LITERATURE
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Level: |
Intermediate |
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Genre: |
Fiction |
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Title: |
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (K. Rowling) |
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Subject: |
Fantasy |
The Chamber of Secrets Chapter Eight (Kathleen
Rowling)
The Deathday Party
Harry is banished to his
room while Uncle Vernon hosts important clients. A house-elf named Dobby shows
up in Harry's room with the warning that terrible danger awaits him at Hogwarts
and tells him not to return there. Harry refuses to believe him, but is locked
in his room. He is rescued, however, by the Weasley brothers in a flying car.
So Harry returns to Hogwarts despite Dobby's warning. Sure enough, Harry begins
hearing an evil voice that nobody else seems to hear. The dreaded Chamber of
Secrets is open again at Hogwarts, and the unknown Heir to Slytherin is
determined to wreak havoc on Muggle-blooded students. As students become
petrified, Harry and Ron have to act.
Extract
Nearly Headless Nick (a
ghost whose head had been cut off, but not completely) stopped in his
tracks and Harry walked right through him. He wished he hadn't; it was like
stepping through an icy shower.
"But there is
something you could do for me," said Nick excitedly. "Harry - would I
be asking too much - but no, you wouldn't want -"
"What is it?"
said Harry.
"Well, this Halloween
will be my five hundredth deathday," said Nearly Headless Nick, drawing
himself up ...
and looking dignified.
"Oh," said Harry,
not sure whether he should look sorry or happy about this. "Right."
"I'm holding a party
down in one of the roomier dungeons. Friends will be coming from all over the
country. It would be such an honour if you would attend. Mr. Weasley and Miss
Granger would be most welcome, too, of course - but I daresay you'd rather go
to the school feast?" He watched Harry on tenterhooks.
"No," said Harry
quickly, "I'll come -"
"My dear boy! Harry
Potter, at my deathday party!” Nearly Headless Nick beamed at him.
"A deathday
party?" said Hermione keenly when Harry had changed at last and joined her
and Ron in the common room. "I bet there aren't many living people who can
say they've been to one of those - it'll be fascinating!"
"Why would anyone want
to celebrate the day they died?" said Ron, who was halfway through his
Potions homework and grumpy. "Sounds dead depressing to me. . . ."
By the time Halloween
arrived, Harry was regretting his rash promise to go to the deathday party. The
rest of the school was happily anticipating their Halloween feast; the Great
Hall had been decorated with the usual live bats, Hagrid's vast pumpkins had
been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in, and there were
rumours that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the
entertainment.
"A promise is a
promise," Hermione reminded Harry bossily. "You said you'd go to the
deathday party."
So at seven o'clock, Harry,
Ron, and Hermione walked straight past the doorway to the packed Great Hall,
which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles, and directed
their steps instead toward the dungeons.
The passageway leading to Nearly Headless Nick's party had been lined
with candles, too, though the effect was far from cheerful: These were long,
thin, jet-black tapers, all burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light
even over their own living faces. The temperature dropped with every step they
took. As Harry shivered and drew his robes tightly around him, he heard what
sounded like a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard.
"Is that supposed to
be music?" Ron whispered. They turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless
Nick standing at a doorway hung with black velvet drapes.
"My dear
friends," he said mournfully. "Welcome, welcome . . . so pleased you
could come. . . ."
He swept off his plumed hat
and bowed them inside.
It was an incredible sight.
The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly-white, translucent (you can look
through them) people, mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor,
waltzing to the dreadful, quavering sound of thirty musical saws, played by an
orchestra on a raised, black-draped platform. A chandelier overhead blazed
midnight-blue with a thousand more black candles. Their breath rose in a mist
before them; it was like stepping into a freezer.
"Shall we have a look
around?" Harry suggested, wanting to warm up his feet.
"Careful not to walk
through anyone," said Ron nervously, and they set off around the edge of
the dance floor. They passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing
chains, and the Fat Friar, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost, who was talking to a
knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead. Harry wasn't surprised to
see that the Bloody Baron, a gaunt, staring Slytherin ghost covered in silver
bloodstains, was being given a wide berth by the other ghosts.
"Oh, no," said
Hermione, stopping abruptly. "Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk
to Moaning Myrtle -"
"Who?" said Harry
as they backtracked quickly.
"She haunts one of the
toilets in the girls' bathroom on the first floor," said Hermione.
"She haunts a toilet?"
"Yes. It's been
out-of-order all year because she keeps having tantrums (act like a madman)
and flooding the place. I never went in there anyway if I could avoid it; it's
awful trying to have a pee with her wailing at you -"
"Look, food!"
said Ron.
On the other side of the
dungeon was a long table, also covered in black velvet. They approached it
eagerly but next moment had stopped in their tracks, horrified. The smell was
quite disgusting. Large, rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters;
cakes, burned charcoal-black, were heaped on salvers; there was a great maggoty
haggis, a slab of cheese covered in furry green mold and, in pride of place, an
enormous gray cake in the shape of a tombstone, with tar-like icing forming the
words, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington died 31st October, 1492.
Harry watched, amazed, as a
portly ghost approached the table, crouched low, and walked through it, his
mouth held wide so that it passed through one of the stinking salmon.
"Can you taste it if
you walk through it?" Harry asked him.
"Almost," said
the ghost sadly, and he drifted away.
"I expect they've let
it rot to give it a stronger flavour," said Hermione knowledgeably,
pinching her nose and leaning closer to look at the putrid haggis.
"Can we move? I feel
sick," said Ron.
They had barely turned
around, however, when a little man swooped suddenly from under the table and
came to a halt in midair before them.
"Hello, Peeves,"
said Harry cautiously.
Unlike the ghosts around
them, Peeves the Poltergeist was the very reverse of pale and transparent. He
was wearing a bright orange party hat, a revolving bow tie, and a broad grin on
his wide, wicked face.
"Nibbles?" he
said sweetly, offering them a bowl of peanuts covered in fungus.
"No thanks," said
Hermione.
"Heard you talking
about poor Myrtle," said Peeves, his eyes dancing. "Rude you was
about poor Myrtle." He took a deep breath and bellowed, "OY!
MYRTLE!"
"Oh, no, Peeves, don't
tell her what I said, she'll be really upset," Hermione whispered frantically.
"I didn't mean it, I don't mind her - er, hello, Myrtle."
The squat ghost of a girl
had glided over. She had the glummest face Harry had ever seen, half-hidden
behind lank hair and thick, pearly spectacles.
"What?" she said
sulkily.
"How are you,
Myrtle?" said Hermione in a falsely bright voice. "It's nice to see
you out of the toilet."
Myrtle sniffed.
"Miss Granger was just
talking about you -" said Peeves slyly in Myrtle's ear.
"Just saying - saying
- how nice you look tonight," said Hermione, glaring at Peeves.
Myrtle eyed Hermione
suspiciously.
"You're making fun of
me," she said, silver tears welling rapidly in her small, see-through
eyes.
"No - honestly -
didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?" said Hermione, nudging Harry
and Ron painfully in the ribs.
"Oh, yeah -"
"She did -"
"Don't lie to
me," Myrtle gasped, tears now flooding down her face, while Peeves
chuckled happily over her shoulder. "D' you think I don't know what people
call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping
Myrtle!"
"You've forgotten
pimply," Peeves hissed in her ear.
Moaning Myrtle burst into
anguished sobs and fled from the dungeon. Peeves shot after her, pelting her
with moldy peanuts, yelling, "Pimply! Pimply!"
"Oh, dear," said
Hermione sadly.
Nearly Headless Nick now
drifted toward them through the crowd.
"Enjoying
yourselves?"
"Oh, yes," they
lied.
"Not a bad
turnout," said Nearly Headless Nick proudly. "The Wailing Widow came
all the way up from Kent. It's nearly time for my speech, I'd better go and warn the
orchestra. . . ."
The orchestra, however,
stopped playing at that very moment. They, and everyone else in the dungeon,
fell silent, looking around in excitement, as a hunting horn sounded.
"Oh, here we go,"
said Nearly Headless Nick bitterly.
Through the dungeon wall
burst a dozen ghost horses, each ridden by a headless horseman. The assembly
clapped wildly; Harry started to clap, too, but stopped quickly at the sight of
Nick's face.
The horses galloped into
the middle of the dance floor and halted, rearing and plunging. At the front of
the pack was a large ghost who held his bearded head under his arm, from which
position he was blowing the horn. The ghost leapt down, lifted his head high in
the air so he could see over the crowd (everyone laughed), and strode over to
Nearly Headless Nick, squashing his head back onto his neck.
"Nick!" he
roared. "How are you? Head still hanging in there?"
He gave a hearty laugh and
clapped Nearly Headless Nick on the shoulder.
"Welcome,
Patrick," said Nick stiffly.
"Live ones!" said
Sir Patrick, spotting Harry, Ron, and Hermione and giving a huge, fake jump of
astonishment, so that his head fell off again (the crowd howled with laughter).
"Very amusing,"
said Nearly Headless Nick darkly.
"Don't mind
Nick!" shouted Sir Patrick's head from the floor. "Still upset we
won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say - look at the fellow -"
"I think," said
Harry hurriedly, at a meaningful look from Nick, "Nick's very -
frightening and - er -"
"Ha!" yelled Sir
Patrick's head. "Bet he asked you to say that!"
"If I could have
everyone's attention, it's time for my speech!" said Nearly Headless Nick
loudly, striding toward the podium and climbing into an icy blue spotlight.
"My late lamented
lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow . . ."
But nobody heard much more.
Sir Patrick and the rest of the Headless Hunt had just started a game of Head
Hockey and the crowd were turning to watch. Nearly Headless Nick tried vainly
to recapture his audience, but gave up as Sir Patrick's head went sailing past
him to loud cheers.
Harry was very cold by now,
not to mention hungry.
"I can't stand much
more of this," Ron muttered, his teeth chattering, as the orchestra ground
back into action and the ghosts swept back onto the dance floor. "Let's go," Harry agreed.
They backed toward the
door, nodding and beaming at anyone who looked at them, and a minute later were
hurrying back up the passageway full of black candles.
"Pudding might not be
finished yet," said Ron hopefully, leading the way toward the steps to the
entrance hall.
Writing/Speaking: seven Hogwarts spells
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Look up what “hog” and “wart” mean.
Now make up a few spells yourself about things you would like to do or
have done. Give your spells an appropriate name and discuss them with your
neighbour. The best names of spells can be read out in class and be guessed by
the other students.
HERE ARE SEVEN HOGWARTS SPELLS. ARRANGE THEM.
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1. Anti-cheating spell |
a. forces the target to dance |
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2. Aparecium |
b. used to make invisible ink... visible |
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3. Cheering Charm |
c. a spell used to wipe someone's memory |
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4. Confundus |
d. causes a bouquet of flowers to blossom from the tip of the caster's
wand |
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5. Obliviate |
e. this spell is cast on quills used for tests, to keep the students
who are using them from cheating |
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6. Orchideous |
f. a charm used to make people happy or "cheer you up" |
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7. Tarantallegra |
g. a charm used to confuse people |
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(1e 2b
Background information
- Joanne
Kathleen Rowling (pronounced 'rolling') was born in Scotland in 1965. She
married a Portuguese television journalist but divorced soon after the birth of
their daughter, Jessica. She studied French and the Classics at Exeter
University, worked as a secretary, then for Amnesty International. In 1991, at
age 26, Jo went to Portugal and taught children English as a second
language. She later taught French in Edinburgh, Scotland. She completed
her first book over a five year period while in Portugal, naming Harry after a
childhood friend, Ian Potter. In 1996 Jo came back to Britain with her daughter
and moved with Jessica to Edinburgh to be near her sister, Di. She has recently
donated a substantial sum to an organisation supporting single mothers.
- The books tell the story of a skinny, spectacled,
11-year-old orphan living with a hard-hearted aunt and uncle (Petunia and
Vernon Dursley) and a bullying piglike cousin Dudley. One day Harry learns that he has been accepted at Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he gets to know the mysterious
world of spells and potions, gremlins and dragons, flying broomsticks and magic
wands. Hogwarts, with its centuries-old history and tradition, sparkling
language, rules of conduct, athletics and its battle between good and evil is a
friendly, welcoming place to Harry, in spite of the bullies and the snobs he
meets there. In the non-magic human world (the world of
"Muggles") Harry is a nobody,
treated like dirt by his aunt and uncle, who took him in their home when his
parents were killed by the evil magician Voldemort. But in the world of
wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to
kill him. He survived with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously
refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers.
- There will be seven books in the Harry Potter
series, one for each year Harry spends at Hogwarts school. The first five books
are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1998), Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1999), Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), Harry Potter and the Globlet of Fire
(2000), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2001).
- Chris
Columbus directs and produces the Hollywood version of Harry Potter
and the Chamber of Secrets for
Warner Bros, the studio which owns the rights to the film. Harry will be played by 11-year-old Daniel
Radcliffe, who featured as Harry in last year’s Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone. He will be joined
by Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Ron and Hermione. The release date of this
film is 15 November 2002. Two more films are to follow but there is a problem
of timing: the main actors may grow too old for their parts!
- The Harry Potter series has been the subject of controversy
in the States and in the UK. A vicar in the Church of England held a special "Harry Potter"
family service, complete with wizards, pointy hats, broomsticks and a game of
quidditch. The Hogwarts liturgy was welcomed by other clergy who wished to
adapt it for their churches as well. But such services have aroused horror
among evangelicals, who condemned them as "importing evil symbols into the
Church". Some American educators condemn the books because they would show
“the dark side of religion”.
Reading comprehension
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Where does the ghost party take place? (in the dungeons)
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Explain the name of the ghost ‘Nearly Headless Nick’ (This ghost has a head that has not been completely
cut off the body)
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The ghosts behave and act like humans. Explain. (They quarrel, feel frustrated, complain, give parties
just like humans)
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Is it a pleasant party? Explain. (It’s very cold and unpleasant, horrible music, no
heat, rotten food and unhappy ghosts)
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What’s Myrtle’s problem? (She is continuously made ridiculous because of her
looks)
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What does Harry think of going to the party? Did he
like it? And what about Ron and Hermione? (Harry knew that he had promised and goes reluctantly,
he would have preferred to go to the school party with his friends. Ron is not
very keen on joining. He is disgusted by the food and complaining all the time.
Hermione finds such a party an interesting experience. She urges Harry to keep
his promise)
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Does Nearly Headless Nick enjoy his own party? (Probably not, no one is listening to his speech and
he is not allowed to join the successful Headless Hunters because he is not
entirely headless. He
appreciates Harry’s joining the party though)
Speaking: interview with a ghost,
pair work
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Prepare and organize a short interview with a ghost.
Ask questions like: Where do you live? How do you look? Why are you a ghost
now? What do you do during the day and during the night? Are you alone? Do you
have enemies? What do you eat? How old are you?
Writing
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Read Maxine’s opinion in Your Turn on p.17
(Harry or Frodo?). Write an answer to her comment, expressing your agreement or
disagreement (You have a point there, I absolutely agree, You were right to
point out... but, I couldn’t agree more
with ...., I disagree, I wonder if...) Go to the BBC website and send her
your answer.