potter2

Book Club week 1 12/3/10




 * **PERSON A - GROUP LEADER** - Josh Shulman
 * **PERSON B - QUOTATION FINDER** - Joe Arnold
 * **PERSON C - KEY QUESTIONER** - Pat Herlihy
 * **PERSON D - GROUP SUMMARIZER** - Adam Morrow

QUOTES:

"Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee which is a perfect map of the London Underground." - //Albus Dumbledore 17//

“CAR CRASH” roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner, “How could a car crash kill Lily and James Potter? It’s an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin’ his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!” (- //Rubeus Hagrid) 44//

Yesterday he’d have given anything to be up here. Today he’d rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it. 32

"Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh--took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even--but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry." – //Hagrid 45//

He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: 'To Harry Potter -- the boy who lived!' 18.

Questions 1. Why did Dumbledore and Hagrid leave Harry at the doorstep of the Dursleys?

2. What are some examples of how the Dursleys show that they dislike Harry?

3. After Dudley’s birthday why is Harry’s family blaming him for the glass disappearing?

4. Why are Vernon and Petunia shocked why Harry gets mail, and why does he destroy it before Harry can read it?

5. Why are the Dursleys against Harry going to wizard school even though it would take him out of the house?

Characters

Harry Potter- When you first meet Harry, he is introduced as a good little kid. His parents are dead and Haggard told him that his parents died in a car crash. He is the main character and he is a slave in the beginning. Dumbledore- Dumbledore is a favorite character. Everyone loves him and the kids look up to him. He is a wise and kind man who helps the kids with advice when they need it. Dumbledore is always doing good deeds so you are drawn to him. Vernon and Petunia Dursley- The Dursleys are Harry’s evil aunt and uncle. They basically make him their slave. These are two characters that you really cannot stand. You hate them for their treatment of Harry. They are very wealthy and despise wizardry. )

Summary

The first Harry Potter Book Club got off to a swell start when Pat came through clutch bringing in a dozen donuts. After feasting on the donuts for the first ten minutes we began our discussion of what transpired in the first 60 pages. We all agreed that the first chapter started off slow, but then after that it really picked up. It was a little confusing how we are just thrown into a story without knowing what happened. It started out with a character named Dumbledore showing up and leaving a baby named Harry Potter on the doorstep of his Aunt and Uncle. We know that Harry's parents are dead, and the Dursleys tell Harry they died in a car crash, but its hinted that this isn't true. We then jump to Harry at age 10, an awkward lanky boy who has been close to enslaved by his Aunt and Uncle. He is bullied constantly by his cousin, and is mistreated by his Aunt and Uncle. Then suddenly a letter arrives from a school named Hogwarts requesting that Harry attends this coming semester. His Uncle forbids and is forced to move because he can't handle the mass amounts of letters he receives from Hogwarts. The Dursleys go about a day without receiving a letter until a giant teacher from Hogwarts comes and saves Harry from his "family" and brings him to Hogwarts. It is then that we learn that Harry is a wizard, and his parents weren't killed in a car crash. The chapter ends with Harry and Hagrid stopping at a pub filed with witches and wizards who all know Harry. Apparently he is famous for something he did as a family, but the chapter ends before we find out why.

**Week 2**
 * Requirements**:
 * **PERSON A - GROUP LEADER** - Adam Morrow
 * **PERSON B - QUOTATION FINDER** - Josh Shulman
 * **PERSON C - KEY QUESTIONER** - Joe Arnold
 * **PERSON D - GROUP SUMMARIZER** - Pat Herlihy

Quotes I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, I imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?(5.184, Madam Malkin)

Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat. (6. 150, Ron)

The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. (7.7, McGonagall)

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." (6.244, Malfoy)

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin." (6.225, Ron

Questions: Do you think that there is some kind of foreshadowing because the wand that chooses Harry is the same as Voldemort.

Why do you think that Harry’s Uncle Vernon ridicules him on the way to the train station?

How do you think Harry feels when he sees all of that gold that his parents left him?

Why do you think the hat suggests that Harry would be great in Slytherin?

Why do you think that Harry feels that sharp pain in his scar?

Summary: The second week of our book club started off well, we ate our lunchables, and drank our kool-aid while discussing the chapters. We discussed Harry’s adventures through Diagon Ally to buy his school supplies with Hagrid. We also talked about how Harry’s wand being of the same making as Voldemorts as possible foreshadowing for Harry’s future battles. We then began talking about all the different classes the sorting hat could’ve put the students in and why we think Griffendor is much better than Slytherin. We then began a discussion about the language of the book and how even though it is an easy read there are a lot of words that we don’t understand. This is because the wizards use different names for some things than we do and have things we do not. We then moved on to the quotes and questions. The question that sparked the most discussion was why do you think the hat suggests that Harry would be great in Slytherin? We came to the conclusion that because Harry is much like Voldemort, if he went to Slytherin he could become a great wizard just like him. Although Voldemort is evil he still went on to become one of the most powerful wizards ever. Overall the book club went well we had a good time eating good food and discussing our book. We all can’t wait to continue reading to find out more about Hogwarts. The book is written in all English wish the exception of the spells that are casted. It is a very easy read because it is intended for children. The book is written in a conversational format. It is written at a 6th grade reading level because it is intended to appeal to that crowd.

**Week 3** **Requirements**:
 * **PERSON A - GROUP LEADER** - Josh Shulman
 * **PERSON B - QUOTATION FINDER** - Pat Herlihy
 * **PERSON C - KEY QUESTIONER** - Adam Morrow
 * **PERSON D - GROUP SUMMARIZER** - Joe Arnold

Questions

1) Why do you think Professor Snape has such a strong dislike for Harry? 2) Do you think accepting the duel challenge from Drako was a good idea? 3) Where do you think the 3 headed dog came from? 4) Who do you think gave Harry the Nimbus Two- Thousand? 5) How do you think the Troll got into the school?

Quotes:

“At the start of their first class he tool the roll call, and when he reached Harry’s name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of site.” (133)

“No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy” (149)

“They were in a Corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden”(160)

“A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages”(169)

“As they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop – a high petrified scream – and it was coming from the chamber they’d just chained up” (175)

Group Leader In chapters 8, 9 and 10, the story is just starting to get suspenseful and mysterious. It is getting much more serious. He is beginning to start his classes. He is beginning more and more about this school and becomes suspicious of the character, Snape. He comes to class one day and Snape is in there. As he settles in, his scar begins to hurt. He is bewildered by this but notices the anomaly that this has happens when Snape is present. We don’t yet know what it actually means, but Harry is suspicious of Snape.

Summary: Week three of book club got off to a fantastic start that no one in our group could have imagined. Although we had no snacks this week we were still able to discuss the chapters that we had to read in full depth. We talked about Harry starting his new classes and how well he is doing in all of them. We also talked about Harry's growing friendship with Ron, and how we think that they have the potential to become the best of friends. When we got to one of the best parts in the chapters that we read, Adam could not stop talking about it. When the troll bursts into the girls bathroom, there is chaos. Hermoine is stuck in the bathroom forced to fend for herself when Ron and Harry show up to save the day. We also talked about how Ron, Harry, and Hermoine see the three headed dog and just run away because it is so scary. Then we discussed the questions that were asked by Adam, also known as smelly Adam. We all thought that Professor Snape does not like Harry because he is so famous and liked, but he really did not do anything to deserve it. We thought that someone brought the troll into the school but we were not really sure who would have done it. We do think that accepting the duel challenge from Drako was a bad idea because Drako was setting them up just to get them into trouble. We also went over the mood and the tone, and we thought that the book was getting more suspenseful, as Harry and his friends explore the school more and start to learn about magic.

Week 4:

Quotations:

"No – he wouldn't," she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe." "Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?" (11.29-30)

"They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror and saw other pairs of green eyes like his, other noses like his, even a little old man who looked as though he had Harry's knobbly knees - Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life...The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness." Chapter 12, pg. 151

"'It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.'" Chapter 12, pg. 157

"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier." "There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out. (13.28-29)

"It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money – you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains." Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy. "I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered. (13.77-79)

Group Leader:

One of the themes that was presented in the chapters that we read was modesty. In the chapters that we read Harry never brags or talks about how good he is at Quidditch. When he catches the golden snitch within five minutes he does not even pause to appreciate what he did. Another theme is the urge to do something rebellious. When Harry gets the invisible cloak he goes to the restricted-books section of the library, and then runs away when one of the books screams at him. One of the images in the chapters is the mirror that Harry finds. When the person looks in the mirror it shows the person’s greatest desire. When Harry looks into the mirror it shows him with his family, and I think that the author is trying to show how much Harry wants to be with his family.

Questions

1) What do you think about the game Quidditch? Does it sound like something you would want to play? 2) Why do you think Snape was trying to kill Harry? 3) Who do you think sent the Invisibility Cloak to Harry for Christmas? 4) Whats the deal with the Mirror if Erised? 5) What do you think Snape was saying to Professor Quirrell.

WEEK FIVE::::

Quotes?:

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some ... wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

Harry knew at once that Snape's feelings toward him hadn't ... changed one jot. This didn't worry Harry. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.

It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Harry opened ... it curiously. It was full of wizard photographs. Smiling and waving at him from every page were his mother and father.

"If you want to go back, I won't blame you,' ... he said. 'You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."

"It ... takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”

Group Leader

After finishing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, my group and I enjoyed it very much. The ending with Harry getting the Sorcerer's Stone back from Voldemort was very exciting. Overall, it was a good book but not too challenging of a read. It is an excellence book for the school curriculum for class such as this one.

Questions

1. How do Harry and Hermione lose 150 points for Griffendor?

2. Who do you think the cloaked figure was, who was drinking the unicorn blood? Why?

3. Why do you think Hagrid told Voldemort how to get passed the three-headed dog?

4. Why would Ron sacrifice himself in the game of chess?

5. How does Harry get the sorcerers stone, when Voldemort had been trying to and could not?

Summary

Wow, s%#& just got real. Such a drama filled week to conclude the book. So many questions are answered and so many new questions are asked. After talking about what went down it was unanimous that we were all baffled by the fact that Snape wasn't working with Voldermort and that Professor Quirrell was really sharing a body with Voldemort. Then there was of course that big battle between Voldemort and Harry in which Harry almost died. Luckily the stone saved his life. The book does however leave you wanting more. We are all eager to read the next book in the series, and if this class were to continue that would be our next Book Club Book. Everyone worked well together all though out the Book Clubs, and everyone got there work done. This was one of the best times of my life I wouldn't change anything about it. I LUV ALL YOU GUYS!!!!!<3