Pottermore Moments Revisited: Snitches and Mirrors

Chapter 11: “Quidditch”

Chapter thoughts: JKR has said that she dislikes writing Quidditch scenes, but that doesn’t seem to come through in the story; I have always found them enjoyable. Rereading this chapter, I was reminded of the comedic genius that is Lee Jordan’s commentary. I had to hold myself back from laughing out loud at work. Of course, this first match will become extremely important in the last book (who saw that coming?), but for now, it is simply our first look into the exciting sport of Quidditch. Around the match, however, we learn that Harry and Ron will survive school because of Hermione, Snape is up to something, and Hagrid has named the three-headed dog Fluffy.

Moment 1: Charms Homework

An interesting choice for this first moment, but still a nice look at normal life at Hogwarts. Our new piece of information is “the Original Forty,” a list of students in Harry’s year. Contrary to popular belief, JKR seems to be saying that these are not all of the students in Harry’s year, but rather a small selection. Though many of the names are familiar, some have been changed significantly (Draco’s last name was originally “Spungen”? It just doesn’t roll off the tongue).

There seems to be a lack of color in this moment, though. It just seems so cold and empty, a real contrast to the set in the films, which was full of warm color.

Moment 2: The Golden Snitch

For such an exciting moment in the story, this is not a very exciting moment on the site. Though chasing the Snitch is extremely aggravating, especially when my internet was running slow. We do get a little glimpse of Hermione’s enchanted fire in the stands.

Chapter 12: “The Mirror of Erised”

Chapter thoughts: This is one of my absolute favorite chapters. The writing is simply gorgeous. It’s Christmas time at Hogwarts (my favorite time of year as well, incidentally), and Harry, Ron, and Hermione are looking for Nicholas Flamel. Harry gets his first real Christmas presents, including his father’s Invisibility Cloak. There is also the absolutely beautiful moment where Harry stands in front of the Mirror of Erised and sees his family for the first time.

Moment 1: The Library

This moment is frustrating for me because it takes so long to find everything you are supposed to find. At the same time, the scale of this library is impressive. It’s every bookworm’s dream. The details of the sun coming in the window make it seem like the wonderful, hushed place it is, full of magic tucked in the dusty tomes. We do get to see a small glance in Curses and Countercurses, but it’s nothing all that new.

Moment 2: Christmas at Hogwarts

I love the festivity of this scene. There are so many colors and little details mentioned in the books (the white mice from the crackers, the decorated Christmas trees, and more make an appearance) and there are actually characters here! This scene simply makes me smile.

Moment 3: The Disused Classroom

I love the simplicity of this moment. Unlike other moments that don’t have much to do in them when the story itself is full of action, this just seems right. We see Harry approaching the Mirror, and of course, we get JKR’s thoughts on this important artifact. However, I feel that collecting the Galleon is really out of place and disrupts the moment. It also would have been nice to get a bit of a glimpse of the Invisibility Cloak.