In
the first book, Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone, the reader is led to believe that Professor Snape is
attempting to steal the stone to help Lord Voldemort become immortal but
instead of finding Professor Snape in front of the Mirror of Erised, it’s
Professor Quirrell that had been hiding Lord Voldemort. Professor Snape is
portrayed as a dark character, wearing black robes, sneering at students, and
having an endless loathing for Harry so automatically, he’s suspected as the
antagonist. Professor Quirrell is a nervous, stuttering Defense Against the
Dark Arts teacher that is frankly, afraid of his own shadow, which leads the
reader to pity him.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
is the second book of the series in which Hogwarts is plagued by a series of
attacks by a monster. The reader is expected to believe that Harry is behind
the attacks. The fact that he is present at the site directly after the attacks
and that he can speak Parseltongue do not help his case of his connection to
Lord Voldemort. Of course, the reader discovers that Tom Riddle’s diary deludes
young Ginny Weasley into the Chamber of Secrets and she is nearly killed by the
basilisk if it weren’t for Harry’s rescue.
Wolfgang
Iser quotes that “expectations are scarcely ever fulfilled in truly literary
texts (53). J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter
series exemplifies this quote perfectly because of her early development of a
plot that connects the books in an excellent way. Having read the series in
completion, I have noticed that there are people or events that are mentioned
in the later books in the series, that are also mentioned in the first few
books. Rowling’s plans for the series were portrayed perfectly to lead the reader
astray with surprises to keep them reading fervently. Rowling’s choice to raise
certain expectations but not fulfill them makes the books that much more
addicting because there are constant twists and turns.
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