Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Doesn't Make Sense?

[@CG-eh6oe]

To all those mentioning that the basilisk was using the "pipes", as Hermione wrote: This addresses the plothole, but doesn't explain it. In order to attack someone, the basilisk has to leave its cosy pipes. So unless there are oak-trunk sized exits in the plumbing system every 10 meters, it will have to expose itself.

[@MS4E]

I think all the attacks "conveniently" occurred at points where the victims were alone. Mrs Norris - just outside the toilet Hermione and Penelope - during the quidditch match (I think?) Colin, sneaking up to the hospital wing during night Justin and Sir Nicholas - Justin left the rest of the group and headed alone and found Sir Nicholas and the basilisk that's my reasoning. not the best, but it's something.

[@CG-eh6oe]

@@MS4E While you are correct, the victims beeing alone does not really solve the issue. The basilisk had to get to the victims and also back to the CoS without beeing spoted. If we assume that there are only a few exits/entrances big enough for the basilisk (the books even indicate the bathroom beeing the only one; why else would Tom choose this exact one?), and consider how big Hogwarts is, the basilisk has to cover big distances outside the pipes.

[@thebadbandito]

Does this creature not use any magic? Do snakes have any traits that might justify any of this? Never read the novels but they are on the list. Finally finished Lord of the Rings

[@blazekilla5553]

Doesn't Hogwarts have hundreds of secret passages though?

[@CG-eh6oe]

@@blazekilla5553 Probably not hundreds, just a few. Harry at first doesn't realize that there are additional passages on the marauders map, only on a second look, so i would guess its a few dozends. Hardly enough to leave the pipes, chase his victims, attack and move all the way back without ever beeing seen. And the passages are probably not even suited for the basilisk. At least some of them require a wand to open...

[@jojobookish9529]

Umm..how did none of the *talking sentient paintings* see it??

[@fanaferrari1]

Thank you! Like, they see Sirius the next book but not the basilisk?

[@antondavidovic3996]

The paintings also sleep at night, which is likely when the basilisk roamed the castle

[@bucwhovian8305]

It probably only poked its head out for a second to look at the victim and then it was gone.

[@johnnypottseed]

Since everything is magic I just invent things to explain it away like maybe it has camouflage in some way or maybe the exit to the chamber is like a door of requirement of some kind and can deposit the snake wherever its needed.

[@amandamarie2660]

@@johnnypottseed or the fact the paintings sleep too

[@zombichlerka]

Fans: It's gotta be hard for that huge snake to go unnoticed around the school JKR: Actually, it's gonna be super easy, barely an inconvenience

[@deelystan883]

Whoopsie!

[@urty24]

Huge snakes going around schools unnoticed is tight.

[@TheYasmineFlower]

Also, the basilisk was always bisexual and had a wild love affair with Winky.

[@SunflowerSpotlight]

She wants you to get aallll the way off of her back about that.

[@aclark217]

I want to super like this comment

[@dappleback]

Regarding the basilisk’s tooth breaking off in Harry’s arm: This one actually checks out. Snake teeth are pretty delicate and regularly break off and replace themselves. (A bit like sharks) It’s pretty common for a snake’s tooth to get torn out by struggling prey.

[@krn2683]

This! I have a pet snake and I was like "no that one's legit".

[@fredrikbermhed2529]

I can definetly see this as true, but this is a very large snake, thick as an oak and atleast 6 meters long, and Harry is a skinny 12 year old boy. Wouldn't the tooth shred his arm open before it fell out first?

[@nahor88]

She fucked up with the car too; we DO get evidence that it's sentient when Ron/Harry hit the whomping willow with it. The book clearly states "the car had had enough" and throws them out along with their luggage, proving it IS sentient.

[@ellierichardson1616]

@@krn2683 random but Snakes are amazing

[@dollhouseintheattic5856]

Can confirm. I’ve had several snakes as pets, including an African rock python, which is one of the largest snake species in the world. She lost a few teeth in my arm over the years.

[@darkestwingz]

I never understood how Hermione is the only one capable of figuring out it's a Basilisk. Like aside from not knowing Harry can hear it whispering, the teachers all have the same clues as Hermione. How many possible things could have equaled Slytherin + roosters being killed + petrification? Not to mention it all happened before so they presumably had plenty of time to have figured out what happened the first time. But no, only this one 12 year old can see the big picture...

[@TheYasmineFlower]

In addition, Dumbledore is touted as the greatest, smartest, bestest, sexiest wizard of ever there was, yet he either doesn't recognize this or he doesn't give a fuck. When any problems could have been avoided simply by giving a rooster to each student and letting an army of roosters march around the corridors and crow around. Hogwarts is so neglectful, its a miracle that in Harry's six years of schooling, only one student died. Unless he just didn't pay attention to his classmates again and didn't notice when they fell through the trick steps and plummeted to their deaths.

[@bellathebookworm5156]

Well, i always assumed if anyone could figure it out if would be Dumbledore, Hagrid, Hermione, or a Magical Creatures teacher.

[@TheYasmineFlower]

@@bellathebookworm5156 Cue JKR tweeting that logic, like technology, doesn't work around magic.

[@TheRedSetterr]

​@@TheYasmineFlower Thing that bothers me is that EVERYONE saw Harry being a Parselmouth...so why does no one question what the monster was?

[@amritag982]

Coz only Hermione knew Harry could hear something the others couldn't, as Harry kept it a secret except for the trio and whenever he heard the voice there was a petrification. So it makes sense that only Hermione, after some thought, could conclude by the logic "What can only Harry hear?" . A snake, and snakes are associated with Slytherin... So she went to the library to research magical snakes, particularly ones with petrification abilities liked to roosters and spiders and found the truth

[@davids2735]

Merphy: "Ugh, why didnt the Basilisk eat the children?!" 😂😂😂

[@insuburbia]

Ha! There's so much to love about this comment.

[@giuliakenway6500]

Adding this to the "I like it when characters die", it creates a very interesting picture 😂

[@insuburbia]

@@giuliakenway6500 LOL! I wonder if, by the end of this series, Merphy will reveal she was Voldermort all along.

[@keithrodgers5010]

What does the giant snake eat? That is another plot hole. It is so magical it doesn't need food?

[@elliotpole8596]

Bailiks eat chickens, not children, at laeast the kind in this book. So is this the kind of stuff to expect from the smartasses who hate Cursed Child? Ewww. I can't believe the people in one of my longest entered fanbases are like this. Though there's bad apples in the Pokemon fanbase too, though they didn't really show their faces until June 11th of this year.

[@nenadzubovic2901]

Also, Ginny says she couldn't wait to attend Hogwarts ever since Bill started his first year... But she was just born at the time 😂

[@matheusvmoraes]

Yeah!!! That one really bothers me out!

[@yetus3628]

i think it was just a reference like “i’ve been wanting to go to hogwarts my whole life” i think JKR did that on purpose

[@marystuart83]

Riddle: "Ah right Phoenix tears I forgot". wow talk about the smartest wizard ever 😂

[@TheYasmineFlower]

I mean, he's sixteen, and still smarter than most of wizarding society. No one's perfect. xD

[@wanderinghistorian]

Reminds me of the, "Dany sort of forgot about the Iron Fleet," comment from the GoT writers.

[@TheYasmineFlower]

@@wanderinghistorian It was probably about that level of effort. Though of course, in JKRs defense (which I don't like to say), at the time she probably had no idea how big the story would get and she probably also hadn't decided on a lot of the later plot. Whereas Dumb&Dumber... well... were just dumb.

[@shosty575]

@@wanderinghistorian 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@shosty575]

@@TheYasmineFlower 😂😂😂😂

[@MissEasyPeasySleasy]

A snake can’t eat stone. Unlike the movie, when I read the book, I literally pictured the petrified persons turning into stone

[@chingizzhylkybayev8575]

Well Pterify is a specific term in HP universe and it doesn't involve turning into stone actually.

[@lukemcewen9549]

@@chingizzhylkybayev8575 petrification isn't a HP original, you can be petrified in the final fantasy games which came before HP

[@chingizzhylkybayev8575]

@@lukemcewen9549 so? How is that relevant to what I said?

[@lukemcewen9549]

@@chingizzhylkybayev8575 yeah my bad, I misread what you wrote, I thought you were saying that JK made it up

[@alexman378]

Pretty sure that with Rowling overseeing everything, this is what they looked like in the book as well. You may be onto something though, their skin could be stone like.

[@marcchoronzey3923]

Arthur has been working in the Office of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts for years and he's fascinated by plugs and doesn't understand how a telephone works or even how to pronounce it properly? How did he not fail his Muggles Studies at Hogwarts?

[@robertgronewold3326]

It was probably taught by a pure blooded wizard who had only a passing grasp of the subject.

[@TheYasmineFlower]

@@robertgronewold3326 But if wizards generally look down on muggles, why would a pureblood care to teach the subject at all?

[@robertgronewold3326]

@@TheYasmineFlowerPresumably there are many more wizards of the same mindset as Mr. Weasley. The purebloods are not all Deatheater types. It always struck me that a lot of wizards look at muggles the way that people in Western civilization look at folk from underdeveloped countries. That "Bless them, they try" mentality.

[@TheYasmineFlower]

@@robertgronewold3326 But why would that have to be a pureblood? Most of the wizarding population is halfblood.

[@robertgronewold3326]

@@TheYasmineFlower I was just making an example you know! We have no idea what the muggle studies professor was like in Arthurs time, or even if he took the course. He could have taken other electives for other reasons. At the end of the day it's all speculative.

[@thomaskirkness-little5809]

My favourite bit is how nobody ever talked to the ghost girl in 50 years when she had the answer to a thousand year old riddle. Even the teachers never thought to ask her how she was killed.

[@YTEdy]

Because she was creepy? I understand the kids avoiding her and the bathroom, but just 50 years, some of the teachers (Dumbledor/McGonigil, maybe even student at the time, Hagrid) probably knew Myrtil when she was a student.

[@SannaJankarin]

Why Harry never helped Ron to buy a wand in the second book? He has lots of golden money. That's a true nonsense.

[@jackbridges9061]

Ron wouldn't have took it. Ron always felt awkward that Harry had more money

[@amichiganblackman3200]

Something that bothered me reading the first three books is that Harry never buy Ron or Hermione any gifts for holidays. He's the richest person but we only see him receiving gifts, never giving them anything...

[@KA-gy3lz]

@@amichiganblackman3200 We never really hear about any of the gifts Ron or Hermoine receive though. That doesn't mean he doesn't get them anything

[@SilverFireworks]

@@jackbridges9061 It's not that Ron wouldn't accept it, it's that Harry never offered,

[@SilverFireworks]

@@amichiganblackman3200 You're totally right. This is actually blowing my mind right now. It's all the more jarring cause of how much attention is paid to the presents Harry gets from his friends. Some of my favorite parts from the 3rd and 4th book was reading Harry getting presents and it was all the more meaningful because of how extra bad it was with the Dursleys on his birthday.

[@lexxy8897]

I’ve always wondered why no one-before Harry, I mean- ever questioned moaning myrtle about how she died...

[@Larry_Darrell]

they might do, but she can't make it clear enough because she just saw two big yellow eyes and died. So she herslef doesn't know what had actually happened before she died

[@jaimelannister1797]

@@Larry_Darrell if she lives in the toilet how has she never noticed the basilisk, when it lives in the pipes lol

[@Larry_Darrell]

@@jaimelannister1797 Was the basilisk there all the time?

[@mordirit8727]

"Hey, this student who just died and has the entire castle in an uproar, uproar over which we are taking steps to severely punish this other student _for life_ has decided to return to us as a ghost. Yall think we should maybe get her testimony at all?" "Who cares, blame the giant and lets be done with it"

[@mordirit8727]

@@Larry_Darrell the basilisk was only there occasionally.. _Myrtle,_ was there 24 hours a day 7 days a week 52 weeks a year, that whole year. She later begins to roam more of the castle, but by Book 2 she was still wholly dedicated to that bathroom and that bathroom alone.

[@SessionZero]

Merphy: "Why doesn't someone with an evil agenda breed basilisks?" Me: "I agree! Also, why not farm Mandrakes? Walk into a place with a set of good earmuffs and a potted adult Mandrake. Pull the Mandrake... everyone dies!" (I wrote a short story about this a LONG time ago LOL)

[@TheYasmineFlower]

@Spellcaster86 But there'd be enough idiots who think "Imma be its mama, it wont hurt me" and do it anyway. Plenty of people get potentially dangerous dogs with no clue of dog training, too. Plus the people who get lions, tigers or similar animals as "pets". People are too stupid to not have tried that a few times.

[@SessionZero]

@@TheYasmineFlower You beat me to it. You don't have to "command" a basilisk to breed them. Just breed it and set it loose somewhere!

[@TheYasmineFlower]

@@SessionZero Yup. At the very least, that no one ever got drunk and tried to breed a basilisk is unrealistic.

[@Anonymous-wu5el]

The ministry banned the breeding of basilisks. I imagine it was quite a fad once upon a time. The issue I see primarily isnt in controlling it or even talking to it. But more in the realistic problem that you cant look at the stupid thing without risking paralysis. Paralysis that is stupidly difficult to cure it seems, given how long it took everyone to be cured. Why there were no mature mandrakes anywhere in the wizarding world or on stockpile, JKR only knows.

[@TheYasmineFlower]

@@Anonymous-wu5el If you look into a basilisk's eyes, you die. The paralysis is when you look at its eyes through something else, like a mirror. Also, the ministry also bans the owning of dragons, yet it seems its not that hard to get one. Let us just admit that the ministry is useless.

[@TheMattrking]

To quote Hermione, “Pipes.” Pipes make noise, even hissing type sounds, all the time. People just thought it was normal plumbing noise. Only Harry could recognize it as speech.

[@TheMattrking]

And toads are cold-blooded. Chicken eggs need warmth. I know, magic, but they also don’t teach biology so they might not figure out what the problem is. Wizards are dumb. Magic is too easy.

[@realiascailt]

Matthew R King they also couldn't control the Basilisk so it would kill literally everything it sees

[@realiascailt]

Anything*

[@TheMattrking]

iascailt Great point!

[@JD867]

@GimpyTheSpaceman Wild guessing: Maybe Salazar made space-extended pipes with expandable exits/entrances all over the castle, specifically for the basilisk. In fact, there might be an entire sub-network of hidden passages throughout Hogwarts the connects to the Chamber.

[@marystuart83]

It's not like cell phones were so popular in the early 90s when the book is set. Also I think the Dursley wouldn't have allowed Harry to receive phone calls. Of course Hermione could have at least tried.

[@wellhell7020]

Ron/Arthur? in the third book called him

[@marystuart83]

@@wellhell7020 yeah they definitely could have tried harder, especially Hermione. Since the Dursleys would not be happy about it, Harry could have still used a public phone to call her for example 🤷🏼‍♀️ after all, he was allowed to go for walks after a while

[@wellhell7020]

@@marystuart83 yea definitely

[@kalliopelovesbooks1375]

Didn't Ron warn Hermione to contact the Dursley's directly because they migth have Harry locked up for good?

[@chhavikochhar2123]

But how would she get his number? phone books with everyones number is not a thing. maybe America which is weird but not the UK privacy and all

[@robertgronewold3326]

Now, some issues with the Wizarding world when compared to the Muggle world is actually wizards having residual superiority complexes. For literal thousands of years, wizards had better EVERYTHING. They could communicate easily, heal wounds and aid the sick with skill, and travel long distances in hardly any time at all. Wizards were just naturally better, with muggles hanging behind, practically living in the dirt by comparison. But since the advent of the industrial revolution, THAT is changing. Muggles have invented machines to do their work, telephones, cars, airplanes and computers. Now, the wizards are being left behind, still literally using quill pens and sending their mail off by owl, but their superiority complex is still intact. The wizards believe themselves better, even kindly ones like Mrs. Weasley thinks that she is just naturally better than muggles. At the rate it is going, you'll see the muggles have a vast dominance, even without the ability to use magic.

[@remingtonsloan8331]

That'd be a cool series: the culmination of this conflict. Non-magic-users progress to the level of high sci-fi technology while the wizards have improved only a little, but the two powers can't exist together in one world, and so the witch hunts begin and result in a Terminator-esque apocalypse.

[@divadrelffehs]

Except that the wizards have also advanced since ancient times. It's not like the wizards of the 14th century had all the same magic they have in the 20th. Now, this doesn't make a lot of sense, but neither does the wizards hiding. They should be the ruling class of the world's nations.

[@divadrelffehs]

@Krisynthia Gomez Except there really isn't a reason for it that could possibly make sense in a historical way. Wizards should have just gotten richer on average from their muggle neighbors even if they weren't the priests or nobility. Once they had the resources though they would have gained political power. There is no reason for them to have hidden or segregated themselves from muggles.

[@daniel-vn4ql]

hear is this idea that the muggles are somehow going to have dominance over the wizards. witch is a stupid idea. Wizards will always have the upper hand. Why because wizards have an endless list of options to defeat the muggles. they can disparate and apereate any were. they can go in and remove muggle solders in an instant they have force fields top stop bullets. the muggles might decide to bomb the wizards. But again the wizards can probably switch the bombs off using magic. or apereate with the bombs and take it to muggle citys. they can use there force fields to protect them self from the bomb. they can convince muggle leaders to stop the war. convince clergy that the war is a bad idea. they can use creatures against the muggles. They could even flood the battle fields with dementors. immobilizing the muggles. remember they cant see the dementors. and there are many many more things that the wizards could do. Oh yes. you are correct. they are bridging the technological gap with the wizards.

[@divadrelffehs]

@@daniel-vn4ql but there is no reason for this kind of dichotomy to have ever developed. Witches and wizards from ancient times should have just grown wealthier than their muggle neighbors because of the advantages of knowing even a few spells. This would have slowly parlayed into more social power and prestige even if they didn't become the priests or what have you by virtue of their magic. Nor does it make sense that the average muggle would respond to people having these abilities with violence. Most people in most cultures through out history believed in magic and probably could have pointed you to somebody nearby whom they believed had magic powers.

[@BrendanEnrick]

The plot conveniences you point out in the fight with Tom Riddle are actually some of what I find most significant in the story. I don't think Fawkes just happened to show up there. I strongly believe that Dumbledore knew there was a basilisk in the chamber and sent Fawkes there to assist Harry deliberately. Now you could still argue that Dumbledore's having a phoenix or that a phoenix being able to assist is the plot convenience. Through the whole series, the one constant regarding Dumbledore is that he's always manipulating events using information that he's gained through his research into Tom Riddle. He also seems to always be intentionally putting Harry into danger in order to help him grow as a hero, so I think Harry was there by the design of Dumbledore with the tools that would allow him to win the day.

[@benarro2630]

exactly, it's not plot convenience, it's just plot.

[@paranormalauraa]

Isn't Fawkes the Phoenix that provides the feathers for Harry and Voldemorts want? Maybe this gives them some weird connection so he knew what to do?

[@danielchaustre9284]

I totally agree with you. I thought Dumbledore's involvement in the last chapters was very clear when I was reading the book.

[@robbiegarnz7732]

I have always thought that as well..

[@manaalsidd]

Exactly what i have been saying!

[@dominikadomaczaja5019]

‘Chamber of Secrets’ is actually my favourite book. :) I love how every teacher hated Lockhart, especially Snape and McGonagall. :)

[@thebookfawkes2963]

Didn’t realize I wanted a horror version of HP where the snake eats the children but now I kind of do 😂

[@OlgaSPN]

That would be a vey cool but short one: "Basilisk ate most of the students, the rest fled and have PTSD till this day. Snape still found a way to take 10 points for every Griffindor who was dumb enough to get themselves killed. The shool was sued into bancruptcy. The end." xD

[@philippzimmerer1280]

On the owls thing and no convenient means of communication: fireplaces are basically both teleportation booths and video call machines.

[@benarro2630]

she doesn't plan her videos or consider her points at length

[@bassett_green]

They weren't until the third book, right?

[@philippzimmerer1280]

@@bassett_green floo powder was introduced early in CoS for the trip to Diagon Alley that led to Harry in Nocturn Alley.

[@numberhunter62]

@@philippzimmerer1280 That requires a network and doesn't go to other countries. Not to mention you have to have a fireplace and be at a fireplace to communicate. Not exactly all that convenient, especially considering in 1991 Mobile Phones were a thing. And in 1992 SMS Message had become a thing.

[@fourcatsandagarden]

Harry, maybe: Oh woah what a dangerous situation *YEET THAT WAND*

[@dunilajayasuriya7631]

well at that point he didn't know a spell to cast against a basilisk right? so for him it was kinda useless.

[@Nasser851000]

Everything wrong with Chamber of secrets in less than 16 minuites (Book Sins)

[@SuperGameEskimo]

Opening Narration. *DING*

[@AmeliaOak]

Nice

[@nicholasbeeson4999]

She needs to add the counter and a ding.

[@miztameka]

(Spoilers) (Duh)

[@rich0373]

ROLL the epilogue.

[@kami_kauai]

I'm a diehard Harry Potter fan but I completely agree with you, and have for a long time. It's strange to me how some people can't admit that the thing they love isn't perfect!

[@jettqk1]

Agreed. The third book is my favorite and the one I've read the most, but it's the one I think makes the least sense. How can Harry go back in time to save himself if he would have died the first time around?

[@tbzergfortheswarm5993]

@@jettqk1 The answer to that is complicated. if ur gonna answer that right, in my opinion. it is gonna be something like this. the first time they go back in time they would do something compleatly diffrent than what was happening in the book, cause the first time they wouldn't get a rock in the head and so on. and over probely hundreds of diffrent timelines or potters, this would merge into something that would happen each time, and become the current event we know of. or it is destened to happen and it is eternal meaning this has always happend and there was never a first time. but i always think this way is a poor and boring way of explaining it.

[@wariolandgoldpiramid]

@@jettqk1 It's a time LOOP. The first time that Harry-1 was about to die at the lake, Harry-2 was already there. They never changed anything when they went back in time, they just made the events that have already happened actually happen. Like, with killing Buckpeak. They thought Buckbeak was killed. But when they went back in time, the guy with the axe simply chopped a pumpkin- that's exactly what happened originally.

[@edmontonboy99]

@@wariolandgoldpiramid Plus Harry 1 saw Harry 2 but the former thought it was actually his dad that saved him from the dementors, and Harry 2 knew that they were safe from Harry 1’s knowledge of he and Hermione’s time travelling.

[@plumicorn]

Am I the only person who wonders about the pipes in Hogwarts when the Basilisk is so big like a tree?

[@tjmcfadden5137]

Noveley Well snakes can squeeze into tight spaces, though I do think it’s to big for this naturally but this is where the magic comes in to make it able to squeeze to the extreme

[@TheYasmineFlower]

Wouldn't it have been hilarious if Harry overheard the basilisk muttering "Damn, stuck again..."?

[@SunflowerSpotlight]

TheYasmineFlower It’s just so silly. 😂 My cat has gotten larger since she last tried to really get under my dresser to retrieve a toy. She’s black, so she looks like a tiny panther, and when she’s in attack mode she can be... intimidating. “Shark eyes,” we call that look. But she just dives in without a thought, then realizes she can’t turn around and has to wiggle her butt to try to leverage herself out of there. 😅 She’ll stomp her back paws and puuullll, and I can just imagine the inner monologue. “Come on, Arwie, you can do this. Should not have had that extra salmon. Just a little to the left... don’t drop the mouse... there ya go. Almost got it.” Of course, like Arwen, I’m sure the basilisk would insist it meant to do that, to disarm and trap any unsuspecting parseltongue fluent passers by. “Yessss.... I meant to do that. It wassssn’t ssssilly at all. I’ll ssshhhowww you ssssilllyy!”

[@hanburgundy4317]

That's why I think the whole "plumbing renovations" idea is stupid. It makes more sense that the bathroom was built when the Chamber was and the pipes were intentionally built large enough for the basilisk - Slytherin was in charge of plumbing.

[@TheYasmineFlower]

@@hanburgundy4317 Slytherin the plumber would make for some hilarious fanart. PLEASE LET THAT HAPPEN!

[@n.m.4855]

“it is not perfect, but you still love it” - sees the ravenclaw t-shirt with a raven on it, ‘yeah that probably goes with the shirt as well’

[@JustJoe10]

And the colours

[@PiggiesnPuppies]

The one that gets me the most is the “pipes” how big are the walls at hog warts that they can fit a giant basilisk through them!!!

[@fatherfountain1906]

the basilisk really isn't that big. It could fit through a large pipe

[@leonardhafner6844]

@@fatherfountain1906 the book says it's as big as a tree. That would require some big ass walls

[@nickfearby4224]

It doesn’t state what size tree it could be a new tree that is smaller then fully grown trees. Aren’t most snakes in the Amazon as big as a non fully grown tree. It should have no problem fitting in the pipes

[@napoleon3026]

@@nickfearby4224 c'mon what size of tree? I think we all know if you we something is as big as a tree we mean it is HUGE

[@TheRealCoDmunity]

I've seen 20 feet tall trees that are only 12 inches thick, still huge

[@brontesaurusrex7235]

"Clustercuss" omg that's adorable, I'm stealing that for when I'm around children.

[@turbobus4983]

The bird was specifically there to help Harry, so that's what it did.

[@benarro2630]

careful you're using logic... :'(

[@alias374]

2:10 "How is no one seeing the basilisk?" - Great question. Because it's jusing the plumbing to get around the castle. That was hermiones big epiphany. It doesn't crawl out of the bathroom where the entrance is. It gets around inside the walls through the entire castle. Ignore pottermore stating that wizards didn't have toilets and we're all good. Why didn't it eat anybody? - Because it doesn't have free will. Whoever talks parslemouth controls it. Tom Riddle wants the bodies to be found. So: The snake doesn't get to eat anybody. The hissing in the walls: Harry has his ear right up to it, to hear it correctly. He hears words. They just hear a muffled hissing sounds through the thick school walls. It's an old castle. Stuff there always makes some sort of creaking or hissing noise. You tune it out. Harry doesn't, because it legitimately sounds like words to him. Why don't wizards use Muggle devices, if they're convenient? Because they are stubborn, prejudiced pricks who believe they are better than Muggles. In every way. They're kinda racist that way. So, asking "Why isn't that racist behaving rationally?" - is really a nobrainer. I think the car gaining sentients was foreshadowed earlier... but don't hold me to that. Never thought about the mighty convenience of it. Was just a cool scene for younger kids. The rest? Yeah. Mighty convenient. But it's the second HarryPotter book, when it was wayyy more geared towards children. So I never thought about it. I guess Rowling just put Harry too deep into trouble. So deep there was no conceivable way for him to get out. The same happened in Book 1, but only at the very end. There's always a greater force helping Harry (almost always Dumbledore), because he's not quite there yet. Nice video btw, I enjoyed it, in case this seemed like the opposite :D

[@rikwisselink-bijker]

+

[@FrenkieWest32]

So how does it petrify people? They don't look inside the pipes...

[@alias374]

@@FrenkieWest32 By coming out and staring at them... Well here's the thing: From reading the book, I never conceptualised how it would come out behind the walls, just how it moves there. And I fear Rowling did the same... Merphys assumption that it's one entrance/exit makes a lot of sense in book details. I think combining how it's supposed to work and what we can read from the books... An option would be bathrooms all over the castle?

[@Anders1314]

"It gets around inside the walls through the entire castle." And how thick are the walls at hogwarts? The pipes have to be big enough to accommodate an oak tree sized snake inside. Would no one really question that? And how would come outside to kill the kids? Wouldn't the walls had to have massive holes on them for the basilisk to come out? Surely after hundreds of years looking for the chamber someone would look at the massive hole on the meter thick wall by the library and wonder where it goes.

[@ajpeters2912]

Also Voldemort himself said that Harry have never beaten him using skill he rides the coat tails of better wizards who have all rescued him and made sure he succeeds

[@FreggFaerie]

And this is legit true through the whole series 😂

[@1997lordofdoom]

If Harry beated Voldemort using only his skill that would be complete bs, how can a child best one of the strongest wizards ever?

[@kestrelraptorial689]

I just thought of a probable reason as to why no-one saw the Basilisk slithering around the halls: The one possessed (won't give away a spoiler for young kids who haven't yet read it) who was letting the Basilisk loose in the halls was probably telling it when and where to attack and best chance of avoiding being seen, since if it was, Dumbledore and other skilled wizards and witches would have slain it quickly if even one person had escaped to raise the alarm.

[@zdf14]

Didn't the third (?) book say that when Ron and Hermione tried calling Harry, Uncle Vernon quickly shot that down?

[@KianNaik-u4v]

well they did mention that fawkes was capable of ALL of this in the chapter we meet him. The tears have healing powers, the being able to carry immensely heavy loads, all of that

[@SunflowerSpotlight]

When you’re done with this series, you could make one about how the books could have been written in a better way, especially making use of character development, underutilized plots, and various archetypal themes. I think people can become so used to a plot point that they can’t see past it to brainstorm other options. There’s almost an aspect of “but this is how it happened; it’s how it HAS to happen,” to it. A lot of writers I work with will have nourished a set idea of how a plot goes that they can’t see beyond it. If I suggest a stronger option, they panic in proportion to how important the plot point is to them. Seeing how even beloved stories like the Harry Potter books could be improved would be a good lesson in editing. Trusting your work to someone else is always so scary, but seeing how it can work out for a different series could promote more trust in the editing community. It’s not, in fact, about destroying the things a writer has worked years to iron out, but to make them stronger. It enables them to survive the nitpicking of others like me. 😂

[@littlereddragon]

We don't have phone books in the UK! (Well we used to have yellow pages, but that was for businesses...) It's really weird to me that Americans have access to anyone's number - that's private information. Hermione would not be able to call Harry up unless he had given her his number. I don't think the books specify where Hermione lives but according to the films she lives in London and Harry lives in Surrey. This is a separate county and not in any way local. As a child she would have had to be driven by her parents or get a train or coach to visit him. Considering that they aren't that close and that the Dursley's are not that welcoming I'm not surprised that Hermione didn't try harder.

[@Hoppers123popper]

The real question is why the Minister of Magic didn't just hire a magic zoologist to hunt the monster? He has a department of disposal of magical creatures.

[@Hoppers123popper]

@@finnhoffman the Minstry isn't aware of that though.

[@Hoppers123popper]

@@finnhoffman just that it was a monster so have your government's control of magical creatures department go do their jobs. Or you could lock up the guy that can't spell Voldemort name or do magic, that works to

[@ZeldaLover1031]

Also, the paintings could say something?

[@FreggFaerie]

SO TRUE

[@pipcoomes7734]

As a self published author I am constantly searching my work for plot holes etc. Is it wrong that there’s some relief in knowing that even the series held up as the holy grail has some significant issues? 😬😕

[@MaikeruShinigami]

Absolutely. Obviously, we would want to avoid them as much as possible, but the larger the story is, the more bound we are to miss things here and there.

[@elisre4391]

Plus, can we just agree that there's a big problem with the book cover (at least in the original version that was sold in Brazil)?! I mean, there are WINDOWS in the cover but the chamber is supposed to be really in the underground. This has always bugged me even as a 12 year old.

[@ShalomDove]

“Bum-skeey, it never gets to eat anyone” 😂😂😂 this is why I’m always here for a Murphy video ❤️ the plot conveniences at the end line up so well that it feels like Dumbledore planned for this eventuality: “ok, fawkes, you be lookout while I’m gone; and if any students end up in the chamber, you go down there and pull them out.” Personally I can deal with plot convenience a bit better if Fortunate Power X has been established well ahead of the scene where it’s needed. Dumbles mentions fawkes’ healing tears and ability to lift many times his own weight in an early chapter, so at least she didn’t just throw it in right before the chamber scene. Also, I’m not a mythology expert, but I think those two abilities are part of the general Phoenix mythology, which, for me personally, makes it feel a little more organic. She didn’t just make up a whole new creature that had all of the plot convenience powers that she would need for the climax.

[@OlgaSPN]

Of couse old pal Albus planned fo this - he was secretly taining Harry to fight Voldie in the future, so he was testing him bit by bit every year. That's a known theory explaining his decisions and some of the conveniences.

[@MatiZ815]

The biggest convenience of the book is that somehow none of the basilisk's victims looked him directly in the eyes. It's ridiculous that all of them survived through pure coincidence.

[@EvWuzhere]

Im glad someone else thought it was weird that hermoine never contacted harry in muggle ways

[@martychisnall]

Dumbledore sent Fawkes knowing full well that the sword of Gryffindor can destroy the diary which he knows to be a Horcrux as it in infused with basilisk venom, he also knows Fawkes will be able to heal Harry just in case, so I wouldn’t really call it plot convenience.

[@ham5097]

Well, they can talk without using owls and cell phones - just like did Harry and Sirius in the 5th book. Via fireplace.

[@FreggFaerie]

Yeah, too bad it took four books for her to bring that in xD

[@GibbyCat]

And the mirror Harry forgot about

[@Sheuto]

It doesn't work with all fireplaces though. The fireplace needs to be connected to the floo network and the person you are "calling" needs to be close to a fireplace that is also connected to it. So very situational.

[@jessieee3423]

@@GibbyCat still not over Harry forgetting about that mirror

[@NairAthul]

And the talking patronus thing

[@JMTgpro]

On the letters... it is archaic, especially when you realize that the magic system accommodates the immediate transportation or sending of letters... You tell me that they can appear anywhere almost immediately, but they cannot simply appear a letter on the threshold of a house or at a specialized table for the mail.

[@rohanmulgaokar5682]

That's so true I realised the plot conveniences at the second reading in the first I just really wanted Harry to survive and didn't care how it happened

[@lrba5524]

So I hear this gripe a lot, the 2nd plot convenience you had about people not being able to hear the Basilisk. You have to remember that the Basilisk was roaming around in the piping and Hogwarts is of course a very old school. If you've ever been in an old building for a long period of time you'll notice that the pipes in the building make extremely loud hisses that almost sound like the building's going to like explode, but like most things after a while you get used to it and you don't react to it anymore. So I think the implication is that Ron and Hermione think that the pipes are hissing where Harry recognizes the hissing as language since he's a parsletongue. And in case you were wondering, because I've heard this retort a lot, parsletongue is not characterized as words in the books specifically and it's usually described simply as a hiss.

[@beautifulchaos3171]

I think the reason behind why Fawkes came to the chamber bringing the hat was because of what Dumbledore said earlier. He said sth like help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it and then when Harry was helpless he kept saying someone please help me or whatever.

[@beatrizribeiro2417]

I just love that you displayed the HP books with the spines and then put the chamber of secrets with the front! It’s a little detail but I just love it 😍 it’s like it’s a game and you have all the options and you select book 2 and it turns to the fronted it with the title and stuff 😅❤️

[@dcembervesalius]

Voldemort is honestly so dumb haha. So that'd be my response to what you mention of him not knowing about how there was another Parseltongue before him and Harry... I mean, that weakness comes into play later on in the books cuz he is so full of himself he never stops to think of the little things, such as him thinking that no one had found the room of requirement before him

[@TheYasmineFlower]

That's not dumb, though, that's a fairly realistic assessment of the intelligence levels of most wizards. Let's be real, the wizarding world is full of idiots. There's a reason that two of the most intelligent characters we get to see are Tom and Hermione - both muggle-raised with at least an elementary muggle education. If Tom had attended a muggle secondary school, he probably would have won.

[@mordirit8727]

What I love about his glaring stupidity here is imagining what went through the real Voldemort's head _literally two months later_ when he found out the entirety of his maternal family could speak parseltongue and had had this skill since Hogwarts was created.

[@alexanderwheeler3943]

"Everything lines up perfectly times in the end because plot convenience." Rowling: "....Dumbledore!"

[@antondavidovic3996]

Seriously, Dumbledore is like the Jesus Christ of the HP universe

[@jameslewis4434]

"Maybe he caught whoever attacked him on camera." A few books later: "You can't use Muggle technology inside of Hogwarts..."

[@blueray15]

I think Collin had to put some spell on it (or an older student did) because he mentioned that the pictures when he developed them were moving.

[@Ninjamanhammer]

I they mention radio/microphone equipment not working, doesn't mean nothing works. Everyone has watches, and I don't think Harry's is magical.

[@jasonbolding3481]

@@blueray15 some how moving pictures is part of the development process , a potion, not part of the camera.

[@Tustin2121]

I always took that “can’t use technology in the castle” thing to mean electronics specifically, and cameras were a mechanical thing before the transistor was invented.

[@mordirit8727]

@@Ninjamanhammer you're onto something with the watches. Hogwarts fucks with the electronics most likely, but for it to stop _mechanical_ things from working, the castle would just be impossible. We know that glasses work in Hogwarts, they mechanically alter the path light takes, so a camera's lens would work in Hogwarts. We know the concept of things burning exists and works in Hogwarts, people burn a lot of shit through the whole series, so a camera's film would work. Of course, we should also be able to take for granted that energy works the same way in Hogwarts by the mere fact that everyone doesn't drop dead the second they enter the castle, but who knows how they managed to stop those specific things working xD

[@psych0536]

The reason why all the evil people don't make a whole bunch of basilisks would be that they are extremely dangerous to anyone and everyone including the creator of it, and only Parselmouths can have some semblance of control over it.

[@scrollsofdragons362]

The forest became the cars home so could be it was just in that area right when they needed it but yeah, the whole car saving them was left wide open. Oh boy, the time turners are next.

[@JennFaeAge]

When you said you were moving on to the plot conveniences I momentarily heard the Cinemasins guy in my head saying "Plot convenience is convenient"...this sounded so much funnier in my head lol

[@MamaMOB]

Edmund Graham I heard it too, I heard it too 🤣

[@TheHerothief]

sentient car ex machina

[@harrypotteroftherings5242]

I find *The Chamber of Secrets* as the most magical book in the series. The one that mostly gave me feelings as I was attending Hogwarts :)

[@sofiareads4668]

Loved this! I think there was a sentence in the first book where Harry was wondering why no one called and then he figures that Vernon/other Dursleys would just not let them speak to Harry. But he's like I thought Hermione would have disguised her voice or outsmarted them to get to talk to Harry but then it isnt really brought up again.

[@cassianladue9493]

“I love this book, I just wish the ending were, ugh, different.” YES!!!!! Seriously when I read these books for the first time as a college freshmen (I know, I was late to the party), I was more into this book initially than 1 AND 3, but by the end was like... what just happened...

[@burtles1dons]

With Hermione using the phone book to look up the Dursley’s number, I assume based on the type of people they are that their number was private and wasn’t in it.

[@BulldogsAndBooks]

I’m not disagreeing. But at 5:40 the middle ground between Apparating and sending a letter via Owl would be Floo... right? We see Sirius use it in book 4. .

[@FreggFaerie]

Yeah, but that's the problem, she introduced flu powder right away in the series, but doesn't show us this use until the fourth book, which is like, maybe flesh out the world better before you start publishing? As an aspiring author, I feel JK Rowling rushed the series and that's a big reason why there are so many issues with her writing. Im developing a seven book series myself and I've been working on the first book and the world building for over a year now, I know it won't be perfect, but atleast I'm putting in the effort xD

[@melodie-allynbenezra8956]

The basilisk was slithering behind the walls. Hermione suggested "pipes," but I'm guessing that for all her reading, she never read Gothic novels. In large mansions or castles, there are often passages between the walls (mostly so that servants can walk from place to place without being seen). For folks unfamiliar with the castle or mansion, these passages come off as secret passages, because they were unknown to almost everyone, except the servants, and more eccentric homeowners. With this in mind... The basilisk was probably crawling in those "behind the wall" places, and coming out at the convenient open passage (because the servants DO eventually have to reach their destination). It was hidden, because it would be so very "gauche" to acknowledge anything useful about people who are magically supposed to accomplish things without appearing, or some such. (The class system of the era was vicious.) Following this logic... The basilisk had a reasonable place to move about unseen, and Hermione was mistaken, as she thought of the pipes, and not passages.

[@JennFaeAge]

Also, I love how a chunk of this video consists of you going "And then..." :-P

[@ohmirkwood5559]

Regarding the car rescuing Harry and Ron from the spiders, I always thought that, because Arthur enchanted the car and his magic is inside the car, the car feels protective of Arthur's son and his son's best friend and that's why the car came back for them x) At least that's how in interpreted it and I could never let go of that thought.

[@barbarapatino5458]

Only a fellow Ravenclaw would talk about the books like this!!! Love your videos! Can't wait for the rest :D

[@bluegrasscreek5663]

I'm pretty sure the bassolisc was using the sewer pipes to get around not the hallways when it got out of the chamber and that's why harry could hear it moving at the ghost party And I always just took it as the snake was instructed to go after certain people that tom riddle chose who the attacks should be on so it wasnt just roaming around just looking for anybody

[@emmaelizabeth3373]

The biggest plot convenience for me was that ALL of the basilisk's victims managed to avoid looking it directly in the eye. Sure, Hermione and Penelope were on their guard, but the others just HAPPENED to have a camera/ghost/puddle of water on hand. About the whole Chamber ordeal: didn't Fawkes come to Harry's rescue because he showed loyalty to Dumbledore? Fawkes wasn't like "Hmmm, I think I'll just grab my hat and sword and explore the Chamber of Secrets, just for fun!" It's still awfully convenient, I agree, but Harry *sort of* earned it...

[@quranannotations]

When reading, I wondered how big Ginny's cauldron must have been; she was able put all her books in it at Flourish and Blotts, and Ron threw his books in it too when he confonted Malfoy. Also, I don't think it's explained how the teachers knew that Ginny was taken by the Basilisk.

[@egoponte]

I disagree with almost everything you said and I think potterheads will mostly agree with me 1: The basilisk travels through the pipes of the castle and all attacks happen when the monster exits them; near the bathroom, in the corridor where water is splashed due to the broken pipes by the snake etc. Also, the creature obeys to Ginny Weasley, possessed by Tom Riddle; it is not free to eat or kill people and only targets muggle-borns and ennemies of the heir. That explains why nobody has seen it, it doesn't roam the school's corridors aimlessly but stays in the chamber or in the pipes. About the size of snake the book mentioned the length of the skin shed near the entrance; about 20 feet (6 meters), which is not as huge as portrayed in the films. The hissing of the snake could be a fair point although I believe it is mentioned the sound of the snake is rather soft as it is talking through thick walls. It might not be particularly noticeable in the bustle and hustle of the castle if one can't recognise words. 2: About Hermione, yea, she could have but she also knows what kind of relationship Harry has with the Dursleys and she knew it would have caused him troubles if a friend from school called him. Also we can assume that if she had done that Dobby would have found a way to stop her. 3: You didn't mention the Fire talking and the use of patronus to deliver messages as alternatives to owls and would be the equivalent of calling. 4: Don't really see the problem with the plumbing, we all know Voldemort thinks he is the smartest when he ignores so much about magic, life and his own family. Also in #2 he is the younger Tom Riddle version of V., who understands even less. 5: The creation of basilisks must be strictly controlled by the ministry as are all other dark magic artefacts and creatures. They surely have way to detect them and punish the ones who break the law. By your logic any evil doing wizard can just pull a wand and kill anyone why even bother with a basilisk. 6: I can't exactly remember how it's said in the book but they explain that the crash they had in the whomping willow somehow modified the enchantement and because the car suffered trauma and lived in the forest for so long it developed its own will and became wild. And in the book they meet the car in the forest BEFORE being attacked by the spiders, so your point doesn't stand here. Seems that you're basing yourself on the movies rather than on the books. 7: Again you're basing yourself on the movies here; in the book it clearly says that he throws his wand in order to turn Ginny on her back ( and at that point he has not seen TR yet and doesn't even know TR is dangerous). As for the help Harry gets, it is one of the most recurring themes in the series, I'm surprised you didn't pick up on that; in the words of Dumbledore: 'help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it'. I can't remember exactly how Harry says it but right before the bird appears in the chamber he says that Dumbledore is not so far from here to try to scare TR, wishing with all his heart that it is true. Saying this he formulated his need for D's help and the next moment the bird appears (representing Dumbledore) with the solution to his peril. And again at 11:26 you show the quote where Harry clearly asks for help to the hat. Same logic for Fawkes' tears, and its capacity to carry heavy weights, Harry received the help he needed and asked for. 8: I give you that the fact that basilisk venom can destroy horcruxes is convenient for the plot of #2, but in the context of the whole series it makes sense. The definition of what can destroy horcruxes is given in one of the later books, probably #7, as something that can destroy an object beyond magical repair. The venom is the most powerful and deadly in the world so it kind of makes sense? I actually doubt that you've read the books as many times as you claim, you missed the subtleties of the storyline and mostly based your analysis on the movies. The mark of great books is that they can be read and understood on several levels, the plain linear story, the cultural background it is embedded in, the philosophy, the recurring themes etc.

[@daveventure4992]

But one other thing always bothered me: It is ridiculous that Dumbledore didn't find the chamber of secrets and/or knew of the basilisk. He should be working around the clock to save the school from getting closed. Asking Myrthe how she died would've been enough to find out about the entrance and Basilisk (he *knew* her (funny no one bothered asking the ghost of the girl that died)). Even the clues like the spiders leaving or the cocks getting killed off. The greatest wizard of all time? Really? We can desperately search for logic but in the end, we have to accept it's a children's book and it has its flaws. Rowling exchanged awe for logic which is fine for me.

[@zztomj]

3) I believe that the flu network has to be ministry registered and would unlikely be approved by it being - A. a muggle house and B- Vernon likely not approving, I'm also sure that Dumbledore would advised against a portal of any sorts into Harry's only true safehouse whilst he is of age and the defence charms are still active.

[@egoponte]

zztomj I wasn’t suggesting that Harry use it at Privet Drive, I was saying that there is an alternative to owls contrary to what was said in the video

[@egoponte]

Dave Venture it’s a fair point, I also thought about that. About the basilisk maybe D was confused cause everybody was getting petrified and not killed. And Myrtle refused to speak about her death to anyone, but Harry somehow convinced her to open up and she did cause she reminded him of Tom (same story as with the Grey Lady funnily enough). And maybe, speculation here, V. made it impossible for people to find he chambre, but Harry could because of his connection/horcrux inside him

[@sharpflake8615]

The one who commented that is very honored in my eyes Truely roasted her I agree with you completely

[@LivyTresa]

The book says Ron called harry first and got yelled at by Vernon, Ron then sent a letter to hermione warning her not to call. Ron is closer to Harry thats why he called first....Harry could have stabbed the diary with the sword instead of the fang but only after stabbing the baslisk. "Help will always be given to those who ask for it".. answers all the plot conveniences, it also the moral of the book. It's for children.

[@paulallen8304]

A lot of these can be summed as follows: "middle grade logic"... just remember that at this stage kids aren't quite as capable of digging through super complex logical thinking. Some, yes, but not a lot, and the fantasy and adventure aspects are emphasized simply due to the type of book that it is.

[@urty24]

I made a similar comment. I definitely don't read Books 1 and 2 for their plots. It's all about the fantastical, whimsical world building and setting. I love the first two books for the way they make me feel.

[@nshortfield]

And actually "middle grade logic" is part of the plot since Harry and Ron somehow feel like stealing a flying car and going to school with it is the most logical thing to do. I didn't mind the basilick thing that much. I just ruled it out as a case of bad luck/good luck.

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

@@nshortfield Doesn't one of the adults also point out the boys could have asked them for help instead of stealing the car? Or something like that was said.

[@nshortfield]

@@jackiesliterarycorner they do in the movie but i don't remember if that happens in the book as well. I read it like 18 years ago ^^

[@TheYasmineFlower]

That's such a cheap excuse. Just because adults think that children are stupid doesn't mean that they have to dumb down stories.

[@anneslota]

What happens if a painting sees the basalisk? And I'm glad you said the snake always went around the castle from the girl's bathroom. I always assumed it exited the pipes at random points in the castle. Like the hallways open up to the pipes or something? Feels worse now that I'm putting it into words.

[@ultantuffy1194]

I thought the reason the car became sentient was because something happened during its time in the Forbidden forest since they crashed it

[@TheYasmineFlower]

Trauma leads to sentience... That cars story would have been far more interesting to behold.

[@ultantuffy1194]

@@TheYasmineFlowerThe Invisible Flying Car and the Adventures in the Forest honestly sounds better the the Cursed Child ngl

[@jakobschoning7355]

The first time we see sentience in the Ford Anglia is actually when they crash into the whomping willow. So I guess it could be argued that it decided do do its own thing once it got thoroughly mishandled?

[@jameslyon2338]

I always hated the phoenix thing. Never felt earned, I think I'd have forgiven it if they'd done more set up that Fawkes (who's tail feathers are in Harry and Tom's wands, apparently) has a connection to them both and then have the phoenix show up a few more times to show this connection. but nope. fawkes just decides to go fuck with the snakes because judge judy wasn't on in dumbledores office that afternoon. it's so weird. it's also so weird that so many fans just let it go - that a single magical creature can blind a giant snake, carry 4 people, heal mortal wounds and find harry potter when its bored.

[@TheYasmineFlower]

Fawkes is such a deux ex machina. And then JKR also makes it that people who hear phoenix singing are easily spotted evil. Bird of convenience if ever there was one. Though I wonder why Dumbledore then never uses that as a test to see who he can actually trust around him. Greatest wizard my ass.

[@Blokewood3]

Fawkes is just way too powerful. He could probably have won the whole war against Voldemort by himself. Why didn't Dumbledore use Fawkes to get the locket in book 6?

[@PrideofPitchers]

It's setup earlier in book 2, in Dumbledore's office after several more students are found petrified. Dumbledore mentions phoenixes can carry heavy loads and that their tears have healing properties.

[@mordirit8727]

@@Blokewood3 oh no, Dumbledore picked up this uber cursed ring and now he has a deadly curse on him that will kill him. Sure is a pity we don't have a phoenix at hand that can literally undo any and all kinds of damage...

[@PlanetZoidstar]

I have a feeling in EARLIER versions of the story the Basilisk was the size of a mythical Basilisk, which was a mere "12 fingers in length", but Rowling wanted to beef it up to make it more menacing...But forgot how this would make it impractically big for the story to work.

[@loknaz97]

And Arthur is supposed to be an expert on muggle tech, that's literally his job

[@devikiezebrink8870]

I have just always wondered why Dumbledore (or any of the professors for that matter) never realised the monster was a basilisk. I mean, it make sense that it is a snake since, you know Salazar Slytherin is a Parseltongue, all the spiders leave the castle, people are getting petrified. I mean really, the most brilliant wizard of all times couldn't put that together. Or, what's even worse, why didn't he think to ask moaning myrtle about how she died, he was at the school when it happened, he must know about her existence. I understand that the case was kind of closed after hagrid was caught but why not just ask her if it was some crazy spider, which just doesn't make sense. Also Dumbledore didn't really trust or believed Tom anyway so this would have been a good way to check if he was telling the truth or not. Or at least he could have asked her when the chamber got re-opend. Also, I am kind of curious how Ginny & Tom got out of the chamber all those times. I don't think they had a phoenix-ride every single time.

[@dailycarolina.]

14:47 "Nobody writes a perfect book" those are very accurate words!

[@happychaosofthenorth]

Well to that I say, "Challenge accepted!" Just kidding, I think I would go mad trying.

[@SunflowerSpotlight]

This is what I say to people who get bummed at how much red ink they metaphorically receive from me. It’s not a condemnation of the ability of a writer to have some edit and suggested rewrites, not at all! We (editors) only look good if our writers look good. If they’re at the point that we’re involved, they’re generally really solid at their jobs. By giving feedback, we’re just doing ours! Letting the pursuit of perfection get in the way of perfectly good causes so much unneeded angst in the writing world. As a reader, I’d rather read six “very good,” books instead of never get to read a work from an author because they’re still honing to have a “perfect,” one. I hope that, if anything, videos like these help writers see that even smash hits aren’t perfect. It’s fair to no one for them to hold themselves to higher standards than those to which they hold their favorite authors!

[@Ficehdulah]

6:45 because basically every wizard, even the Weasleys, are deeply prejudiced against muggles. In this case, it's tremendous condescension

[@gabrielrodriguez9733]

"Harry Potter and the Plot Conveniences." That's how I feel about GOBLET OF FIRE.

[@MEG4nerd]

To be fair GoF was filled with plot convenience because Moody was secretly helping Harry the whole time

[@salt4264]

To be fair, the series should be called: "Plot Conveniences and *insert the theme of the book here* "

[@midnightgreengaming3188]

GoF was worse. Nothing would've happened if a) Harry forfeited every match and b) the other schools had flat out refused being in such glaring disadvantage.

[@Red_Devil_2011]

It also sucks that we get to know Moody and like him, but he turns out to have been an evil psycho killer the whole time. Just also an amazing actor at playing Moody, I guess.

[@Red_Devil_2011]

I still love GoF though.

[@ITakeTime]

What bothered me about the chamber of secrets was that Hagrid was expelled for being the heir or Slytherin and setting the Basilisk on people. Why would they keep him on the school, free to go about the castle and continuing?! I was also bothered that the basilisk didn't eat anyone...

[@avsambart]

Maybe he only likes killing. He's actually a vegetarian.

[@jessieee3423]

I legit laughed out loud! Thank you!

[@SunflowerSpotlight]

My brother and I have an inside joke about that. We loved The Land Before Time and the whole series (or what was released from it while we were kids) and we got endless giggles over the line about a T-Rex eating a group member. “He’d spit out Sara, ‘cause she’s too tough!” It was one of the first instances of wordplay that we really understood. When my brother asked me about the no-kids-get-eaten thing after seeing the movie, I grinned at him. He caught on to my train of thought, and we instantly said, “He’d spit out Harry, ‘cause he’s too tough!” Our “because plot,” reasoning since then has always been that Harry survives because he’s too tough. 😎 Why did Harry not choke on the Snitch that one time? He’s too tough. Why didn’t he actually die? He’s too tough. It’s weird sibling logic that has zero connections from the outside world, but it makes sense. At least to us. 😅

[@NairAthul]

That's a JKR worthy reveal...the basilisk was vegan

[@AifosViruset]

Couldn't it be that Tom had commanded the basilisk not to eat the people he attacked, because if it did it would just look like people disappeared and no one might even understand that the chamber of secrets had been opened again. He wanted people to know, he even had Ginny write it on the wall later.

[@SorcererLord]

*She. The basilisk was female xD

[@MatthewLoom]

They do have telephones in the Wizarding world. It's called the Floor network. It's used extensively in the books. LMFAO.

[@matthewpatrick7263]

I'm a Ravenclaw, too. Those are very good points you've made, some of which I ashamedly admit I didn't notice. I always assumed that the basilisk can't eat the petrified people for some reason. Perhaps their skin is too hard or something. If they had any imagination, they'd turn lighters into floo-phones. Tom also believed that no one would find his Horcrux in the junk room of Hogwarts. He was stupidly arrogant. I honestly believe that the way he found the CoS was by winning Felix Felicis in 6th year Potions class and drinking it for the purpose of finding the CoS, then suddenly needing the loo so bad that he went into the girls' bathroom and washed his hand at the right sink. Then he claimed his genius found it. (I think the car Herbie was enchanted by one of Arthur's ancestors and he used the same spell on his car - either that or JKR stole that idea from those movies.) I don't know why Tom didn't have Ginny's wand and then disarm Harry with that. That would make sense if JKR wanted him disarmed. That's all I can think of regarding your comments.

[@melodie-allynbenezra8956]

Harry heard the basilisk. If anyone else would have heard it, it would have been sibilant whispers, which is why Hermione thought it was in the pipes. Active pipes with water rushing makes a similar sound to what Harry probably heard.

[@gabrielrodriguez9733]

"Clustercuss?" That's one I've never heard before.

[@mikeziniti]

Gabriel Rodriguez one of my favorite words. It’s from “The Fantastic Mr. Fox”. If you count “cuss” as a swear, that movie would get a hard R rating.

[@Christoph-ce4hj]

Maybe it can’t eat anything turned into stone. „Damn it why won’t anyone look at me directly, I am starving damn it!!!!“

[@kai2317]

Me: *sees title* Also me: Truuue 😂

[@rooty]

I took "it's using the piped" to mean the basilisk was inside the piping all over the school, then it would come out at different points and attack whoever was nearby. I never thought it came out only from moaning Myrtle's bathroom and travelled the corridors from there lol The bit about the plumbing is the dumbest thing JK has ever written (and that is saying something). Why did they even install plumbing? How is that better than instantly vanishing stuff with magic? It's one of those instances where JK really should just have said "i made a mistake, let's all just ignore it", because the convoluted nonsense she has to retrofit into the story is far far dumber than the original mistake.

[@sivad1025]

Goblet of Fire is the one that makes my head hurt. The plot is so overly convoluted and it's all predicated on a bunch if convenient events.

[@michao32]

I don't understand why no portrait has seen a basilisk there are also too many happy coincidences in the seventh book. I mean, Dumbledore's whole plan only worked because of a lot of coincidences.

[@drogadepc]

"They don't really bother me... it's always bothered me..." 😂

[@AmeliaOak]

I heard that too 😂

[@yaralppes]

I totally agree that owls are archaic, but there are another options. When Sirius uses the fireplaces to talk to Harry (with only his face) it's like a skype call, and they were in the 90s so is very much ahead of its time. On emergencies they also use the patronus (like on Bill's wedding) to send it like a voice message. Sirius gave Harry the 2-way mirror, so I imagine there are another magical objects to use to communicate.

[@ryanmonson3865]

This is also my least favorite from the series. Not only were there a ton of plot conveniences, but the action that brings them all about is confusing. To me, it reads like an author created a situation as the climax of a novel but struggled with how to put it all together. Everything ended up feeling clunky and everything happened, not because it flowed together, but because it was forced to happen in order to tie together all the plot points. I think this was the only time in an HP novel where the action was written in a way that I couldn't visualize what was happening.

[@BubblegumGirl366]

Why doesn't everyone have a basilisk? Because when it looks directly at you, you'll die. Kind of a huge deterrent

[@gymnastpsych1792]

The car wasn't sentient. Dobby was controlling it with his elf magic so rescue them

[@azuregriffin1116]

*hits blunt*

[@katevgrady]

I would imagine that basilisks aren't made all the time because 1) they're not born massive and formidable they're born chicken egg-sized, and 2) even if you nurture it to hugeness, unless you're a parseltongue it's just going to indiscriminately hurt you too

[@valuivana]

I am loving this videos! Can't wait for the rest of the series. Of course I love Harry Potter and that is not going to change, but like you said I think nothing is perfect and it's okey to see that things and have a little fun. Thak you for this, and need the book 4 review!!! Haha ❤️

[@adelehattrup4834]

Ok so I have a possible explanation for why no one heard the hissing. So Hermione figures out that the snake is traveling through the pipes, right? So maybe the parseltongue that the snake is speaking- which would sound like hissing to a non-parseltongue-speaker- was being misconstrued as noise from the pipes? So Harry understood what the snake was saying, and that is why it caught his attention. And maybe when Harry asked Ron and Hermione if they heard something when he hears the snake speaking in the hallway, they heard the hissing, but didn’t think it was unusual because they thought it was more of a white noise than something abnormal.