Week 1 Wrap-up of Wreading!

Week one of the reading contest is over, and I've read three books this week. I decided to start reading through the Harry Potter series in anticipation of the release of Book 7 next month!

Book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
The first year of Harry's adventures at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, this book explains how Harry discovers he is a wizard, that his mom was a witch, his dad a wizard, and that they were killed by yet another wizard when he was just a baby. This wizard was practically destroyed when he attempted to kill Harry as well, and for that, Harry finds out he is famous, and a lot of odd things that have happened to him begin to make sense. During his first year at school, he makes friends (and enemies), and with the help of his friends, overcomes the first of many attempts to finish what that first Dark wizard failed to do. It's a great story, one that I'm sure many young readers wish would come true for them!

Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
During Harry's second year of school, nasty things begin to happen to Harry right from the start. He receives a warning not to go back to school, but manages to return anyway, despite the efforts of others to keep him away. Things go from bad to worse when people start getting turned into stone, and everyone suspects that Harry is behind the attacks. But with perseverance and loyalty, Harry triumphs once again, and all of the affected students are restored.

Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
It's Harry's third year at Hogwart's, and things just keep getting more interesting by the minute. A dangerous person has escaped from Azkaban, the wizard prison, and he's after Harry! And if that wasn't enough to worry about, the school is being guarded by dementors, who usually stand watch over Azkaban, and they seem to be unnaturally drawn to Harry as well. Through another series of mishaps and misadventures, Harry finds out that the escaped prisoner is actually his godfather, and was his father's best friend. The real reason he escaped is to kill the person who was really responsible for betraying Harry's parents, but unfortunate coincidence lets him escape. Thankfully Dumbledore, the school headmaster, understands what has happened, and allows Harry and his friend Hermione the chance to set things right, and of course, they are able to do so.

I really like this series, I think this is the third time I've read through these books, and they are always entertaining. The only thing that ever bothers me as I'm reading is that some of the "coincidences" that allow Harry to triumph at the end of each book seem forced at times. In the first book, Harry just happens to come across the Mirror of Erised, and after he returns to it a couple of times, Dumbledore just happens to be there, and tells him what it is and how it works.. which amazingly enough just happens to be the key Harry needs to obtain the Sorcerer's stone, and keep it away from the wizard who is seeking it.

There are some pretty funny moments too. Again in the first book, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione are trying to pass the tasks that were set to guard the mirror and the stone is one of my favorites. They get past the three-headed dog (thanks to information that Hagrid just happens to let slip.. sigh), and fall into a room with vines growing all over the floor. Thankfully Hermione has practically memorized every textbook (what a coincidence!), and recognizes the plant, that it likes the damp and the dark. "So light a fire!", says Ron.. "Yes, but I haven't got any matches!", says Hermione. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR AREN'T YOU?", hollers Ron. Cracks me up every time.