Harry Potter Lessons Learned, Book 2, Chapter 9: The Writing on the Wall

Welcome back to our chapter-by-chapter reading of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Chapter 8 left us with the cliffhanger of the chamber being opened and Malfoy proudly proclaiming his bigotry. In this chapter, we get to understand the meaning of that threat and Hermione is clever, as usual. Let's dive in.

Acknowledging the sensational and ludicrous

I can vividly remember the first time I was really exposed to bigotry. When I was 12, our school had us create family trees and I enjoyed mapping out the families who came to America from Iceland or England and writing the story of my Scottish ancestors who didn't mean to fall asleep on a ship to the new world. A few days after our posters were hung in the 6th-grade hallway, someone wrote hateful things on the posters of the students who were Jewish. Our teachers began to teach us about what that kind of hatred did in the past. Much more recently, I hiked across Austria and Germany with my mother and we were given a walking tour of Salzburg by cousins of mine who spend their summers in Vienna. One cousin pointed out brass plaques in the sidewalk of Salzburg and asked if I kenw what they were. When I said no, she pointed out that they were engraved with names and dates. they were "stumbling stones" marking where someone was deported from their home and sent to camps. It was Austria's way of acknowledging what had been done and reminding them of how often it happened.

I understand the teachers not wanting to sensationalize a history of hate policy. Professor Binns is right that the students deserve facts instead of ludicrous myths and legends but I have to admire the students for pressing him for answers. And while the class is sort of missing the point by worrying about there being only one person who could open the Chamber of Secrets and the possibility of dark magic, it's good that they are thinking about the real consequences. They might not be thinking of how close to home a hatred towards Muggle-borns could hit, since we don't see other students being as vicious as Draco Malfoy.

It's in this sort of situation that the exceptionality of Harry on and Hermione really comes out. They're all worried about the monster roaming the school and the agenda of the Heir of Slytherin, but three students think about what action they should take next, even putting away their homework to do so.

Lesson Learned: Understanding is a call to action

Sometimes, it seems out of reach to stand up for something. A friend recently into calling my political representative's office so I could share my feelings on a vote. I couldn't publicly change opinion, but I spoke up for what I felt was the right thing to do. Colin Creevey tries to loyally tell Harry that he's being unjustly accused of something. Hermione makes sure that Malfoy isn't the scapegoat when there's no evidence.

The lesson in this chapter is to look for solutions. Look for what can be done and, like Hermione, look for ways to involve other people.