Hogwarts Professor

Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 17, ‘The Heir of Slytherin’ (True/False Quiz and Discussion Point)
ByJohn November 24, 2007
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Chapter 17 Quiz: “The Heir of Slytherin”

Mark True statements with a “T” and False statements with an “F.” Answers tomorrow with responses to discussion point posts (if there are any).

1. _____ When Harry enters the Chamber of Secrets, he finds Ginny laying at the feet of a giant wizard statue, which statue has a face that is “ancient and monkeyish.” Read More “Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 17, ‘The Heir of Slytherin’ (True/False Quiz and Discussion Point)”
Reader Review of ‘Looking for God:’ Granger Gives Decent ‘Deathly Hallows’ Predictions…
ByJohn November 23, 2007
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How was your Turkey Day? I spent mine giving thanks for a wonderful wife and family and for all the guests who joined us for a remarkable dinner (and long walk afterwards around the West Allentown neighborhood where we live). My brother Steve from Philadelphia, my good friend Bob Trexler, my niece Victoria Work from Colby College, and my sister-in-law Gretchen Jahr from Portland, OR, not to mention daughter/cadet Hannah, home from the Post in Lexington, made our family feast especially joyful.

The morning after this celebration (in which “stuffing” was a substantive participle for what was cooked in the birds and what all my children seemed to be doing with the bird, the potatoes, and the squash pie), I turned on my computer to moderate your posts. This usually means just cutting out the wall of spam that comes in with your brilliant notes. I also try to check out the sites that have linked to HogPro in the night. Today, there was a review of Looking for God in Harry Potter by ‘Pete The Elder‘ with special emphasis on the Deathly Hallows predictions I made in it way back in October, 2005. Read More “Reader Review of ‘Looking for God:’ Granger Gives Decent ‘Deathly Hallows’ Predictions…”
Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 16, ‘The Chamber of Secrets’ (True/False Quiz and Discussion Point)
ByJohn November 23, 2007
3 Comments

Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 16 Quiz: “The Chamber of Secrets”

Mark True statements with a “T” and False statements with an “F.” Answers tomorrow with responses to discussion point posts (if there are any).

1. _____ Professor McGonagall tells her Transfiguration class that exams will “start on the first of June, one week from today.”

2. _____ Ginny is about to tell Ron and Harry an important secret when Fred and George interrupt with a joke about helping Nearly-Headless Nick finally get his head “cut off proper.” Read More “Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 16, ‘The Chamber of Secrets’ (True/False Quiz and Discussion Point)”
The ‘Kappa Element’ of Stories: Michael Ward (Planet Narnia) Explains Narnia’s Father Christmas – and the Importance of Literary Alchemy?
ByJohn November 22, 2007May 29, 2018
17 Comments

Yes, I know this is not a C. S. Lewis weBlog or a Narnia discussion zone. But so much about the Narnian casts revealing light on the Harry Potter stories, especially Lewis’ use of literary alchemy, that I find myself returning to him again and again.

Michael Ward, author of Planet Narnia, has written an article for Grist posted at the Touchstone Magazine website, called Narnia’s Secret: The Seven Heavens of the Chronicles Revealed. In it, he attempts to explain the disturbing figure of Father Christmas, seemingly a syncretic drop-in totally removed from the mythos of the story, in the context of Lewis’ astrological artistry. In so doing, he points to the meaning of Ms. Rowling’s alchemical artistry as backdrop and scaffolding to her Harry Potter novels.
Read More “The ‘Kappa Element’ of Stories: Michael Ward (Planet Narnia) Explains Narnia’s Father Christmas – and the Importance of Literary Alchemy?”
Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 15, ‘Aragog’ (Quiz and Discussion Point)
ByJohn November 22, 2007
4 Comments

Chapter 15 Quiz: “Aragog”:

Mark True statements with a “T” and False statements with an “F.” Answers tomorrow with responses to discussion point posts (if there are any). Read More “Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 15, ‘Aragog’ (Quiz and Discussion Point)”