Harry Potter Lessons Learned, Year 2, Chapter 12: The Polyjuice Potion

Welcome back to the chapter-by-chapter read of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Last chapter ended with the second attack on the population of Hogwarts and Harry being escorted to see Dumbledore. Let's get into the tensions and resolutions that are at the center of Chapter 12: "The Polyjuice Potion."

Urgent News

One of the hallmarks of this chapter is that there are people experiencing private tensions. Some of them are easily resolved - Harry no sooner worries that he made Dumbledore's ugly bird spontaneously combust than the Headmaster explains that he the featherdad to a phoenix. Hagrid's state of panic is de-escalated as soon as Dumbledore gets a word in edgewise.

On the flip side, we have sore spots that aren't able to be healed just yet or may never disappear. Of particular note is Hagrid's sheer terror when Harry seems to be suspected of attacking Justin Fitch-Fletchley and Nearly-Headless Nick. We don't know yet in this book that Hagrid was the last person implicated in attacks on the school, so it just seems to be out of fierce loyaltyt hat he bursts into Harry's interrogation, a dead chicken in his hand and 'a wild look in his eyes." What we learn later helps us understand the distress when he "went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation" and insisted that "it can't've bin him" and "ye'h've got the wrong boy, sir." Hagrid may not have vividly remembered his own pleas for understanding in his fifth year but viscerally, he is convinced that Harry is about to face the same unrelenting sense of fear that got him prosecuted at the age of fifteen. It's a terrible look at how difficult it must have been for him to not get due process froa crime he never committed.

On the other hand, we have the first use of Polyjuice in this chapter and it lets Harry and Ron clear some things up about the Heir of Slytherin. We've already talked about Hagrid, who has no privilege, so let's turn our attention to the 12-year-old with more than enough. Draco Malfoy He's able to move around the castle unmolested, not only because he's got "friends" whose only purpose is to look after him, but also he's the least likely to be targeted by the Heir of Slytherin. He mocks a prefect without consequences and has no worries about where and when the next attack will happen. While everyone is desperate to identify Slytherin's monster, he's irritated that he can't take advantage of a connection to the criminal working in the shadows. He's used to being at an advantage and it's unacceptable that this isn't the case.

In the third circumstance I want to talk about is Ginny Weasley. Her brothers are trying to make Harry better by satirizing the culture of fear. I'm sure there are people at Hogwarts who need to laugh at the situation, but I appreciate that one other Weasley intervenes. Percy looks for ways to help her that aren't as flippant.

Lesson Learned: Read the room

The thing I take away from this chapter is that it's possible to be of help and to get assistance in return, but there is nothing wrong with taking a few extra moments to use your good sense. It can allay fears if you're prone to justifiable anxiety or help you understand how to help a loved one. Most fraught situations aren't easy fixes, so don't judge yourself for the cautious approaches. They can be good for you in the short term and long run.

We'll be back soon with the mystery of "The Very Secret Diary."