Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Signature Edition

It is Harry Potter's birthday and instead of having a party, presents or even a card from his friends Harry has to endure the same treatment he always gets from his horrible aunt, uncle and stupid cousin Dudley. Actually, no it's worse. Harry actually ends up being punished for playing a harmless joke on his cousin and spends most of the day cleaning the house and maintaining the lawn, after nearly getting his head bashed in with a frying pan by his aunt. Worst birthday ever (which is the title of the chapter, sort of) and it's not just because of the things listed above. Harry received a visit from a house elf that led to a ruined important meeting for Harry's Uncle Vernon and Harry being literally locked in his bedroom and only allowed out for bathroom breaks.

Now I have read this series a few times and I remember not liking Harry's aunt and uncle, heck I probably hated them because they really are just awful guardians, heck they are awful parents. Not only do they treat Harry with malice but they spoil their son Dudley rotten, overstuff him with food to the point of obesity and just raise him to be an awful person. But back in my younger days when I read this series I obviously didn't realize just how terribly Harry's aunt and uncle treated him. It's child abuse really. After Dobby the house elf gets Harry (purposely) in trouble, Harry is locked in his room, bars are placed on his window, a cat flap installed on his door for food to go through, and he actually starts to starve because most of the food his aunt gives him to eat is watery vegetable soup. Soup that he shares with his pet owl Hedwig because the poor thing has been locked into her own cage and isn't allowed to hunt. Maybe all of this was done to show how wonderful the Weasley family is in comparison or that all the events that take place in the following school year, no matter how terrifying, really is much better than living with the Dursleys.

In the Chamber of Secrets the story is a lot more intense and darker than the Philosopher's Stone. Students are being attacked, Harry is hearing voices no one else can here, and it's hard to know who to trust, Harry even ends up suspecting a close friend. This second installment in the series had mystery and twists and I loved every minute of it but my favourite parts on this re-read had to be the development of the world and the characters. Early on in the book we get to see The Burrow (Ron's home) and meet his awesome family, see firsthand Arthur Weasley's and Lucius Malfoy's hatred for one another. Take a visit down Knockturn Alley, learn about the four founders of the school particularly Salazar Slytherin and find out about not only Lord Voldemort's school days but Hagrid's as well.

There were also a few delicious moments of foreshadowing that had me grinning, two things I know that will come back in book six and one that we will see in Prisoner of Azkaban. J.K Rowling really did plan this whole series out from the beginning and that, readers, is why she is called brilliant. Her writing style also improved greatly in this sequel which is part of the reason these books just get better and better.