spoiler tag then people who want to read it can click. That way beginning readers aren't spoiled. The idea behind the read through is to read each chapter through a theme. You can make those connections to future events, they just need to be under spoiler tags. On the podcast they focus almost solely on the chapter at hand in their discussions. At times they'll say "this ties into something we see later" 8y

hpchapteraday @MyNamesParadise but they don't go out of their way to spoil, which openly referencing things that were big reveals in later books is a huge spoiler! We want your discussion to go where it leads you, but we're asking a) if you are discussing future events (anything ahead of what we're reading) that you spoiler tag it and b) to know the main goal is to discuss that theme in that specific chapter, not to connect the whole series to that theme or 8y

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hpchapteraday @MyNamesParadise to see how events events connect through other events. You're welcome to include that in your posts and such but the goal is we look at each chapter with that theme in those discussion posts! Let me know if that makes sense. Mostly we just don't want to spoil future events and not give people a chance to not be spoiled ☺️ 8y

hpchapteraday @MyNamesParadise also please don't feel like we're singling anyone out or anything! We just realised we never addressed what we considered a spoiler/how to deal with those! Thanks so much for participating, your thoughts are awesome and analysis is so great 👍🏼 8y

MyNamesParadise When we discuss on the #hpchapteraday post I understand to use spoiler tags. But on personal posts do we do it too? I guess what I'm trying to say is that if something is a general comment that most people would get right away but to a complete newcomer any thing could be a spoiler. Like with tv shows, some ppl I know who hate spoilers won't even want to hear future episode descriptions, etc but other ppl would. am I explaining myself properly? 🙈 8y

maximoffs @MyNamesParadise that's up to you! We mean here on this page just to use those spoiler tags. I totally understand what you're saying! We just mean here, in our discussions if you're referring to anything in future reading please use a spoiler tag! Sorry for not clarifying myself correctly (also I switched accounts sorry lol) 8y

MyNamesParadise Ohhhh ok I get it!! I've posted about Harry Potter before on my account and commented on others and if something was huge plot spoiler I'd put a tag as a precaution! Thank you for clarifying! @steverogers ! 8y

maximoffs @MyNamesParadise no worries!!! Sorry for the confusion! Happy reading ☺️ 8y

monkeygirlsmama Thanks for this! I've seen the films, but I'm a first time reader and already am seeing how much more detail and backstory is in the book. As is to be expected. And while I'm sure many of the details people might bring up are ones I've caught from the movies, I'm looking forward to all the nuances and details that come out in reading them for the first time. Will be more fun to discover them on my own as I read vs in advance through comments. 8y

the_hibernator Should spoiler tag posts anyway, even if they refer to the chapter we're on. There are other people out there who aren't participating 8y

the_hibernator Though that could get confusing to the people who participate 8y

hpchapteraday @the_hibernator we don't want to control what people do on their personal pages, but we understand and agree with your point. We just wanted to make it clear that this page would be as spoiler free as possible 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Hello everyone! @steverogers here. I never imagined this many people coming in my journey with me! I want to thank all of you for participating with me. Each month, I'll post a new link to a My Challenge Tribe challenge which is optional of course! Each person who completes the month will be entered to win a prize. If you finish all 11 months I will make and send you something. You MUST check in on the site every day. http://bit.ly/hpmo1

maximoffs *this is free and open to anyone, US or international. I just didn't know how else to track progress!* 8y

Sjo_m I've signed - not 100% sure if I've done it right but I've ticked off today!! I love this challenge!! Thanks again for all your efforts to get this in place 😁 8y

maximoffs @Sjo_m looks like you're good to go! Thank you for participating! 8y

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La_Cori i've signed too, it's a good way to track progress 😉 8y

Hestapleton Is there an app for this or do we just need to visit the website? 8y

maximoffs @La_Cori it is! I like that it'll email or Facebook you lol. @Hehaney I unfortunately don't see an app 😭 I'm sorry! 8y

Rachael_reads All signed up!! 8y

MyNamesParadise I signed up for the daily email reminders so surely there will be a link in the email! 8y

monkeygirlsmama Signed up! 8y

PurpleyPumpkin Awesome idea! This is great. Thanks so much for inviting us all on your journey. It's sure to be quite the trip!😉 8y

Bookworm83 So cool! Thanks for the opportunity! 8y

stacybmartin All signed up! I'm so excited to do this! 💜 8y

intothehallofbooks Yay! Thanks for all of your work on this @steverogers! 😉👏🏻 8y

Ladybug66 I signed up yesterday, but I started on Wednesday the 4th, but it won't let me check those dates off, I didn't realize about signing up for this too in time. 8y

hpchapteraday @Ladybug66 as long as you have 25/30 days counted you will be counted for the chance to win a prize 8y

cewilf I just saw this post 😭 I did read but only just checked in today. I'll have to get next month. 8y

hpchapteraday @cewilf we'll make an exception for you this time 😉 8y

AdaChivers I forgot completely that we had to check in!! 😭😭😭😭😭 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Want to go deeper? For the entire first book (and part of the next book) our themes match the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text themes. Hear them talk about Chapter 1 under the same theme of commitment!

MyNamesParadise I really need to figure out this podcast stuff...Harry Potter and the Sacred Text I will find once I'm home! 8y

Amandajoy I listened to this on my run after I read chapter one. It really made me think about the commitment shown in the chapter! 8y

janeycanuck I just listened to the first episode of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text! I think I'll join you for this - I've been wanting to re-read the whole series :) 8y

Loretta Oh thanks for the reminder. 8y

Lmstraubie Just added to my podcast list! Eeeeeeeee!!!!🙌 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

It's officially midnight eastern so here is your discussion post for Chapter One of Sorcerers/Philosophers Stone. Please remember - we are discussing how this theme shows up in THIS chapter, not in the book as a whole.

BOOK 1, CHAPTER 2 THEME (Reading on 1/5): Lonliness

#hpchapteraday

freyaheart The commitment I see in this chapter is that of the hogwarts staff. Dumbledore to get him to his family, McGonagall to see that harry was going to a good home and Hagrid getting him there safely. 8y

Missusb I did a post about this. Are we meant to comment here? This is my first #litsychallenge. The commitment I see is that of the Dursley's. They are totally committed to being muggles. Now & forever. #obtuse #narrow #hellish (edited) 8y

maximoffs @Missusb you've absolutely done it right! I love that you commented here and also posted about it :) 8y

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Missusb Yay thanks @steverogers appreciate the confidence 👍 #whew 8y

maximoffs Midnight reading thoughts. Will probably listen to the audiobook and have more but here we go: Dursley's seem so committed to normalcy that they're blinded by everything else. When you commit to something so fiercely (like normalcy) when things start to change (b/c of you or b/c of circumstances beyond control) I've always felt like I couldn't be open about it because I committed to something else so publicly 8y

maximoffs There's a huge commitment on the wizards end for not hiding magic that day. Also where was the Ministry of Magic? Did the Statute of Secrecy just get waived because of everything? McGonagall committed to a baby she doesn't even know because she SAT ON A BENCH ALL DAY and didn't do it out of a commitment she made to Dumbledore b/c he was surprised when he saw her. ALSO SHOULDNT HE HAVE KNOWN SHE WASNT AT WORK?????? 8y

maximoffs Commitment on Dumbledores part of calling Voldemort Voldemort. He's been trying for ELEVEN YEARS. I admire the commitment between Lily and James. I also noticed when McGonagall was talking about how every wizard family would talk about him like...a commitment culturally to pass down stories? 8y

maximoffs And FINALLY: at least for midnight reading thoughts: Hagrid is so committed to this baby that isn't his. And it reminds me of those kids I've watched grow up and literally love them like they're mine and how even though they aren't, how committed I am to them. That's what Hagrid is to me there. 8y

jenniferw88 All good points but re McGonagall and Dumbledore: I've just googled 'Halloween 1998 day' and it was a Saturday, so they won't have been teaching. 8y

Joriebooks @jenniferw88 It would have been Halloween 1981. Harry was born in 1980. Although it was still a Saturday. 8y

jenniferw88 @Joriebooks I did think afterwards'thats the wrong year's but didn't know how to edit post lol! 8y

Reecaspieces I agree with all of y'all. Especially the Dursleys commitment to normalcy. However, I think they are also committed to jealousy and hate for Harry. Harry is a threat to their "sweet baby boy" plus Mrs. Dursley was very jealous of Lilly. 8y

the_hibernator The commitment the teachers are asking of the Dursleys when dropping him off. Definition 2. http://hibernatorslibrary.blogspot.com/2017/01/hpchapteraday-sorcerers-stone-cha... 8y

Bklover It seems as if the Dursleys are committed to denial. Denying the existence of Lily and all she represents. 8y

alexbaysinger Yes, I'm on the same page regarding the Dursley's commitment to normalcy. Throughout most of the chapter Vernon sees strange things (the cat, the wizards) and tries to think up reasonable explanations for them. Also he's very committed to thinking about drills during these situations, lol. 8y

alexbaysinger Dumbledore is also committed to doing what is right rather than what is easy. He knows Harry will be better off with the Dursley's even though life with Muggles will be harder for Harry. He is capable of doing more powerful magic than Voldemort, but is committed to being noble rather than powerful. Also he is committed to Hagrid when any other witch /wizard would have written him off. 8y

mllemay The Dursleys are definitely an example of 2. They get saddled with the obligation to raise Harry and that definitely restricts their freedom to live in a certain way and to continue to disregard half of their family. Also agree about Dumbledore's commitment to doing what's right for Harry. He has to know that Harry will be an outsider with the Dursleys and probably quite miserable but he still leaves him there so he can have a 👇🏻 8y

mllemay (Cont) "normal" childhood and not have to contend right away with the pressure and responbility that his fame will inevitably put on him. (edited) 8y

mllemay Oh and I'd say that Hagrid is also pretty committed/dedicated/loyal to Harry already given how violently he cries when he has to leave him lol 8y

mrp27 I agree with the Dursley's commitment to all that is normal, but to me that is a self serving type of commitment. When I think of commitment, I think of it as something people do through thick and thin, good and bad and not always comfortable. When Dumbledore commits himself to Harry, to love and protect, he does it knowing it won't be easy and at great sacrifice to himself. Now that's commitment! 8y

Rozilla I love the commitment that Dumbledore and Minerva show to their former students James and Lilly. It reminded me of every great teacher I have ever met. The idea that they will attempt to secure a future for Harry is the ultimate in seeing things through! 8y

maximoffs @Rozilla I LOVE the idea of how commitment was shown to James and Lily. Oh my gosh I never thought about that 8y

pppooraikul Personally, I think the Dursleys did not directly commit to normalcy in the first place. It began with their determination to keep a secret. The secret. They committed to hide their involvement with magic and overdid it, I guess. Thus, the commitment led to their obvious abnormal obsession with normalcy. 8y

Loretta @mrp27 But I think it's more than a commitment to Harry--it's a commitment to protecting all of Wizarding kind. He likely suspected--and I think this suspicion is confirmed in later books--that Voldemort wasn't quite finished. So he was ever watchful and committed to the cause of defeating him and protecting the entire world,. 8y

mrp27 @Loretta Absolutely right. I just read HP and cursed child and Dumbledore in his painting form spoke to Harry about his love for him. Now going back to HP and Sorcerers stone, I see Dumbledores commitment to Harry about his love and that was my focus, just one aspect of Dumbledores commitment. (edited) 8y

maximoffs My first blog post with all my thoughts on commitment is up! The Bachelor, Harry Potter and my life collide in this post about commitment.
https://harrypotterchapteraday.wordpress.com/2017/01/04/is-dumbledore-the-best-o... (edited) 8y

DrJAdMerricksson Hmmm. Well, looking at commitment as a responsibility, the Dursleys' will need to make that choice in regards to the infant left on the porch. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Hagrid show a commitment to little Harry as well, by taking him where he would be safe, if not necessary. 8y

Loretta @mrp27 Yep, it was this emotional combination of both personal and public service. ❤️💛❤️ 8y

Peddler410 So first, I am trying to form my thoughts solely on what is in this chapter 😬 Because of their strong dislike of magic, the Dursley's are committed to being as normal as possible but also to denying what they know. Dumbledore and McGonagall were committed to Harry and in doing so show their commitment to his parents. Hagrid shows a commitment to Harry's parents. Y getting him safely to Dumbledore. All of this is a commitment to the world of magic 8y

BarbaraJean @steverogers I totally relate to your comments re: the Dursleys, on feeling like you can't change or be open about change b/c of a public commitment. Totally see that in them, connected to fear of what others will think. I resonate with that--I have a hard time being open until I'm "sure" about something b/c I hate looking like someone who backs out of commitments. But sometimes a change of direction is needed or out of your control and that's ok! 8y

BarbaraJean @alexbaysinger @mllemay @DrJAdMerricksson I agree with your comments on the commitment Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Harris have toward Harry--that's what stuck out to me the most in this chapter. Their commitment to do what's right--what's best for Harry--even though it'll be hard (it's going to be hard for Harry, but it's also hard for the teachers to leave Harry w/ the Dursleys) 8y

Caterina In addition to all the thoughtful comments here, I think Mr. and Mrs. Dursley's commitment to Dudley is an interesting example of an unhealthy level of commitment. Their world revolves around him to a large extent, and their commitment to and love for him is not what's best for them, for him, or for anyone else. 8y

alexbaysinger @Caterina I never thought of that! That's true. I think their commitment to Dudley might also be en extension of their commitment to normalcy. They're so devoted to Dudley because he's "normal" aka not a wizard, which in their eyes makes him perfect and worthy of their affection even though he's a spoiled brat. 8y

ErinC Okay, maybe I'm a cynic and having never read this before, I'm maybe missing a point to come later, but why oh why didn't Dumbledore commit to caring for Harry as a baby? I guess seeing how committed the Dursleys are to being "normal" couldn't Dumbledore see how awful an environment that would be for him? 8y

maximoffs @erinc not a cynic and a great point! There actually is a reason we find out later BUT (this is me coming from a bit of a religious standpoint too) I had abusive parents. And I often STILL get mad at God like "why the HELL would you put me with them" and in my faith it's because like here, there's a reason. But that doesn't make it any easier on the kid in question. 8y

ErinC Thanks @steverogers! I kind of figured but it's still frustrating at first. I thought it would've been more apparent at the beginning. 8y

maximoffs @erinc it's def I think a question you're supposed to be pondering. Like why would you leave him with these terrible people. 8y

Yunie241 I definitely saw commitment in McGonagall as she watched the Dursleys all day. Even though she didn't want to believe the truth as to why she was keeping an eye on them, not wanting to admit that Lily and James were dead, she just wanted to feel assured that Harry would be placed with people that care about him. 8y

monkeygirlsmama I saw commitment in many forms in this chapter. 1st McGonagall kept an avid watch on the house all day and was committed to waiting around for Dumbledore. 2nd Dumbledore was committed to seeing Harry kept out of the spotlight until he was old enough to understand and appreciate his history and the weight of his calling. 3rd Hagrid was committed to getting Harry to Privet drive safely. (edited) 8y

Amandajoy I see McGonagall & Hagrid's commitment to trusting Dumbledore. Neither one is too excited about leaving Harry with the Dursleys but their commitment to Dumbledore allows them to trust in his decision. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @ErinC I'm new to reading this series too, but my takeaway is that Dumbledore was committed to seeing Harry brought up in a safe environment away from the wizarding world. I think he might have been inclined to raise himself or with Hagrid and McGonagall, but the point of leaving him w/his family was so he could grow up out of the spotlight & be unscathed by the knowledge of the weighty responsibilities that would one day be his. Until old enough. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Amandajoy Excellent take away. I saw that too, but didn't register it. 8y

Kat.Kao The Dursleys' commitment to Harry/Lily really struck me--this is my first reread, and I first read the book in high school, so I'm in a totally different place this time. They're abusive, but it seems to be out of pure terror and weakness than out of hatred or cruelty. The big question for me is not why Dumbledore didn't keep Harry, but why DID the Dursleys? I think that says a lot about their willingness to keep this child who terrifies them. 8y

MyNamesParadise @Kat.Kao I think Petunia agreed to it because she was secretly envious of Lily being a witch. I guess she was able to convince Vernon of keeping Harry without revealing that to him though... 8y

MyNamesParadise @alexbaysinger great point about Dumbledore doing what is right, even if it means some not-so-right things along the way. And agree about Hagrid. 8y

Kat.Kao @MyNamesParadise so that could be her connection to the wizarding world? Interesting. I was thinking it was her love for her sister being stronger than her jealousy/fear, but I like that idea. 8y

MyNamesParadise @pppooraikul I agree regarding the Durselys. It became about keeping up the facade of "normalcy!" 8y

MyNamesParadise @Caterina I think they overcompensated in their love for Dudley because they wanted to make sure he was "normal" because in their minds Harry by definition "wasn't normal". 8y

MyNamesParadise @Amandajoy great point about McGonagall and Hagrid putting aside their own opinions of the decision and having a larger commitment to Dumbledore weighed out in the end! 8y

MyNamesParadise @Kat.Kao well that's what I took away from it! In one of the later books Dumbledore tells Harry how jealous Petunia was on Lily which SHOCKED Harry. So not having read that part in a while, it's like her own secret. If Vernon knew Petunia wanted to be a witch, would Vernon see Petunia differently. She's with someone like Vernon bc it's easier 2 hate a group that u know you can never be a part of than to accept it wasn't meant for you (my takeaway) 8y

Amandajoy @Kat.Kao I never thought to question why the Durselys did keep Harry. That puts things into a different perspective. 8y

stacybmartin I'm with everyone else on the Dursleys - their commitment to being perfect and normal (and condemning everyone else) goes way above and beyond the norm. They're so afraid of anyone thinking they may be in any way connected with the 'Potters' sort' that they become boring, narrow-minded, jerk faces that can't even realize how big of a spoiled brat Dudley is. That's a huge commitment to keeping face. 8y

MatildaBaggins I love McGonagall & Hagrid's commitment to Dumbledore and their trust in him. I also feel Dumbledore's commitment to keeping Harry away from the wizarding world was a hard decision for him, but he did it to protect Harry, all feelings aside. 8y

MatildaBaggins And I agree with everyone else on the Dursleys' abnormal commitment to normalcy... 😂 (edited) 8y

451Degrees I agree with a lot of everyone's comments on the Dursley's commitment to normalcy. Also their commitment to be nasty people towards the wizarding community. What is striking in this instance is that Petunia's sister ends up being dead and they still are so against them and everything the Potter's were! I feel like they are being disrespectful to those who had fought and died even if they don't understand it. Plus it was family...😒 8y

451Degrees I would also like to comment on McGonagall's commitment to being herself in a trying situation☺️ She's absolutely one of my favorite characters and completely blunt and honest about what she's thinking and being present in this situation didn't change her personality whatsoever! 8y

intothehallofbooks All of these comments are so great and I agree with so much of this! When I was reading in terms of today's theme, what was first in my mind is what @pppooraikul mentioned above: the Dursleys commitment to keep the Potters and their association with them a secret. Which I think then turned into this abnormal appearance of normalcy. High fives to Mr Dursleys commitment to ignore/explain away what he saw that looked abnormal or magical! (edited) 8y

451Degrees I also like that the theme is commitment for day one since we are committing 11 months to reading all these books! Yay Littens! Happy reading 😊 8y

intothehallofbooks @451Degrees Yes! I hope I can stick with it! 😁 8y

Godmotherx5 I was touched by Dumbledore's, McGonagall's & Hagrid commitment to the Potters' memory. They sought to keep Harry safe. In so doing, they added to their grief with another great loss. 8y

WanderingBookaneer @Caterina : I think the Dursley's are committed to keeping up appearances to the point that they strive for everything to seem perfect. It may be inconceivable to them that their child is far from it. As first-time parents they might not realize that they are, in fact, enabling their precious boy. 8y

WanderingBookaneer I agree with @mllemay . Dumbledore knows that Harry will be a celebrity in their world and instead of taking the boy under his wing, or handing him to another magical family, he chooses to spare Harry from that spotlight. There is no way for Harry to go unnoticed by other magical folks because of his scar. I think, as we will learn in later books, but Dumbledore is committed to finding out the truth. (👇🏻) 8y

WanderingBookaneer In fact, Dumbledore is so committed to this search for truth that it takes him years to accumulate information and eventually pass it on to Harry. If Harry were to live in the magical world word would get out to Voldemort. We have to remember that at this point Dumbledore knows about the prophecy and wants to get to the bottom of things. (edited) 8y

WanderingBookaneer Furthermore, I honestly believe that he thinks the Dursleys will do the right thing and tell Harry everything when the time is right. Lily was such a wonderful person and Petunia is her sister… His presumption is almost understandable. 8y

WanderingBookaneer However, I want to talk about Rowling's commitment. Without giving too much away because of the first timers in the group, the author does include so many details that will be relevant in future books. Each rereading opens my eyes to how much of a master of her craft J. K. Rowling is. She had this wonderful epic in her mind and she was committed to sharing it with the world and we are the better for it. 8y

WanderingBookaneer I was just talking to @BookishMarginalia . I told her that if Harry had grown up in the magical world he would've been the equivalent of young drew Barrymore. Daughter (and granddaughter) of royalty who was catapulted into fame at a young age, did not know how to handle the pressures that came with that fame, and imploded for a bit. 8y

carrceli This is awesome!!! I think the Dursleys commitment to being normal stems from fear and knowledge. They know that the "Potters crowd" is out there and they fear anything that might associate them to the wrong crowd 8y

pppooraikul @WanderingBookaneer Totally agree with you on Rowling's commitment! I reread the series countless times I thought nothing would surprise me. But as I reread for this challenge, I was constantly amazed. 😍 8y

Lizpixie Sorry I'm late to this discussion! My take on Petunias reasons for keeping Harry, is that it's a big one up on the sister that was more perfect, more special than she felt she was. I feel like it's her way of saying "look, everyone loved you more, but I'M the one raising your son for you. Being perfect and special didn't help you much in the end" I think this is her commitment of needing to be better than her sister. 8y

mllemay @Lizpixie that's such an interesting take on it! It makes a lot of sense, considering her personality. 8y

ScarletQuill So many good comments here so I'll just second everything! As a parent, I'm struck by the Dursleys' commitment to acting like their son is a precious angel. I'm sorry, even first time parents know a bloody tantrum when they see one. So that's an impressive level of sanity they're clinging onto in the face of that baby freaking all the time. 😜 8y

Redjewel_7734 I'm most struck by McGonagall's commitment. She's committed to knowing the truth, and the only source she'll trust for that in this instance is Dumbledore. She's committed to her students which we see in her commitment to watching the Dursleys; Harry is the child of former students so she wants to know what he's being sent into and he will be her future student so she wants to know he's being watched out for. McGonagall's commitment is a force to 8y

Whatannareads Sorry I am late to the party 🎉 but spent the day catching up! 8y

Whatannareads So most of my points have already been made; but the thing that struck me most is commitment is not always a positive thing; The Dursleys could be admired for taking in Harry, but there main motive for taking him to me is there commitment to stamp out Harry's Heritage- whether that be jealousy on Petunia's part of her sister or fear of the unknown, but I think it's a mix. 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Many of the people participating in #hpchapteraday are letting their house flags fly on their pages! Facebook now has frames for all four houses or edit your own! Let's see which house gets the most representation.

monkeygirlsmama How do we know what house we belong to? I haven't read the books before, and I seem to be shy one sorting hat. LoL 8y

maximoffs @monkeygirlsmama you can go to Pottermore! 8y

monkeygirlsmama @steverogers Thanks; will go take a look now. 😁 8y

74 likes3 comments

hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Here we are! We will be reading chapter one of book one under the theme of "Commitment".

#hpchapteraday

PLEASE REMEMBER READING BEGINS TOMORROW (1/4)! It's almost here guys!

Tomorrow I'll post a discussion post with definitions of the theme to help you with your reading and discussion. Let me know any suggestions/comments/questions

freyaheart *puts kindle down* 8y

Tikabelle Can I suggest getting the discussion questions the day or so beforehand so that when we read, we can do it with them in mind? I don't know if that works for your schedule. 8y

MyNamesParadise I agree with @Tikabelle!! 8y

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hpchapteraday @Tikabelle @MyNamesParadise I'm planning on releasing the theme for the next day a day ahead! I didn't really have discussion questions so to say, except like "where do you see this theme in this chapter" and letting people explore from there. The post I'll make each day for discussion will just be a definition of the word of the theme! I'm not sure if that makes sense, let me know if you have anymore questions 8y

hpchapteraday @freyaheart tomorrow tomorrow I love ya tomorrow! 8y

Sjo_m Waaaaah one more day!!! So excited!!! 8y

Ginpixie I'm joining in, can't wait to read these again & look at them a new way 8y

daena Yay! Excited to jump in on this! 8y

Mimi28 This is my first time reading the books ever! 8y

carrceli "The boy who lived" 8y

RebeccasReading Love this idea! 8y

HotMessJess @mimi28 you're in for a treat! I used to teach and one of the sixth graders i had was inspired to read the books because our class had a heated discussion about the houses. He came to class a week later and was halfway through the 3rd book. I cried a little that day at work. 8y

Felso Oh, this is a good word!! A good word to begin with. And then revisit at the end of the series..... no spoilers. 8y

RaeRae @Anderduds Are you up for the challenge? You still have almost 24 hours to catch up since you're in Alaska! 8y

TaylorMay @Gabe90 you in? 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

So excited to FINALLY share theme one tomorrow. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for going on this journey with me

#hpchapteraday

Sjo_m So excited...2 more sleeps haha!! 8y

sleepiest Is it too late to start, I'd love to re-read them as I only read the translated (Spanish) books growing up? Also, how the themes work? 8y

hpchapteraday @sleepiest not too late to start! Basically each day we post a theme and the theme for the next day, and you read that chapter under that "lens" so like chapter one was commitment. Where do you see commitment in that chapter? Did it bring any ideas about commitment up in your mind? etc and we have a discussion post about how we saw that theme. 8y

sleepiest @hpchapteraday, thanks, I will be joining you all then! 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

Our final question before we announce the first theme! Will you be blogging? Twitter? Litsy only? If you'll be blogging, link your blog. What are ways you'll be looking for and noting where you find the theme?

**PLEASE NOTE: when @steverogers originally created the challenge it was to also help her grow her faith, some themes may be faith based BUT you are encouraged to interpret them however you see fit and this is not an evangelising attempt**

hpchapteraday #hpchapteraday 8y

maximoffs I'm planning on blogging. It's going to take a lot of discipline but I know it will be so rewarding in the end. I plan on reading and then listening and making notes on my paperwhite while looking at the definitions of that word/how I've seen it in my own life & faith! http://harrypotterchapteraday.wordpress.com (edited) 8y

freyaheart I'll blog on http://freyareads.tumblr.com can't promise it will be every day but I'll try. 😉 8y

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Lizpixie I'll be on Litsy mostly, but I'll try to be on twitter too, I'm @lizgreenrose on that platform. 8y

Reecaspieces I will just Litsy for now. May do a blog post about it at some point 8y

monkeygirlsmama I'm planning to do it on Litsy and Goodreads. Maybe blog about it eventually too. 8y

Ruri_kaichou In going to be participating on Litsy. 8y

tjwill I'll be participating on Litsy. Maybe some posts on Twitter @ mrstarawilliams. I'm considering getting back into my blog this year too. If I end up doing that, I'll post a link to it. 8y

alexbaysinger I'm planning on doing it on Litsy. 8y

PenguinInFlight On Litsy. Maybe GR as well, but definitely Litsy. 8y

mllemay Litsy only for me :) 8y

OrangeMooseReads Litsy mostly I'll note if I write anywhere else 8y

BookNerdBritt Litsy! 8y

Downtonabbeyroad394 Litsy 8y

Loretta Litsy only I think 8y

Peddler410 Litsy and old fashioned journaling. Maybe 2017 will be my year to investigate blogging 🤔 8y

mrp27 On Litsy only. 8y

Scurvygirl Litsy! 8y

La_Cori mostly on Litsy.. maybe something on Twitter or Goodreads :) 8y

Redjewel_7734 Litsy for me! 8y

MyNamesParadise Litsy and I can do twitter- just need to know the hashtags! My twitter name is the same as it is on Litsy! 8y

the_hibernator I don't know if I'll blog or not. Depends on whether I feel the content suits my blog once the themes start rolling in. But there's certainly potential! My blog is at http://hibernatorslibrary.blogspot.com 8y

Amandajoy I'll just be on Litsy 🤓 8y

Varshitha Just on Litsy.. 8y

syasutake Definitely Litsy. Possibly Twitter if the mood strikes--@grkmuse 8y

BarbaraJean I'll be posting on Litsy for sure, but may also post on my long-neglected blog at commonplacehope.wordpress.com. My husband (who's not on Litsy) will be reading along with me, so we'll be having our own mini book club as well! (edited) 8y

Felso Just Litsy for me. 8y

Bostonmomx2 Only Litsy 😀 8y

451Degrees Just Litsy! 8y

Godmotherx5 Litsy for me. 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

We're going to be reading together for 11 months! I would love if we could get to know each other :). Remember our first theme is posted on 1/3 with our first day of reading being 1/4! SO SOON!

maximoffs Hi everyone, I'm Rachel! The creator of this idea of sorts :) I'm so glad you guys will be doing this with me! I have a Harry Potter tattoo, my favourite book is OOTP and when I went to WWoHP this year I sobbed hysterically 😂😂 8y

jpmcwisemorgan Jamie, and I've read all the books multiple times. I started the audio this summer so I'm just going to restart as part of this read along. It'll be fun to read them with people this time. I've never had that. And, like @steverogers, I have a HP tattoo. (edited) 8y

Nuwanda I'm Christy! I have read all the books multiple times, including in an informal club some of my family members and I ran in 2015. I'm excited to see what I find this time around, as reading with my family club opened my eyes to angles I had never seen before! 8y

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OrangeMooseReads I'm Ammy (pronounced like Amy). I've read the series a couple times. I'm hoping that my 8 year old Man Cub will want to read along with me this time around. 8y

TheBookDream Hi I'm Christa. I'm formerly a boycotter of HP (having been raised evangelically) and pissed my mom off when I started reading the series (around the release of the 4th movie), and am now a big fan. I'm a Hufflepuff, LOVED Fantastic Beasts. If I find my copy in time I'll be reading the British editions. 8y

awishman I'm Amy. I love Jim Dale's narration and have listened to the audio books many, many times. Excited to start! 8y

Books_and_Nooks Hello everyone, I'm Chrissy and I have read the original series. I also have them now on audiobooks. I am probably one of the older people here. I am 42 and I love Harry Potter! I use to read it with my nephew when each book was published. (I also keep reading them to keep him close to my heart. We lost him in 2010.) I look forward to reading a chapter a day with all of you! Happy New Year! 8y

Mariposa_Bookworm Hi I'm Dee. I'm an English teacher and mom. Both my son and I looooooove Harry Potter. On our first trip to England, we did the studio tour near Watford. I have read the books several times and I too love the Jim Dale narration. 8y

mllemay Hi, I'm Marie! I've only read the series once before (when the books first came out) and I read most of them in French as my english wasn't good enough to read the original version at the time. I'm super excited to read them all in the original text now, revisit that amazing world and have people to discuss it with! Oh, and I'm a Ravenclaw :) 8y

Peddler410 Jenny here! Last Christmas I introduced Harry, Ron, and Hermione with the plan of one book every Christmas. At the end of August, we finished the series! My 6/7 year old FELL IN LOVE with all the characters just as much as I did almost 20 years ago! This will be my third reread and it will be interesting doing so one chapter a day. My daughter will be 8 Feb 1 and maybe we will do this together. 8y

syasutake Hi, I'm Sarah. When I first met my husband (1998) he loved HP. I had just finished my B.A. in English lit and refused to give HP a chance, even though I loved fantasy as a kid. Years later I started writing fantasy for kids/teens and finally read the HP series just last year! 😳 I wish I hadn't been such a snob so I could have enjoyed the books sooner--I love them! My 9-y.o. twin daughters are doing the challenge with me. 8y

SandyY15 Hello, everyone. I'm Sandy, and I am looking forward to reading with you all. I started reading the series years ago, and stopped at Goblet of Fire. Can't wait to reread and then continue on. I am going to start off by reading the actual books...then see what happens! 8y

sprainedbrain Hello, everyone! I'm Jenni and I'm really excited to be reading along with all of you. 😃 I originally started the series after the second book was released and then suffered the wait between books until the end. This will be my first reread, and I plan to start with the illustrated versions. I may also try audio! 8y

BookNerdBritt I'm Britt (Ravenclaw 💙). I've been obsessed with HP since the first book was released! I grew up on the series - read/listened to them more times than I can count, been to both theme parks, have an HP tattoo, and used to write fanfiction 😆 My mom (who's the reason I'm a reader) used to wait for me to finish each book and then she'd read it, but by the time Goblet of Fire came out she couldn't wait and we had to preorder two copies from then on. 8y

Scurvygirl I'm Laurie. I read the books right after my daughter was born right in a row! They were a gift from my mom who thought I would enjoy them. I have reread them quite a few times over the years and encouraged my daughter to as well. I recently just packed them away as my dad is building my library this year, so I will have to dig them out this weekend! Can't wait to jump back in! 8y

PrezBookster Hello! My name is Jessica, I've NEVER read the series but have always wanted too! Glad to hear this group has formed! Excited to read the series! 8y

alexbaysinger I'm Alex (Gryffindor) I got into the Harry Potter books after I saw the first movie. After I read the first book I became obsessed with all things Harry Potter. I even got my Mom to read the books. I feel like I grew up with the characters in the books and movies. I am still a Potterhead today at 24 years old and I am super excited about this challenge! 8y

Ruri_kaichou I'm Sue! I got into the series when GoF was in paperback and I had to wait forever for OotP to be released. I'm a proud Hufflepuff. My husband and I are such fans our oldest daughter's middle name is Ginny. I also gifted my bridesmaids a trip to Wizarding World as a thank you. I've read the series many times in book form and audio. I can't wait to do this readalong! 8y

StephBengtson I'm Stephanie! I read the first book years ago, and watched some of the movies, but I don't remember a whole lot. I'm excited to start this challenge and finally understand some of these HP references. Plus, you can never really go wrong with a story about wizards. 8y

Reecaspieces I am Reeca. I started reading HP when I saw Jk on Rosie show and Rosie gave her a computer. I was so impressed with Jk. I immediately ordered the first book and have been a fan ever since 8y

Sharanya I'm Sharanya! Been a Potterhead since I was 9. I snuck into my sister's room and, er, decided to "borrow" a book off her shelf — one that happened to have a boy with glasses and a lightning bolt scar on the front. I read the entire 1st book in a single evening without getting up from my spot once & have been in love ever since! I, too, was an avid fanfic reader/writer who waited anxiously for each book. Harry is an incredible part of my life. ❤️. (edited) 8y

CherylDeFranceschi I'm Cheryl. Read my first HP when I was in charge of the children's books at Borders. Looking forward to spending time with him again! 8y

Hooked_on_books I'm Holly. I was an adult when the series began and therefore didn't initially read it since it was "for kids." At about the midpoint of the series, I was apartment-sitting for a friend and saw she was reading the latest book. I read a couple chapters at her place and got over myself, starting from the beginning, loving every bit. I kept all my copies but have never done a reread, so I'm really looking forward to this! 8y

mom2bugnbee (@Books_and_Nooks Gotcha beat!) Hi, I'm Amy (Ravenclaw 💙), I'm 44yo, & I'm a Potterhead. ☺ Was talked into reading them as a young adult by my lit prof aunt & fell in love w/descriptive language. Thrilled to share my love w/my 14yo Hufflepuff & 11yo Griffyndor daughters. Also love the movies as a completely different medium. Looking forward to slowly digesting these. It's been years since I've re-read! 8y

peteyrodriguez I'm Ann and also saw JK on Rosie and thought what an interesting book. I was also pregnant with my son and wanted to read something new that would be a book that he would read when older. I was blown away by that first book and couldn't wait for each one thereafter. I'm looking forward to rereading the books, old and new with new friends. 8y

emtobiasz I'm Erin (Ravenclaw) and grew up with the books-- I was 11 when the first was released, 12 for book 2, etc., at least until Rowling started taking longer to write them. I've only reread the whole series once about 6 years ago, but I've been listening to more podcasts lately like Witch, Please and HP and the Sacred Text. I'm ready for a reread! 8y

MyNamesParadise I'm Eden. I grew up with the books & It's been years since I read the series in its entirety. Reading them with a set schedule makes it a manageable goal. I don't know enough about the podcasts or the other texts but rereading the 8 books is fine enough with me. I took advantage of amazons deal of the day on Black Friday and got the complete series set of the 8 films- the blu rays, dvds, digital hds with bonus discs! I love HP!!!!! 8y

WanderingBookaneer Hi, I'm Jeimy (Hufflepuff at heart, Ravenclaw according to Pottermore) and while I have many tattoos none are related to Harry Potter...yet. My wife, @BookishMarginalia , and I have been listening to the audiobooks on our commute to work in 2016. I first discovered the series just before Goblet of Fire came out. I worked at a bookstore at the time and created a Trivia contest for the midnight release party. (edited) 8y

LauraBeth Hi everyone - my name is Laura Beth (Gryffindor). I was an adult when HP came out but I still wanted to read it 😀 I started it when I was pregnant with my daughter but she decided to come early and then life got in the way. That was 12 years ago. I decided to finally read HP while doing the 24in48 challenge last year and I'm looking forward to re-reading it 😀 8y

Angelala007 I'm Angela. This is a great idea. I'm looking forward re-reading with a group! :) 8y

mrp27 HI! I'm Michelle and I've been a fan of HP since the books first came out. I've read the series before and I look forward to re-reading it especially since I just finished HP and the Cursed Child. 8y

freyaheart I'm Kate and I'm a Slytherin 🐍. I've been a fan since the books came out. I just read the whole series last year in preparation for HPCC. I'm totally ready to do it again. 8y

Lizpixie Hi guys! I'm Liz, I consider myself a Gryffinclaw(two sorting hats put me in Gryffindor then Ravenclaw so I'm my own house!) I bought HP as they were published for my daughter who's now 26, but I didn't actually read them till five years ago & fell in love. I now have a Potterverse shelf in my library with funkos, all the books plus the illustrated versions(so beautiful!) & all the related books. Really looking forward to reading with you all! 8y

Marilyn1970 My friend @Rae1 is new to Litsy and loves Harry Potter. I'd love it if you'd welcome her with big book lover arms! 8y

Marilyn1970 Oh, and I'm Terri. I started reading HP when it was originally released. My 12 year old daughter struggled to find books she enjoyed and I was frantic because she didn't like to read at all. Finally, the reading bug bit! Thanks Harry! My grandmother started reading with us, and it became a real family affair. Grandma passed before book 5, but she sure enjoyed them and I think she would have liked how it all turned out. 8y

RaeRae I'm Rae, a Ravenclaw, and new to Litsy. I'm here for the Potter! I read the books when they first came out and I've been in love with reading ever since. With all the new Harry hype I think re-reading the series sounds perfect. I've been wanting to do so for a while now! Thanks for the idea, @Marilyn1970 8y

monkeygirlsmama @Rae1 Welcome to Litsy! 👋🙂 8y

monkeygirlsmama Hi all! I'm Rebekah and I'm an HP newbie. I own a HP box set and the e-copy collection, have for over five years. Thing is, I've never read them yet. LoL I have wanted to for years, but just never got around to it. My sister and my best friend are both huge HP fans so they've both been working on getting me to read them. Was on my list for this year, so had to sign up when saw this challenge. Sounds like a great and fun way to experience them. 😀 8y

JessClark78 I'm Jessica (Ravenclaw). It's been a few years since I last read the series over. I love HP and had been wanting to read the books again soon. This is a great way to fit them in with the other books I have to read. Can't wait to get started. 8y

Melissa73 Hi everyone and happy new year! I'm Melissa and I'm really excited to be reading with you all for the next year! I've always loved HP, but (it kills me to say this) I've only ever seen the movies. I've always wanted to read the books but just never got around to it. This Christmas, however, my parents got me the illustrated version of the first book. It's beautiful and I can't wait to read it! 8y

Downtonabbeyroad394 Hello I'm Melissa (Hufflepuff) i have always loved Harry Potter and look for new ways of reading them every year this will be fun :) 8y

La_Cori hello! I'm Corinna (Ravenclaw💙) and i read the books for the first time a couple of years ago.. can't wait to read them again with you all ☺ 8y

the_hibernator I'm Rachel (Ravenclaw, probably, but haven't taken the quiz). I first discovered HP on the publication of the third book. I've reread the earlier ones a few times but only one reread for each of the last four. I recently bought a set and am pleased at this opportunity to read them at a slow pace with a group. 8y

Amandajoy I'm Amanda (Ravenclaw). I came to the series reluctantly as an adult about halfway through the series, the story sucked me end & I found myself preordering the last two books! The series is among my favorite books to reread! 8y

Varshitha Hello, My name is Varshitha, I live in Bangalore, India. I have been alternately been sorted into Gryffindor and Slytherine many a times😄.. I had heard about the Harry Potter books a lot but it was not until I was 16 that I picked up the first book.. By then all the books had already been published . I was almost halfway through first book when I got completely sucked into the HP world from then on I read the other six in just about 10days.. 8y

carrceli Hi. Celia here. I was introduced to the books by my little sister and have been hooked since "The Goblet of fire" came out...I cant wait 8y

BarbaraJean I'm Barbara, and I'm looking forward to reading HP with all of you! I first read the series in a children's lit class--the first book was assigned & I was hooked! I read through #4 on my own--all that were published at that point. I then went to midnight release parties for most of the remaining books. I re-read single books or the whole series before each movie, and I'm so excited for this opportunity to re-read in a new way! (edited) 8y

phatsallylee MJ-newish to litsy and have been so inspired by this new book centric world!. I'm doing my first reading challenges this year and just added this to my list of reading activities! I'm excited to reread HP and think about the story with new ideas! 8y

Felso I'm Felicia~ I can't tell you how many times I've read the books! Goblet of Fire was out already when I started, I basically wanted to see what all the hype was about, then i was magically transported to this wonderful world. I had two small kids at the time and didn't read much - things changed after that!! Looking forward to this reread. 8y

Jillmfs25 Hi I'm Jill. I have always been so intrigued by the love people have for Harry Potter. The only thing is, I have never read any of the books or seen any of the films 😳. I am so excited to experience it for the first time. 8y

451Degrees Hi all!👋🏻 I'm Kylee and I've been on Litsy for about six months. Best social media app ever! I'm really excited to be starting on this almost year long journey! Looking forward to discussing and learning with everyone ☺ 8y

ErinC I'm Erin and I've never read HP though I tried once or twice. I've also tried the movies but can't get into them. I'm excited to devote time to them in an easy way like this. I started listening today and so far am much more engaged than in previous attempts. 8y

janeycanuck Colleen here... this will be my fourth or fifth time reading the whole series through. Looking forward to this journey with everyone! 8y

Godmotherx5 I'm Tina & I'm a little posting here. Uncharacteristic for my Gryffindor House. My patrons is a dolphin. Fitting since I love to swim. I'm in the Midwest & this Challenge will be a re-read for me. 8y

SusanInTiburon I'm Susan in Tiburon, just joining today, Jan. 5. Have read all the books, listened to all of them on audio by Jim Dale, and seen all the movies. My kids and I celebrated release days at midnight in costume. My daughter listens to Harry Potter soundtrack music to relax when she studies for finals. 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Two days until we announce our first theme and three days until we start reading!

How will you be reading with us? Audiobooks? Paper books?

Also: is this your first time reading the series or is this a reread?

#hpchapteraday

syasutake I'll be re-reading, except for some of the books that aren't part of the original series. We have all the first edition hardcovers, but I think for this I'm going to buy a set of the paperbacks. 8y

MidnightBookGirl I'm starting with the 2 illustrated versions, but will probably switch to audiobooks for the rest! 8y

Debiw781 I'm going to try audio for my reread 8y

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PurpleyPumpkin I'll likely be reading both audio and hardcovers. This will be a reread of the series for me. Actually, I started my reread in the fall, but I'm happy to restart to keep with the group. Looking forward to this!😉 8y

sprainedbrain So excited! This will be a reread for me, but I got the illustrated version of Sorcerer's Stone so I will start with that. I may do audio for some of the other books. 😃 8y

Ruri_kaichou Reading with the illustrated editions first. Then on to my original books for the rest, probably. I can easily see myself reading ahead with the audiobooks. 8y

Karenlovesbooks This will be a reread for me! I've been wanting to reread the series, so this is great for me. I'll be using my paper copies. I may also rewatch the movies as we finish a book. 8y

awishman Re-reading, er...re-listening to the excellent audio books for the umpteenth time. 8y

Kristy_K Re-read, although I just read the series for the first time this year! 8y

Librarianaut Reread!!! I'll probably bounce between print and audio 8y

Pamwurtzler Reread! Between those pretty hardback copies & my kindle! 8y

suomi Reread. 8y

ElizaTodd I actually own all the books but this will be my first time reading them! 8y

elkeOriginal Paper! And reread - though I have not read since they pubbed so it's been a chunk of time 😉 8y

Godmotherx5 Reread using ebooks. I had checked out audio books last time. This is my first time owning the books. 8y

kello Print. Looking forward to a well overdue reread! 8y

Sjo_m Physical books for me (mix of hard/paperbacks! I'm so excited for this!!! 8y

FangirlAhead Re-read using physical -- I cannot wait until the 4th! 8y

the_hibernator I just bought the set with Kabu Kibuishi cover art. It'll be a reread for me for the original series. Haven't read any of the other books, including Cursed Child. 8y

MonikaS It's a reread for me and I'll be reading my paperbacks! 8y

WanderingBookaneer @HardcoverHearts 8y

HardcoverHearts @WanderingBookaneer 🙌🏻❤ 8y

Bklover Re-reading my paperbacks. Well worn old friends! 8y

monkeygirlsmama I'll be reading on my iPad, and it will be the first time through the series for me. I've watched the movies with my youngest daughter in 2016. 8y

Varshitha Re-read!! First two books will be the illustrated editions then I might switch between paperbacks and audiobooks.. 8y

451Degrees Audiobooking for now but I will eventually be getting paper copies! And rereading although it always seems like I'm reading one of the books at all times😂 8y

44 likes26 comments

hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Have you heard of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text? Not sure how this challenge will all work out? We were inspired by this podcast, but rather than reading one chapter a week, we decided on a chapter a day. In fact, we will be using their themes as a starting point.
If you're interested, check out the podcast and see what it's all about. It's slightly different than us, they're reading it as a sacred text, however a cool starting point!

Peddler410 I started listening at the end of the summer, didn't keep up once mid August hit! My school library job got in the way 😕 8y

MyNamesParadise I've never listened to a podcast. I'm going to sound dumb, but how do you access a podcast? 🙈☺️🙂 8y

hpchapteraday @MyNamesParadise you can download them in the podcast app on you iOS device. Or you can listen online! 8y

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MyNamesParadise @hpchapteraday thank you!!! 8y

Godmotherx5 I had gotten the books from the library. This may be my insentive to buy a set. 8y

hpchapteraday @Godmotherx5 yes!!! Absolutely! 8y

Reese_Pearly.Pages Yay! I started this already but didn't get too far. Suuuper excited to do it with others. 8y

hpchapteraday @Reese_Pearly.Pages yay! Excited to have you join us. 8y

Graciouswarriorprincess What fun! 8y

hpchapteraday @Graciouswarriorprincess you would love the podcast! 8y

Ellsbeth This may be a silly question, but will this be in chronological order or something different? 8y

hpchapteraday @Ellsbeth chronological! You can scroll down to see the schedule. 8y

Ellsbeth Thank you! 8y

Varshitha I started to listen to it today but the thought it'll be more fun to listen as and when I finish my act chapter so I stopped.. 8y

43 likes14 comments

hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

Want to share this project with your followers? Feel free to use this graphic or make your own! Don't forget to tag us @hpchapteraday and use the hashtag #hpchapteraday . The more the merrier!

Peddler410 How do I share your image @hpchapteraday ? 8y

maximoffs @Peddler410 sorry for the delay. You can screen cap the page and then when you go to the image editor just crop it :) 8y

monkeygirlsmama I think I'm in! I've never read this series, but have all the books and have had them for years. Just watched the complete movie series with my youngest daughter at her request this Fall, so seems a fitting time to read the books finally. 8y

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hpchapteraday @monkeygirlsmama yay! We can't wait! 8y

Scurvygirl This sounds fantastic! Now to pull out those books!!📚 8y

mom2bugnbee I'm in! 😀 8y

hpchapteraday @Scurvygirl @mom2bugnbee yay! Excited to have you on board 8y

syasutake I'm in, and at least one of my 9-year-old twins is on board too! (edited) 8y

hpchapteraday @syasutake Yay! We can't wait to read with you? 8y

41 likes9 comments

hpchapteraday

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

Part 2 of reading dates!

elkeOriginal This is going to be amazing! Thanks for the schedule so we know what those 'other' works are - wheeee! 8y

hpchapteraday @elkeo no problem!! It's going to be fun. 8y

MyNamesParadise I don't have an ereader so what are the best ways to access the stories? I do have an iPad and have Amazon prime. 8y

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maximoffs @MyNamesParadise the Short Stories and Hogwarts history are all compiled pottermore writings. You can find them there. 8y

MyNamesParadise @steverogers thank you!! 8y

Varshitha It's gonna be an awesome 11 months .. 8y

26 likes6 comments

hpchapteraday

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

For those of you asking what we'll be reading and when! Also excuse the typo on Beedle the Bard. Part 2 next post.

mgiroir @Foreversweetserendipity 8y

freyaheart Beedle the bars... completely different story lol 8y

Bostonmomx2 @Debiw781 @Marilyn1970 here's an "official" hpchapteraday account to follow. Apparantly it's more than just the original hp books ? (edited) 8y

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Debiw781 Thanks @Bostonmomx2 ! I have some of the other books as well 8y

hpchapteraday @freyaheart 😂😂 we didn't see the typo until after I posted. Oh well. @bostonmomx2 @Debiw781 a lot of the writings are free on Pottermore too :) (edited) 8y

Debiw781 Thanks!! 8y

Godmotherx5 @hpchapteraday How do I find "Pottermore writing on MACUSA"? I found all of the other extras. 8y

hpchapteraday @Godmotherx5 https://www.pottermore.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/macusa 8y

Godmotherx5 @hpchapteraday Thank you. I saw that but thought I was supposed to find an associated book or PDF. Your link was helpful. Happy New Year! 8y

Varshitha I haven't read The tales of Beedle the Bard, Quidditch through the ages and Pottermore writing on MACUSA yet, can't wait to get to them.. 8y

36 likes10 comments

hpchapteraday

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

Jhullie I'll be camping in the back of beyond with no internet reception until the 4th so I will be with you all as soon as I get back to civilization 😆📖 8y

cewilf This sounds fun! Would we finish the whole series in 11 months? 8y

hpchapteraday @cewilf we will be finishing HP 1-7, Cursed Child, Tales of Beedle the Bard, Quidditch through the Ages, Fantastic Beasts (Textbook), Fantastic Beasts Screenplay, the Pottermore writings books (2) as well as the writing on MACUSA but not in that order! 8y

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MyNamesParadise What's MACUSA? Sorry if I'm missing something obvious.... 8y

maximoffs @MyNamesParadise it's the US version of the ministry of magic. We'll be reading the Pottermore writing on MACUSA 8y

MyNamesParadise Oh!!! That sounds fascinating!! I hadn't even heard of that 🙈thanks!! 8y

25 likes6 comments

hpchapteraday

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

We encourage you to use the hashtag #hpchapteraday here on Litsy. Also, if you really want to dive in, create a blog to document all your thoughts. Consider subscribing to blogs of fellow Littens who are doing this project!

MyNamesParadise Is it ok if we just do Litsy posts? I'm not how to blog or which platform would be the best... Thanks!! 8y

maximoffs @MyNamesParadise Yes :) it was just an option for people who want to dive deeper, as stated above 😊 8y

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hpchapteraday

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

21 likes

hpchapteraday

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

I'm posting a few answers to questions today about the project! Let me know if you have any further questions.

16 likes

hpchapteraday

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone: By J.K.Rowling | J.K. Rowling

We will start Sorcerers/Philosophers Stone on January 3rd. Each day a post will be made of the theme for that day and chapter as well as the theme for the next day. Join us on this 11 month journey.

26 likes

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